How to Trim New Tomato Plants

Tomatoes are a staple in most people's summer gardens, and properly pruning your tomato plants can help ensure a healthy, productive crop. Trimming the plants properly can help increase airflow, reduce the risk of disease, promote healthy growth, and help the plant focus on producing fruit. Here are some tips on how to trim new tomato plants.

Determine When to Trim

The first step in trimming your new tomato plants is to determine when to do so. You do not want to trim your plants when they are too young or too old. A good time to trim your tomato plants is when they have developed at least two or three sets of true leaves. At this point, the plants can handle pruning, and you can get the most benefit from pruning.

Identify What to Trim

The next step in trimming your new tomato plants is to identify what to trim. You should look for several things on the plant to decide what needs to be trimmed. First, you should look for any yellow, brown or wilted leaves, as these are signs that the leaves are diseased or dying. You also want to look for any shoots that are growing up from the base of the plant, as these are known as suckers, and they will take away from the plant's energy and reduce fruit production. Finally, you want to look for any leaves that are growing close together, as these also decrease airflow and can cause disease.

Remove the Suckers

The first thing you should do when trimming your new tomato plants is to remove the suckers. Suckers are the shoots that grow up from the base of the plant and between the stem and the main branches. These suckers can compete with the main stem and branches for nutrients, water, and sunlight. You should remove the suckers as soon as possible while they are small and easy to remove. Take your thumb and forefinger and pinch off the sucker so that it does not grow back.

Prune the Lower Leaves

After removing the suckers, you should prune the lower leaves of the plant. The leaves that are lower to the ground are the ones that are most susceptible to disease and moisture. So, remove these leaves carefully by cutting it at the stem with a clean, sharp knife. Do not rip the leaves off the plant, as this can damage the plant and invite disease.

Trim the Top of the Plant

The final step in trimming your new tomato plants is to trim the top of the plant. You do not want the top of the plant to get too large, as this can reduce airflow and increase the risk of disease. So, clip off the top of the plant with a clean, sharp knife, or use pruning shears. Cut the stem just above the top of the plant's last fruit cluster.

Overall, trimming your new tomato plants requires knowing when to trim, identifying what to trim, and carefully removing unwanted growth on the plants. By following these steps on how to trim your tomato plants, you can help promote healthy growth, reduce the risk of disease, and increase your harvest in the summer months.