GardenJester
Senior Member
Posts: 244
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:59 pm

pruning advice

I have never pruned my tomatoes plants before, I just let them grow wild. But this year the plants are particularily unmanageble. Yesterday I just noticed one of plants had a worrisome black patch on a stem. With the hot and humid weather on the way, I thought I would prune it a bit to get better air circulation. I hear the rule of thumb is you should prune suckers and side branches up to the first fruit cluster. And how should I prune it? Should I just break things off at the branching point or use a scissor?

MaryDel
Senior Member
Posts: 182
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 8:42 am
Location: Delaware

Just pinch them off with your fingers, as close to the mainstem as you can.

garden5
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3062
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 5:40 pm
Location: ohio

To help with air-circulation, pull of the leave up the first 9 in. or so of the plant. For the suckers, pinch them off with your fingers.

Now, if you leave them to grow from low on the plant, they will be hardy, but will take away from the main-stem. If you let them grow high on the plant, they may not be as strong, but the main stem of the plant will stay thick.

Personally, I prefer to let them grow from the bottom and be hardy, you'll be staking/supporting the stems anyway.

TZ -OH6
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2097
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:27 pm
Location: Mid Ohio

Once the suckers get more than a couple of inches long, use a sharp object to avoid stripping skin down the vine.

cottonpicker
Full Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:46 am
Location: near Valley Forge, PA

Read article HERE>>

https://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/pruning-tomatoes.aspx

LarryD

garden5
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3062
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 5:40 pm
Location: ohio

TZ -OH6 wrote:Once the suckers get more than a couple of inches long, use a sharp object to avoid stripping skin down the vine.
Yeah, the pinching is only for the small ones. Use snips for the bigger stuff (1/4 in. in diameter and up).



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