Pruning tomato plant suckers is a great way to promote healthy plant growth and an abundant harvest.
Tomato plant suckers were completely unknown to me when I first began gardening. We were newly married and living in an old farmhouse on a tobacco farm in eastern NC and had a lot to learn. Looking back now, I’m a little embarrassed at the poor state of my first garden. It tended to be more abundant with weeds than veggies, but I have to give a little grace to the newly married 21-year-old who was in school, working, and watching the real housewives in her free time. I was quite a different woman leaving my 20s than I was entering them.
Tomato suckers were introduced to me by the farmer we rented our house from. He had a tendency to stop in and check on these kids that had gotten married and moved across the state from all of our friends and family. Sometimes he’d bring veggies from his garden or a big bag of peanuts. Most often he would share a little wisdom. One day he was casually looking at my garden when he said “You know those tomatoes will grow better if you pinch off the suckers”. I had to show my ignorance and ask “What in the world is a sucker?”. And so began the start of my gardening education.
What is a Tomato Sucker?
Tomato suckers are the shoots that grow in the crook of the plant between the branches and main stem. insta
Benefits of Pruning Tomato Suckers
While tomato suckers will grow into branches that produce fruit, the plant will often yield smaller fruit. By pruning the suckers, you allow the main branches of the plant to utilize the nutrients that would otherwise be directed toward the suckers. This allows the fruits that grow on the main stem to grow larger.
Another benefit to pruning tomato suckers is that the plant will be less dense and bushy. This allows better airflow and decreases the likelihood of disease. Tomato plants do not like to be damp, and allowing them a better chance to dry and circulate air will result in a healthier plant overall. There will also be fewer places for pests to hide out, like the pesky hornworm you see below.
How to Prune Tomato Suckers
This is so simple it’s crazy. To prune tomato suckers, you simply take them between your fingers and pinch them off at their base. This is obviously much easier, and less likely to damage the plant if they are removed when they are small and tender. You can also use a skinny pair of garden snippers like the ones pictured below. They are narrow enough to easily reach into the crook of the tomato branches.
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