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You may have heard that pruning tomatoes will increase your harvest or improve plant health. Through the years, this technique has been taught by everyone from your green-thumb grandma to gardening sites. But is it actually helpful—or are you making more work for yourself?
When it comes to pruning tomatoes, most gardeners are referring to removing specific parts of the plant referred to as “suckers.” “New leaves grow between the main stem and the horizontal branch at a 45-degree angle,” says Frank Hyman, author of Ripe Tomato Revolution and former organic tomato farmer. “That’s what people mean when they refer to suckers.”
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Removing suckers is often done by commercial growers who may prune back to a single-stemmed plant, says Nate Muri, founder of Garden Like a Viking and Viking Growing System. “This allows them to pack in as many tomato plants as possible to get the highest amount of return on space,” says Muri. For example, growers can fit more tomato plants in a greenhouse if each has only one stem, rather than allowing plants to develop their naturally sprawling, vining forms.
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But what about in your humble backyard garden? Here’s what to consider about whether to prune or not to prune at home.
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Should you prune tomato plants for a bigger harvest?
Research has found that pruning tomato plants isn’t beneficial. In fact, at least one study showed there was no statistical difference in production in plants that had suckers removed versus plants that weren’t pruned. “I’ve never pruned and have never been disappointed in my yields,” says Hyman, anecdotally.
Some gardeners say pruning to a single stem produces larger tomatoes because the plant is using its energy to support a smaller number of fruits, but you’ll get fewer tomatoes overall because every stem—even the suckers—produces tomatoes. “My advice is that pruning suckers or not depends on your goals,” says Muri. If you want more tomatoes, don’t prune.
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Should you prune tomato plants to prevent disease?
Some gardeners say pruning off suckers improves airflow, which may reduce disease risk. “Tomatoes evolved in a drier climate and aren’t accustomed to our rainy, humid weather, [so] we often have to deal with many different diseases,” says Hyman. “If you live in a humid environment, removing suckers may reduce the amount of leaf-borne diseases.”
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On the other hand, constant pruning can also be stressful to the plant. “Every time you prune the plant, you’re cutting it and making it vulnerable to pests and diseases,” says Muri.
There are other ways to reduce the disease risk that don’t involve pruning your tomato plants:
Apply a few inches of organic mulch around your tomatoes at planting time. This prevents rain from splashing up fungal spores onto the lower leaves, says Hyman.
Remove the lower leaves, which also keeps spores from bouncing off the soil onto the plant; as the plant grows, keep a 1- to 2-foot gap between the mulch and the lowest leaves, says Hyman.
Use a soaker hose instead of overhead irrigation. This keeps moisture at the roots and prevents the leaves from staying wet for a period of time, which promotes diseases, says Hyman.
Don’t over-fertilize, which leads to a jungle of vegetation and few tomatoes, says Muri. Try using compost or organic sources, such as bat guano (apply according to the label instructions) or alfalfa meal pellets, which can be purchased at feed stores and applied at a ratio of a quart mason jar per square yard, mixed well into the soil.
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What kind of tomatoes should be pruned?
Deciding whether or not to prune also depends on what kind of tomatoes you’re growing. Read the plant tag or description or search the variety name if you aren’t sure what kind of plant you have. Tomatoes are typically divided into these categories, based on their form and how they grow:
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Dwarf varieties stay petite and were developed specifically for growing in pots or hanging baskets. The plants may reach just 18 inches to 2 feet tall. They should never be pruned or you will reduce your harvest significantly because the plants are already more compact.
Determinate tomato varieties, which are more of a bush type, have plants that reach a max of about 3 to 5 feet tall, so they’re ideal for small-space gardens, says Hyman. Pruning will reduce yield and should be avoided.
Indeterminate tomatoes get as tall as you let them before the first frost kills them, says Hyman. This is the only type that could be pruned, if you wish.
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