How to Remove Tomato Leaves to Produce More Fruit

A little pruning increases tomato production.

Tomatoes are one of the most rewarding vegetables to grow in a home garden. They require little attention for a robust harvest. Juicy homegrown tomatoes taste nothing like those mushy specimens sold at grocery stores. Tomatoes, especially indeterminate types, quickly become sprawling, leggy masses of leaves if left to their own devices. Spend a bit of time pruning excess leaves and you'll have an even better harvest.

Things You'll Need

• Small hand pruners

Instructions

1. Pinch off with your fingers any side stems below the first fruit cluster. Look at your tomato plant. You'll notice a main stem with side stems protruding off the main stem. Keeping these side stems under control is the goal of pruning. Pruning side stems low to the ground will keep the plant healthier. Wet, muddy leaves promote fungus and disease.

2. Prune with hand pruners any suckers that grow between the main stem and strong side branches. These suckers produce unneeded leaves and divert energy away from producing tomatoes.

3. Prune the top 2 to 3 inches of the plant as fall approaches. Cut all leaves and fruit off the top part of the tomato plant with a hand pruner. This heavy pruning allows the sun to reach all the green ripening fruits before frost comes and the season ends.

Tips & Warnings

• Determinate tomato plants are genetically programmed to develop a certain number of leaves and tomatoes and then stop growing. They require little pruning, and all the tomatoes tend to ripen at the same time. They are often preferred by beginner gardeners.

• Indeterminate tomato plants grow indefinitely until frost kills them. They produce big, juicy fruit and large, sprawling vines. They need aggressive pruning and staking. Look at plant labels or ask your nursery representative to help you choose a variety appropriate for your garden.

• Tomatoes need warm soil and protection from drafts. Plant them only after the last frost. Cut the bottoms off of plastic milk jugs and slip the jugs over young tomato plants to protect them from cold nights. Remove the jugs as the plants get bigger and the days get warmer.

• Tomatoes need a constant supply of water. Put your finger in the soil. The soil should be moist 2 inches down. If not, water your tomatoes for 15 to 25 minutes. Avoid waterlogging your tomatoes or allowing them to dry out.

References

• Fine Gardening: Pruning Tomatoes

Resources

• Master Gardeners: Tomato Staking