Cutting Back Your Tomato Plants: The Secret to Healthier, More Fruitful Harvests
Tomatoes are the darlings of the garden world, offering juicy rewards to those who care for them properly. However, one key to a bountiful tomato harvest is a bit of tough love: pruning. Trimming back your tomato plants may seem counterintuitive, but it can lead to healthier plants and more abundant fruit. Here's everything you need to know about why, when, and how to prune your tomato plants, along with some tips on fertilizing with Fertrell's Tomato Grower 3-4-7. We recommend foliar spraying and/or drip applying Liquid #3 every two weeks during the growing season, especially now to help with heat stress.
Why Prune Your Tomato Plants?
Pruning tomato plants serves several crucial purposes:
Improved Air Circulation: By removing excess foliage, you increase airflow around the plant, reducing the risk of diseases such as blight and mildew.
Better Sunlight Exposure: Pruning allows more sunlight to reach the leaves and fruit, promoting better photosynthesis and ripening.
Focus on Fruit Production: By cutting back non-productive growth, the plant can direct more energy towards developing fruit, leading to larger and more flavorful tomatoes.
Easier Harvesting: A well-pruned plant is more accessible, making it easier to spot and pick ripe tomatoes.
When to Prune Your Tomato Plants
The best time to start pruning your tomato plants is in late spring to early summer, once they have grown to about 1-2 feet tall and have developed several sets of true leaves. Continue pruning throughout the growing season as needed. It’s especially important to keep an eye on the plants during the peak growing period in midsummer when they can quickly become unruly.
How to Prune Your Tomato Plants
Identify the Suckers: Suckers are the small shoots that develop in the axils, the junction between the stem and a branch. While they can grow into full-fledged branches, they often don't produce much fruit and can overcrowd the plant.
Remove Suckers Early: Pinch off suckers when they are small (2-4 inches). This can be done with your fingers. For larger suckers, use clean, sharp pruning shears to avoid damaging the plant.
Prune the Lower Leaves: Once the first set of fruit has set, remove the lower leaves up to the first fruit cluster. This helps prevent soil-borne diseases from splashing onto the leaves.
Top the Plant: In late summer, about a month before the first expected frost, you can top the plant by cutting off the growing tip. This encourages the plant to stop producing new fruit and focus on ripening the existing ones.
Fertilizing Your Tomato Plants
In addition to pruning, fertilizing your tomato plants is crucial for a healthy, productive garden. Fertrell's Tomato Grower 3-4-7 is an excellent choice for providing balanced nutrition.
When to Fertilize:
Pre-Planting: Mix Fertrell's Tomato Grower into the soil before planting your tomatoes.
At Planting: Add a small amount of fertilizer into the planting hole.
Mid-Season Boost: Side-dress the plants with Fertrell's Tomato Grower when the first fruits are about the size of a golf ball and again every 4-6 weeks throughout the growing season.
During the Growing Season: We recommend foliar spraying and/or drip applying Liquid #3 every two weeks during the growing season, especially now to help with heat stress. A second application of Tomato Grower is good as well, unless you’re supplementing with a straight potassium source.
How to Apply:
Side-Dressing: Sprinkle the fertilizer in a band around the base of the plant, about 4-6 inches away from the stem. Be careful not to disturb the roots.
Watering: After applying the fertilizer, water the plants thoroughly to help the nutrients soak into the soil.
Final Tips
Remember, every garden and climate is different, so it’s important to observe your plants and adjust your pruning and fertilizing routine as needed. With a little attention and care, your tomato plants will reward you with a bountiful, delicious harvest. Happy gardening!
For more information on Fertrell's Tomato Grower 3-4-7 and other organic gardening products, visit Fertrell's website.
