Tomatoes: Pruning those suckers

[the lemon tree]

I'm sure that if I were to ask a certain number of people, I'd get the same number of differing responses but I wanted to see how folks here deal with suckers on their tomato plants. Do your prune ALL suckers? Some of them? None of them?

 

[dragonlaurel]

Take them off and stick them in the dirt. They root well and become free plants. Just started doing this, but it's working. You could root them in little pots too.

 

[Beekissed]

I take off all suckers unless I've let them get too big and they have bloom.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Last year I pruned the lower suckers quite a bit. This year not nearly so much. The purpose of some pruning is to open the bottom up a bit so it gets air circulation and help reduce the chance of diseases. The reason I did so much more pruning last year than this year is that last year I trellissed and this year I am caging them. When I trellissed (one long fence instead of support all around) there was not enough room for all the suckers to fit on the trellis. With a cage, there is a lot more room.

I only prune indeterminates, not the determinates, at least very little.

 

[journey11]

On indeterminates I pinch them all off, especially early on when they can become major branches on the vine. After the plant starts bearing, I don't notice as many. Pinching the suckers will give you less tomatoes (you'll still get plenty) and they will be much bigger than if you didn't remove them. The plant can put more energy into the fruit, rather than into leafy growth. To me, they are more difficult to tie to a stake if they've not been pruned. Or in a cage, they will not get good air circulation, inviting disease and giving more places for bugs to hide.

 

[ducks4you]

IF you have the time, do it. If not, try to do it and see if you like the results or not.

 

[vfem]

I usually don't bother unless I see its setting fruits inside the cage so deep they are hard to get to. Then I prune the suckers as not to cover up the tomatoes in the middle of the deep tomato jungle!

 

[obsessed]

I prune to a point and then stop. Like I start good but those suckers can grow day after day after day. But the third day I am over it. and stop. I keep saying I am going to stop all together but I am a fickle person.

 

[boggybranch]

For me....it's the same as starting a gardening journal. I start off at a run, slow down to a trot, hop on one foot for a bit......then, just sit down. Just toooooo much to do.

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

I usually pinch of the suckers for the 1st month, then I let it go. I prune the bottom good for circulation and I find my plants are more healthy looking and so is the fruit it makes. I also take my bigger suckers and replant them in case we lose one or two plants.

In my granny's garden this year, half of her tomato plants are suckers from my plants. My uncle put out too much fertilizer and killed half of her tomatoes. At 85 years old, you should see her "talk" to her son. I felt sorry for him and replanted with my suckers to make him feel better. Nothing like mom chewing you out when your 62 years old. When granny gets mad, I back up, she's got a cane.