Lycopersicon esculentum fall guy are extra branches that grow from the leaf node on the principal stem of a tomato plant life . Suckers steal nutrients and push from the plant . Some nurseryman remove all sucker from their tomatoes , and some leave two or three and allow them to develop into fruiting limb . undetermined tomatoes are the types that give rise suckers that must be removed . These are the case of tomatoes that must be staked or trellis .
Determinate tomatoes have a more shaggy habit ; they have only a certain phone number of blooms and fruit each time of year , and should not be pruned . If you remove branches from determinate tomatoes , you will be removing potential fruit , and the plants will not develop replacement .
Locate and Remove Tomato Suckers
Step 1
Examine the main stem of each undetermined tomato plant life , and find the lower leaf nodes . These are the point where the leaf stems are join to the main stem . When your Lycopersicon esculentum plants are about 18 column inch tall , take out the lower two or three leave entirely at the nodes . This cause the master stem to grow larger and strong , get it able of good weewee and nutrient conveyance .
Step 2
Find the first efflorescence ramification . If you want to allow side branches to yield , set aside the lollipop on the two leaf lymph gland above the first set of blossoms to grow as side offset . The lower on the plant the leg are , the more sugars they will produce . It also shortens the length that the chief stem has to carry water and nutrient to issue the ramification .
Allowing side leg to rise will give you more yield , but they will be slightly small than if you transfer all suckers . For the largest tomato , remove all suckers on indeterminate plants . For more , but medium - sized , fruit , allow controlled side subdivision to mature from a couple of selected sucker .
Step 3
Locate suckers on the folio knob above the two you have selected to keep , and off them . purloin them out , or snip them if necessary to get a clear break . As the master stem turn continues to develop , sucker will develop at each folio node all the way up the stem . take out them as they appear . The larger you let suckers grow before removing them , the more vim they take from the fruiting portions of your plant .
Select only lower suckers as side branches . The further up the main stem the soft touch are , the sapless they are , because they produce less sugar .
Tip
When the main radical of an indeterminate tomato plant grows so marvellous that it is out of your reach , you may clip off the growing confidential information to keep it accomplishable . This redirects the plant ’s energy to the be blossoms and fruit . If you have chosen to allow side branches , you’re able to also tip - prune them when they grow too long . carry through the suckers and rootle them . To root suckers , implant the cut end a few inch cryptic in damp soil . They will grow honest to the parent plant life , and will give you a free second propagation of tomatoes for your late drop garden .
Warning
Do not prune or remove sucker from determinate tomato plant life . It is fine to slay yellowed leaves or damaged branches .
