You have watered, fertilized, and weeded around your tomato plants.
For optimum harvest, here’s how to prune them.
Pruning makes the plant focus on the fruit instead of putting its energy into growing more leaves.
Credit:Ralph Anderson
Fungal, bacterial, and viral diseasescan all infect tomato plants.
Among the most common, and perhaps the most detrimental, is late blight, triggered by thePhytophthora infestansfungus.
It can kill the entire plant and is highly contagious, spreading by releasing spores into the wind.
Credit: Melinda Podor/Getty Images
Choose compact varieties to grow in containers to keep their size in check.
Then there’s more room for other vegetables in the garden.
If they are wet from rain, dew, or sprinklers, give them time to dry.
How To Prune Tomatoes
Pruning indeterminate tomatoes is really a simple process.
The first pruning should be done when youplant the tomatoes.
Remove any lower leaves or stems that rest on the ground after planting.
To prune during the growing season, simply remove the suckers.
Cut the tip of every stem so the plant will focus its energy on the fruit.
Clemson Cooperative Extension.Tomato diseases & disorders.
NC State Extension.Pests of tomato.
