[Tomato Dirt #103] Do You Know When to Prune Your Tomato Plants?

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[Tomato Dirt #103] Do You Know When to Prune Your Tomato Plants?
May 12, 2016

Tomato Dirt Newsletter
Volume 6, Number 9

Dear Tomato Dirt reader,

Welcome back to Tomato Dirt! A couple of times a month, we’ll send you this newsletter packed with tips about growing tomatoes and using them.

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FEATURE: Do You Know When to Prune Tomato Plants?

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When should you prune your tomato plants? The type of pruning you use varies at different points in the growing season.

Simple pruning: this method allows you to cut back suckers that produce weak fruit and drain energy away from the main plant. Simple pruning is best done early in the season when plants are working hard to put out leaves, blossoms, and fruit, allowing them to concentrate their efforts.
Missouri pruning: this modified version of simple pruning allows you to pinch off sucker tips rather than at the base of the shoot, thereby reducing shock to the plant.
Root pruning: this approach lets you to strengthen a tomato plant by pruning its roots with a spade, a few inches from the base of the plant, forcing the plant to mature. The best time to root prune is after fruit has developed but just before it begins to ripen.
Top pruning: this is best done towards the end of the season, about a month before frost. Clip the top of the tomato plant above the last blossom, which prompts the plant to finish producing the fruit already on the vine.

Find out more tips and how-tos for pruning your tomato plants … and be sure to check out our Pruning Tomatoes board on Pinterest for more pruning ideas.

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Tomato Growing Tip #30: When to Start Simple Pruning

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