How to Groom Tomatoes

Grooming -- a key component of proper care -- is a step that should not be ignored when growing tomato plants. Not only does grooming help to prevent plants from sprawling across the ground, it helps reduce the risk of mildew and disease. In addition, tomato plants that are groomed produce less leaves. Fewer leaves, in turn, allow more air to circulate throughout the plants. With a few basic guidelines, you can ensure that your tomato plants grow in the healthiest of conditions.

Things You'll Need

Pruner

Instructions

- 1
  Determine the variety of tomatoes you are growing. Tomatoes come in determinate and indeterminate varieties. Check the labels when purchasing your tomato seedlings to determine the variety. Determinate tomato plants grow to at least 3 feet and produce tomatoes that are typically ready to be harvested at the same time. Determinate tomatoes do not need to be pruned as this will reduce the crop. Indeterminate tomatoes, on the other hand, should be pruned. This variety does not stop growing, and requires grooming to prevent it from spreading out of control.
- 2
  Locate new suckers that typically grow between the main stem and each branch of the indeterminate plants. A sucker is a shoot that emerges from the roots or the lower part of a plant's stem. Look for small, feathery shoots that emerge from the "V" space between the stem and the branches.
- 3
  Groom tomatoes by pinching out all the suckers. Use your index finger and your thumb to pinch out the young suckers. For suckers that are longer than 2-in., use a clean pair of pruners to remove them. Continue to prune the suckers until they are completely removed.

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