By Kira Hamman

If you grow indeterminate tomatoes, as most heirloom and many hybrid varieties are, then you’re going to need to prune your tomato plants.

Like most plants, tomatoes need light and air to thrive, and careful pruning is a great way to make sure they’re getting both.

Entire books have been written on this topic, some of them quite good, but it’s really not as complicated as all that.

To do a respectable job of pruning your tomato plants, simply follow this checklist:

1. Prune off any branches that are touching the ground. These are more likely to introduce fungus or pests to the plant, so getting rid of them is a good idea.

2. Prune suckers, the little shoots that emerge in Read the rest of this entry »

By Michelle Fabio

You may have heard these terms thrown around at your local seed store, in catalogs, or even at tomato exhibitions—but what do they mean?

Indeterminate tomatoes are the traditional, large, homegrown variety, and will grow and produce fruit until the first frost.

They can grow up to 12 feet tall, although the average is around 6 feet, and they will bloom and bear fruit throughout the season.

These tomatoes are typically called “vining,” and they require substantial staking or caging as well as regular pruning.

Read the rest of this entry »