How to Prune Cherry Tomato Plants

Cherry tomatoes (‌Solanum lycopersicum‌ var. ‌cerasiforme‌) come in all sorts of colors, like the full-flavored Black Cherry and the sweet and snackable Sun Gold cherry tomato, with indeterminate cultivars (which grow endlessly throughout the season) and determinate cultivars (which reach a mature height and stop growing). Those growth patterns are important when considering how to prune cherry tomato plants for a bigger and better crop.

Some determinate plants are very compact and well suited to growing in a pot, only requiring pruning to keep them off the ground. Indeterminate tomato plants, however, can become quite wild, sending out long tomato suckers, collapsing to the ground, or growing as much as 8 feet tall. Trellises and tomato cages help keep the cherry tomato plant's growth under control, but regular pruning throughout the growing season allows the plant to focus on high-quality fruit production. Here's when and how to prune your cherry tomato plants, whether you are growing ‌S. lycopersicum‌ var. ‌cerasiforme‌ 'Tiny Tim' or 'Sweet Million.'

Determinate tomato varieties generally do not require pruning when planting in the garden, but you may remove any leaves or branching stems that touch the ground to reduce the chance of soil-borne disease pathogens splashing onto these leaves or stems. Do not prune a mature patio tomato sold as a potted plant. Also known as bush tomatoes, these determinate tomatoes already have a good start and will produce less fruit if you remove the flowers.

Indeterminate cherry tomato seedlings should be buried deep when planting to encourage strong growth. For small seedlings, plant the stem so that the soil level is just below the first true leaves. Lankier seedlings can be buried so that the top few inches of stem emerge from the soil; place the stem sideways in a trench if the seedling is very tall. Prune off any leaves below the soil level before covering the plant.

If a young indeterminate cherry tomato seedling has already begun to flower, you can remove the flowers when transplanting so that your tomato plant will put its energy into growing.

When growing tomatoes, begin pruning your plants in summer once they are established and after the first flower buds open. For most plants, remove the bottom 6 to 12 inches of leaves from the stem to prevent disease. For determinate varieties, take a more hands-off approach to pruning, focusing on keeping the leaves and branching stems off the soil.

If the type of tomato plant you're growing is indeterminate, begin removing suckers and unwieldy growth, like side shoots, in the summer so that your plant will remain at a more manageable size and produce better and bigger fruit throughout the growing season. Follow these steps to prune tomato plants:

1. Find the first fruit cluster or lowest flower on your cherry tomato plant and then identify the first sucker below it. New suckers form at the junctions between branches and the main stem and will look like a small set of leaves when they first appear. The sucker below the first flower or fruit cluster should be left in place so that it can develop into a second stem.
2. Remove all other suckers from the plant by pinching the stems with your fingers or by using sterilized hand pruners. Prune the suckers while still small (no more than 4 inches in length) to avoid creating large wounds on the plant.
3. Depending on how much growth you have, you can prune a second or third time every 10 to 14 days but don't remove leaves that are shading the fruit. The leaves help prevent sun scald and encourage nearby tomatoes to ripen.
4. If your cherry tomato plant gets too tall later in the summer, you can prune the top to encourage growth lower on the plant and to make harvest easier.

Check your plants regularly and remove any diseased or damaged tomatoes throughout the growing season, discarding them far from the plant. Then, harvest any ripe fruit, which will allow your plant to put more energy into the remaining tomatoes. A ripened cherry tomato will have developed its full color. If you have problems with pests or wildlife eating them before ripening, you can pick the fruit earlier, the first time you notice a blush of color. Store your tomatoes on your kitchen countertop at room temperature to finish ripening.

Determinate tomatoes have a shorter growing season and usually ripen all at once, but indeterminate varieties will continue to flower into fall. Fall pruning is recommended to stop flowering and speed up ripening for your final cherry tomato harvest. Cut the tip of each main stem on your cherry tomato plant with pruning shears about four weeks before you expect the first frost. With one last pruning, you can enjoy a final harvest of cherry tomatoes from these prolific plants.