It started with a Google search on how to prune tomatoes. Attending to the tomatoes was high on my garden list but was pushed down a notch when fifteen pounds of beets needed to be harvested so the butternut squash starts could go in the ground. You know how that goes. So I was late to the task of initial pruning.

Though I’ve been growing tomatoes for decades, reviewing the basics can be useful. Some of the stems that had to go were larger than I felt comfortable snapping off. Several of my “go to” websites provided helpful tips. For example, the suggested side to side snapping proved preferable to up and down in order to prevent damage to the main stem.

After pruning was complete i tied the main stem to the stake with twine. As the tomato plant gets taller I’ll allow some branching which the cage will support.

The Tomato Dirt website, in a 5-minute read, gives the rationale for pruning tomatoes and the basics.

Pruning tomato plants: how and when to do it

If you have a little more time check the Harvest to Table post

How to Prune a Tomato

The author, Steve Alpert first offers six reasons to prune tomatoes;

1. To grow more flavorful tomatoes.

2. To grow larger tomatoes.

3. To grow more tomatoes over the length of a season.

4. To keep plant leaves and fruits off the ground and away from pests, insect damage, and fungal disease.

5. To keep plants smaller and more compact.

6. To allow tomatoes on the plant at the end of the season to ripen before the first frost.

Both Tomato Dirt and Harvest to Table have many other links and posts on growing tomatoes that are worth exploring.