Some gardeners prune tomato suckers so that they end up with a single stem, and they claim that is best, and they are happy with that. And plenty of gardeners that say removing suckers is a waste of time and effort, and they claim their method is the best. To know the answers to these all important question. In this blog post, I’ll explain what are tomato suckers, why you should prune them and how. But it's up to you to prune or to not prune, it depends on tomatoes varieties you are growing; Determinate or Indeterminate!
Before we get into whether you should prune suckers, let’s learn to identify them first.
What are Tomato Suckers?
All variety of tomatoes produce side shoots. These shoots grow in the axil between a leaf and the main stem, and they're called suckers. They are called suckers, because they are major energy suckers from the main plant!
A sucker is a new branch that sprouts up in the crotch between an existing leafy branch and the main tomato stem. Suckers are immature fruit branches. If they are left unpruned, these suckers will eventually grow into full-sized branches, adding lots of foliage and the plant become bushy eventually, and produce few fruits. Also, the tomato plant will quickly outgrow its space in the garden. Tomato suckers are produced on both determinate and indeterminate tomato plants. By liming the number of suckers and leaves, all the plant energy is directed to the remaining shoots for optimum yield and quality.
Which Types of Tomatoes Need Pruning
All indeterminate tomato plants can get extremely large and will keep producing tomatoes all season long, that's why they need support and some pruning. If you leave all the suckers to grow, your plants may become heavy and out of control if not well-supported. Pruning tomato suckers is not a must, and many gardeners don’t bother with tomato pruning at all. Indeterminate varieties of tomatoes will do better when pruned, while it matters less with determinate.
If you're growing a determinate variety, too much pruning is counterproductive. Determinate tomato varieties grow into a bush. They don’t usually set their fruit until the branches are fully grown, and the plants naturally direct their energy toward fruiting without needing as much intervention.
Why Pruning Suckers Is Recommended!
1: Pruning tomato suckers is often recommended because the resulting new stem is competing for nutrients with the original tomato plant. Yes you can let the suckers grow, and you may have many fruit, but the tomatoes will be smaller, and the plant will be bushy!
2: Pruning tomato suckers is really important, especially so for indeterminate tomatoes. Tomato plants need good air circulation around their leaves. Pruning is the best way for the plants to get lots of sunlight and air flow on and around each leaf. This will increase plant health, that's why
pruning tomato suckers is a good way of controlling and managing the growth of the plants.
3: Pruning is also a good way to take control of your plants. If you let the plants grow on their own, they may just keep producing more stems and leaves instead of flowering or fruiting until the season has nearly come to an end, and you will lose many things.
4: In indeterminate tomatoes, all new suckers become dense and tangled if left unpruned. By liming the number of the suckers and the leaves, all the tomato plant energy is directed to the remaining shoots for optimum yield and quality. You will end up with lots of fruit to enjoy!
When to Prune Tomato Plants
- Pruning tomato plants can begin at planting time.
- When planting tomato seedlings, remove the lower leaves and bury the stem deeply in the soil. Roots will grow along the stem, helping to add stability to the plant.
- As the plant grows throughout the season, remove leafy suckers beneath the first fruit cluster, so they won't slow the development of the fruit.
- Prune leaves near the base of the plant to prevent soil-borne diseases that can attack the leaves.
- You need to check at least twice a week during the first 6 weeks of tomato growth, and remove the suckers when they are small.
- Pruning late in the season, will boost to ripen fruits before the first frost. About four weeks before the expected first frost in your area, remove the growing tip of each main stem. This pruning causes plants to stop flowering and directs all the energies into fruits to speed ripening, before the bad weather!
- Always remember to be careful not to over prune the plants, some leaves are needed to protect the fruit from sunscald, particularly in the hot weather!
How to Prune Tomato Suckers
Follow these steps to prune your indeterminate tomatoes
- The best time to remove tomato suckers is as soon as they appear. The earlier you prune them, the easier it is. Suckers are easier to spot if left to grow to about 2 inches. At this point, they will be small, weak, and easy to remove.
- 2- to 4-inch sucker can be snapped off with your bare hands. With your fingers, grab the sucker by the base and snap it off the stem.
- For bigger suckers, use a clean pruning shears to prevent damage to the plant, make clean cuts, without ragged edges or splits in the vine. Always clean the pruner with an alcohol wipe between pruning different tomato plants to avoid spreading diseases among them.
- Be careful not to remove the suckers all at once, which can put stress on the plant.
- This pruning method can take place throughout the season.
Propagating Tomatoes From Suckers
Once you’ve removed a sucker, you can use it as a cutting to grow even more tomato plants for free! One of the greatest things about tomatoes is their adventitious roots. This means they have the ability to grow roots at all points along their stem.
- If the suckers are longer than 6-inches, they are the perfect length to replant.
- If there are any leaves on the stem, remove them, and root the cutting in water or soil.
- When using water, ensure that no leaves are submerged and that only the bottom section remains in the water.
- Once they develop roots, plant the stem in its own pot of soil.
- Once the plant has established itself, you can transplant it outside.
Watch Why And How To Prune Tomato Suckers Video ✂️🍅🌿
In order to grow a healthy tomato plants without deficiencies or diseases and harvest great-tasting organic tomatoes, it's important to grow them correctly, and give them the best possible care as they are growing. By pruning tomato suckers, you reduce overall yield, and increase fruit quality!
I hope this step-by-step guide will help you to identify tomato suckers and remove them, by doing this you can help your tomato plants grow stronger and produce an abundance of delicious fruit to enjoy all summer long!
Happy Gardening!
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