How to Trim Tomato Plants

Getting the greatest number of juicy tomatoes from a single plant for the least amount of effort is the reward for growing this plant. Trimming the tomato plant and pruning the vines regularly will ensure that nutrients and water are going where it matters most--to the tomatoes--and not to fuel extraneous plant growth. Read on to get maximum yields from your tomato gardening efforts.

Things You'll Need

• Tomato plants
• Gardening shears or scissors
• Cloth strips an inch wide and 4-5 inches long

Instructions

1. Train your plants to grow along a trellis, stake or tomato cage by gently threading young vines onto the supports. Wrap and tie cloth strips loosely around the vines and supports to hold them in place. This reduces broken stems and lost tomatoes.

2. Look for offshoots from the main vines and stems at least twice a week. Tomato plants can double in size every 2 weeks.

3. Use gardening shears or a scissor to clip offshoots with more than two leaves from the main plant. This helps divert nutrients to the tomatoes.

4. Remove branches, stems and leaves on the lower end of the plant if there are no flowers or developing tomatoes.

5. Watch for vine offshoots growing from the main plant stems and remove them.

Tips & Warnings

• Regular pruning is also beneficial because it reduces the plant's exposure to disease, pests and fungus from excessive moisture.

References

• Tomato Plant Trimming
• Pruning Tomato Plants