Pruning tomatoes encourages larger fruit production at the top of the plant. Follow the same instructions as for determinate tomatoes. The problem is, the suckers take up a lot of energy, and they aren’t great producers. To properly prune an indeterminate tomato, prune all suckers from the ground level up to the second flower cluster. These are smaller still, but they will eventually grow large enough to produce fruit. Suckers grow in between the stems and the branches at the joint. The branches come out of these main stems and tend to be smaller and grow either horizontally or at an angle rather than upright. The main stems are the parts of the plant that grow upwards, and that support the lateral branch growth.

How to Prune Tomato Plantsīefore we jump in, we need to define a few important terms: If it just rained or you accidentally splashed water on the leaves when you were irrigating – something you should try to avoid – wait until the plant is dry. This usually happens some time in mid-June to mid-July, depending on where you live.Īfter this first round, you’ll need to prune again in two weeks, and every two weeks after that until the fruits start turning red or whatever their mature color is.

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