When they’re small (under 2 inches), they can be pinched off, but if they’re bigger, pruners are necessary. Suckers grow quickly, but if left to grow into side stems, they tend to be spindly and produce inferior fruit. It also can prevent the plant from crowding itself and the space around it. Suckers, which grow in the “V” between the main stem and the branches, need to be pruned to save energy for main branches ( and the fruit they produce). If you’re not sure how to prune tomato plants or have had mixed results with tomato pruning in the past, read on for tips.

It might seem like a fine line between a perfectly pruned tomato plant and an over pruned tomato plant, but improper tomato pruning can result in problems. But novice gardeners are sometimes guilty of harmful pruning mistakes that can damage the plants and reduce the yield.

Plant care includes proper tomato pruning to increase airflow, thereby reducing fungal problems, and to encourage efficient photosynthesis for better growth and bigger yields. Given the right conditions-full sun, good soil, adequate water, drainage, and some support, tomato growing is pretty easy. Common enemies of tomato plants are aphids, hornworms, thrips, whiteflies, tomato psyllid, fruitworms, and flea beetles.Today, there are more than 10,000 varieties in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Fewer leaves also make it easier to spot insect pests that like to hide in thick canopies of leaves. Other diseases to read up on and look out for include early blight, southern blight, fusarium wilt, buckeye rot, blossom end rot, septoria leaf spot, gray wall, anthracnose, verticillium wilt, and bacterial speck.

It can kill the entire plant and is highly contagious, spreading by releasing spores into the wind. Among the most common, and perhaps the most detrimental, is late blight, caused by the Phytophthora infestans fungus. Fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases can all infect tomato plants. A well-pruned plant will also dry faster after a rain, so they are less susceptible to diseases that develop from prolonged moisture, humid weather, and poor air circulation. Fewer leaves mean the plant is less dense, which allows for more air to flow among the stems.

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