April 13, 2025 – A recent article discussed topping/pruning pepper plants to get them to produce more fruit. Well, if it works for peppers, will it work the same for tomatoes. Unfortunately, literatures says either one will work but it’s wise to learn toward pruning much less.
Let’s start with tomato types. Determinate plants grow 3-4’, produce a single crop, and stop. Basically, it makes no sense whatsoever to top or prune determinates.
Indeterminate plants grow until a frost or freeze kills them, and they will produce fruit until death occurs. So, what, where and when should indeterminate plants be topped or pruned. First, once plants reach approximately 2’ tall, two pruning actions become necessary. First, remove all branches up to 12”, with an eventual goal of no leaves below 2’. Also, If there are any flower or starting fruit at this time, remove them so that energy can be put into growth.
Further, begin pruning all sucker branches. These are branches that come out at the base of a good limb at a 45° angle, and their growth detracts from the overall production by the plant. Sucker removal now becomes a daily or at least weekly search for any new suckers. Help your tomato plant by removing them.
Topping tomato plants usually occurs only during the last 30-45 days before a frost or freeze on plants producing medium to large fruit. Some, however, like to prune the top portions once the plants get about 4’ above the cage, hoping the action will force the plant to concentrate on fruit production. It’s a good theory, but doesn’t always help. For cherry or grape tomato plants, however, just let them grow. I’ve had such plants grow all the way down the outside of the cage, and out another couple feet, producing fruit all the way.
