When do you sucker tomato plants?

Tomatoes are a popular and versatile crop for many gardeners, providing a bounty of flavorful and nutritious fruit throughout the growing season. One of the most important tasks in caring for tomato plants is pruning or "suckering" them to ensure maximum yield, fruit quality, and disease resistance. But when is the best time to sucker tomato plants, and how do you do it?

What is suckering?

Suckering is the process of removing the "suckers" or small shoots that form in the axils of the stems of tomato plants, between the main stem and the branches. These suckers can grow into full-blown branches if left unchecked, competing for resources and reducing the quality and quantity of fruit produced by the plant. However, if properly pruned, a tomato plant can produce bigger, more plentiful, and higher-quality fruit.

When to sucker tomato plants?

The best time to sucker tomato plants depends on several factors, including the variety of tomato, the growing conditions, and the desired outcome. Generally, it's best to start removing suckers when they're small and easy to snap off with your fingers, before they start to compete with the main stem for resources.

For indeterminate or "vine" tomato varieties, which keep growing and producing fruit throughout the season until frost, it's recommended to sucker them regularly to ensure a steady flow of energy to the fruit and prevent the plant from becoming too bushy or tangled. You can start removing suckers when they're less than 2 inches long, or when the plant is about 12-18 inches tall. Continue to sucker the plant every week or two, depending on how quickly it's growing, until it's about 4 feet tall or has set the desired number of fruit clusters (usually 4 to 6).

For determinate or "bush" tomato varieties, which grow to a certain size, set all their fruit at once, and then stop growing, there's less need to sucker them, as they tend to have a more compact and self-supporting structure. However, you can still remove suckers that are growing too close to the main stem or interfering with other branches, as well as any suckers that appear after the plant has set its fruit.

How to sucker tomato plants?

To sucker tomato plants, you'll need a pair of sharp scissors or pruning shears, and some gloves if desired (to protect your hands from thorns or pests). Look for the small shoots that are emerging in the crotch between the main stem and the branches, and identify the ones that are growing directly opposite or nearly opposite from the main stem. These are the suckers that should be removed.

Grasp the sucker between your fingers and thumb, as close to the main stem as possible, and gently wiggle it back and forth until it snaps off cleanly. Be careful not to damage the main stem or the leaves around it. If the sucker is too tough to snap off by hand, use your pruning shears to cut it off as close to the main stem as possible.

Repeat this process for all the suckers that you want to remove, making sure to dispose of them away from the garden to prevent the spread of diseases or pests. After you've finished suckering, give the plant a gentle shake or use stakes or trellises to support the remaining branches and fruit clusters.

In conclusion

Suckering tomato plants is a simple yet essential task for any gardener who wants to enjoy a bountiful harvest of juicy, flavorful fruit. By removing the suckers at the right time and in the right way, you can help your plants stay healthy, strong, and productive, and reap the rewards of your hard work and dedication.