How To Prune Tomatoes

by Marty Ross

Pruning tomatoes properly can help them produce more fruit and extend their growing season. Take care of these plants with routine maintenance and you'll have seasonal fruit all summer long!

How To Prune Tomatoes
Tools used

Step 1

Remove broken stems.

Start by using a Fiskars pruner to remove any broken stems from your tomato plant, making room for air to flow through the branches by getting rid of any thick or tangled sections in the middle of the plant.

Step 2

Prune small branches and leaves.

Look for branches and leaves that are at the bottom 12 to 18 inches of the plant. This helps to direct the plant to grow upright, giving you a taller and fuller plant. Be sure to always prune at a 45-degree angle for a clean cut, as breaking the stems or leaves off of the plant and leaving unprotected stems can endanger the plant.

Step 3

Snip off the suckers.

As you're cleaning up your tomato plant, snip off the plant suckers using a Fiskars microtip pruning snips and place in water to allow for new root growth. Once the roots have reached 1 inch in length, transfer the sucker into soil to sprout a new tomato plant!