That sucker is the strongest one on the plant and should be left to grow and bear fruit as a second stem. Remove every sucker from the plant EXCEPT for the first one below the lowest flower / fruit cluster. Next, identify the lowest flower / fruit cluster on the plant (i.e., the flower / fruit cluster closest to the ground). Suckers are branches that form in the leaf axils (the junctions between the true leaves and the main stem). Identify the main stem of the plant, and locate any suckers. How should I prune tomato plants? Use the illustrations on this fact sheet as a guide. Stop pruning one to two weeks before your expected first harvest to allow time for tomato plants to produce canopies that will protect fruits from sunscald (pale, injured areas caused by exposure to direct sun). Continue with a second and third pruning (as needed) every 10 to 14 days following the first pruning. When should I prune my tomatoes? Start pruning in late June or early July when the first tomato flowers are open and easy to identify.

Removing the bottommost leaves of a tomato plant serves a similar purpose. This drier environment is less favorable for fungal and bacterial disease development. Pruning also allows for more airflow within a plant, which reduces humidity and speeds the drying of any remaining leaves. Removing extra growth redirects energy back to the fruits and reduces fruit shading, both of which will help fruits mature more quickly. Why should I prune my tomatoes? Pruning indeterminate tomatoes improves fruit production by removing extra growth that diverts energy away from developing fruits. Seed catalogues, seed packets or plant identification stakes will indicate which type of tomato you have. Indeterminate tomatoes continue to grow throughout the growing season. Determinate tomatoes grow to a certain size, then stop growing. Which tomatoes should I prune? There are two broad categories of tomatoes: determinate and indeterminate. Remove suckers as indicated with your fingers, scissors or pruning tools. Pruning tomatoes can create stronger and healthier plants that will grow larger numbers of higher quality tomato fruits later into the growing season. Tomatoes are a popular vegetable that many people grow in their home gardens. By Claire Strader and Lisa Johnson, Extension Dane County

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