Growing tomatoesis one of the not bad joys of having a menage garden . In a cheery speckle , they deliver what seems like an endless bounty of fruit until thefirst hoar .
Every summer , someone asks me , “ Should I prune my tomato ” ? The resolution is , as it many time is in gardening , “ that all depends . ”
If you have a determinate variety of love apple ( bush - case – it will be listed on theplant tagor seed packet ) , then the result to pruning is “ no . ”Let it grow wild and barren . But if you have an indeterminate mixed bag ( a vine - type ) , then “ yes ” . If you ’re not sure what kind you have , the tomato will clearly give tongue to its penchant within 4 week of planting a seedling .
How to prune tomato plants
I was irradiate about pruning tomatoes when I take this incision ofEliot Coleman‘s classic , The New Organic Grower:“Prune to a exclusive bow and get rid of side shoots every few Day … the fruit clusters should be pruned to three fruit on the first two clusters and four fruit thereafter . ”
Mr. Coleman grows his tomato in a greenhouse and expend eight - foot operating expense supports to train the vines upwards . If you’re able to rig up overhead documentation , that ’s just dandy , but the typical home gardener can get by just fine with a nice marvelous stake that stands at least 6 feet above the land .
Train the tomato vine on a wooden stake
Tomato stakes should be tug away the tomato plant seedlings right after they ’re planted to obviate damaging the roots later . As the seedling begin to originate , train the tomato vine by gently attach it to the Lycopersicon esculentum stake with ribbon , old shoe string , garden twine , or other soft stuff ( do not use conducting wire or clams ties , as they cut through the stem ) . you could also habituate Lycopersicon esculentum clips sold online , which are specially plan for this aim . As the vine grows , bond it to the stake every 12 in . bond the vine to the stakes keeps your note of survey clear for pruning and harvesting and can help the plant wry fasterafter wateringor rainfall .
Prune out suckers and secondary growth
The first time you prune love apple plant life it might experience strange because you may sense you ’re cutting off a batch of the industrial plant . But this really help it produce with child tomatoes . soft touch , the growths in the crotches between the stems and shoot , should be trim out as they appear ( preferably when they ’re little ) . You should also prune out all non - essential maturation , like vines that are talk out over the raised garden bed or becoming tangled with adjacent bushes . As the tomato plant vines grow taller than your tomato stake , “ cap ” the vines ( cut off the top ) , because by the prison term it reaches this stage , any unexampled love apple it produce most potential wo n’t mature by your first frost .
Tomato cage or not?
In my experience , indeterminate love apple grow poorly in cages ( although there are gardeners who would indicate with me conscientiously about this ) . By the end of the season , the vines pay heed over the top of the John Cage and tend to become try under the weight of the fruit and the vines are prone to break . Tomato cage are great for determinate varieties , though .
Prune out the shoots closest to the ground
If you dwell in an surface area prostrate to tight summers , it ’s wise to prune out the lowest shoot on all of your tomato works . Leaves and shoot that touch the soil are prostrate to evolve fungal infection likeblightwhen rain dab off the ground and comport fungal spores to the leaves . keep the lower 12 column inch of the plant outdoors allows the leaves to dry out much faster after watering – tomatoes value great airflow .
Speaking of which , do n’t water your tomato plants overhead - vogue with a garden hose . If rainfall is insufficient , irrigate your tomato with a drip mould system or utilise a watering can around the roots only . Keeping the farewell as ironical as potential will aid keep love apple pests and diseases at bay .
More info : Tomato Pruning , Wisconsin Horticulture Division of Extension .
