Growing tomatoes yourself can become a great hobby that will reward you with delicious, sun-filled fruits. However, to yield abundant crops, a number of treatments need to be carried out - one of which is tomato pruning. But what is it and when should it be carried out?
Growing tomatoes yourself can become a great hobby that will reward you with delicious, sun-filled fruits. However, to yield abundant crops, a number of treatments need to be carried out – one of which is tomato pruning. But what is it and when should it be carried out?
What is tomato pruning?
Pruning tomatoes is all about getting rid of excessive foliage from the plant. However, you should know which leaves should be removed and at which growth stage. When is removing leaves called pruning, and what other reasons are there?
- Removing suckers – this is the earliest stage of removing leaves. Suckers are shoots that form in the joint where a leaf meets the stem. Most often you should remove all of them, although some people leave one or two to grow into larger branches. However, you shouldn’t leave too many, because then the plant will spend a lot of energy on their growth rather than bearing fruit, leaving you with lower yields than expected.
- Lower leaf removal – removing the leaves below the fruit clusters allows the plant to put more energy into ripening the tomatoes than transferring its life-giving juices to the leaves. However, do not remove all of them – tomatoes get sugars from the leaves closest to the fruit. You should also try to remove only one leaf at a time – this way you will not weaken the entire plant.
- Pruning tomatoes – the final stage of removing leaves is tomato pruning. The process consists of removing the top of the main shoot (or the tops if the bush has been divided into several shoots). This stops the plant from growing, and it can then put all its energy into ripening the fruit in the clusters. This is important if you want your tomatoes to be ready before the weather gets cooler again, stopping them from ripening.
When to start pruning tomatoes
When should you prune your tomatoes to get the best yields? In the case of earth plants – in fields, gardens or on raised beds made from pallets – it should be done approx. 7 weeks before the planned end of growth. This is usually around the end of September – the later weather conditions will not allow the fruit to ripen effectively. Pruning your tomatoes should therefore be done in early August.
A pruned tomato bush will stop releasing more leaves, flowers and bearing fruit – without removing the top of the main shoot, the plant would repeat these activities until it cools down significantly. Instead, it can channel all its vitality into the existing fruit – 7 weeks is enough for them to gain impressive shapes and acquire the desired colours. But what if they don’t ripen before it gets cold?
You can give green tomatoes a chance to ripen after picking! So at the end of September pick all the fruits left on the bush – use the ones that are already suitable for eating first, and put the rest on a tray and keep them in a warm place. The ripening process can be accelerated by ethylene released by bananas and apples, so placing these fruits between the tomatoes is a good idea.
How long does it take to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse?
Building a greenhouse for growing vegetables will extend the period in which you can grow them. In greenhouse conditions, tomatoes can grow, bear fruit and ripen longer, although this should not be extended indefinitely. Although the temperature will remain high for longer inside the greenhouse, there will not be as much sunlight as in summer.
You could therefore delay the pruning of tomatoes for 2-3 weeks, until the middle or the end of August, although this bears a risk that unfavourable weather conditions could sabotage your plans. So it’s better to prune them in the first half of August to be sure that everything goes according to plan.
Essential tools for growing and pruning tomatoes
Professional garden equipment will come in handy for pruning tomatoes, although basic hand tools will also do. The top of the shoot should be cut so that two leaves are left over the last fruit cluster. You can use secateurs or decent scissors for this purpose, but remember to disinfect them properly before and after use to prevent the risk of spreading diseases between plants.
Other tools will also come in handy in the earlier stages of growing tomatoes. Already at the stage of planting small vegetable seedlings will you appreciate the functionality of mini shovels, hoes or rakes, as well as a carefully planned garden irrigation system, thanks to which looking after your crops will be much easier. You will also need a sprayer – irreplaceable for preventive spraying of valuable and fully natural horsetail or nettles manure, as well as products used to fight fungal pathogens and other vegetable diseases.
Pruning tomatoes – summary
Pruning tomatoes has lots of advantages – it ensures abundant crops and perfect ripening of the tomatoes, as well as stops further, unnecessary growth of the bushes themselves, which also makes it easier to look after the plants. But is it always necessary to remove the tops of the main shoot for all tomato bushes? Some varieties get to a point where they stop growing by themselves, and therefore do not require pruning.
Growing tomatoes is a rewarding task even for beginners, as long as you are familiar with the basic rules and the most important treatments that should be performed in advance. So if you are wondering which vegetables will give you both a lot of pleasure and good yields, then tomatoes should definitely be on your list!
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