How to Prune Tomato Plants

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Safety Warnings

Stakes — Stout stakes

Cages — Wire tomato cages

Tying material — Cloth or tape about an inch wide

Containers — At least 20 inches in diameter with drainage holes

Organic tomato fertilizer — Handful per planting hole(as needed)

Bone meal — Phosphorus source(handful)

Potting mix — Loose, well-draining with organic material(12 inches depth)

Mulch — Compost or ground-up leaves(2 to 3 inch layer)

Prepare the planting hole by optionally adding a handful of organic tomato fertilizer or bone meal.

Tip: Do NOT apply high-nitrogen fertilizers as they can delay flowering and fruiting.

Pinch off a few of the lower leaves when planting seedlings.

Plant seedlings 2 to 3 feet apart to ensure sufficient sun and ripening.

Install stakes or cages in the soil during planting to keep fruit off the ground and avoid disturbing roots later.

Water plants well after planting to reduce root shock.

Prune out thin, spindly shoots that congregate in the centers of the plants to concentrate vigor in strong, fruiting shoots.

Tip: This admits light and air, resulting in better ripened tomatoes.

To restrict a plant to a single stem, pinch out side shoots with thumb and finger as soon as they form.

Tie plants to stout stakes using cloth or tape (approximately one inch wide).

Maintain the plant by controlling weeds and avoiding wetting the foliage to prevent disease.

Ensure you avoid taking off the flowering shoots to ensure fruit production.

Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers to prevent delayed fruiting.
Plant seedlings deeper so that bottom leaves are just above the surface to encourage root growth along the stem.
If using containers, ensure they get at least 6 hours of sun per day.

Synthesized from 8 verified sources:

Gutenberg: War Gardens GuideView →

Old Farmer's AlmanacView →

GrowstuffView →

Cornell ExtensionView →

GrowstuffView →

Cornell ExtensionView →