| Beautiful, gigantic, and perfect tomatoes do not | | | | pollinated, it will produce a fruit. Juicy tomatoes we |
| grow by themselves! While tomatoes originated in | | | | love to eat are actually the fruits of the tomato |
| the wild, centuries of cultivation have produced | | | | plant. Vigorous, vine types of tomatoes will grow |
| countless varieties, each needing their own special | | | | forever if not stopped! A plant can only produce a |
| care. Some varieties of tomatoes grow in | | | | certain amount of sugar to “feed” the |
| compact bushy forms, while others grow and | | | | fruit; consequently, tomato plants with more fruits |
| grow, like vines, continually setting fruit. Depending | | | | will produce smaller fruits. Pruning side-shoots helps |
| on the type of tomato and desired yield, pruning | | | | lessen the amount of fruit on the plant, and allows |
| and staking tomato plants will ensure a healthier, | | | | the plant to send all of its energy to a few, select |
| more robust harvest. | | | | fruits. |
| What is Pruning? | | | | What is Staking? |
| When most people think of pruning, they think of | | | | Staking is the process of providing support for a |
| trees and shrubs. We prune trees to change the | | | | plant. Staking helps promote air flow throughout |
| shape, increase air-flow through the canopy, | | | | the plant, ensuring less buildup of moisture, and |
| reduce the size, and remove dead or diseased | | | | fewer diseases. Staking also helps support tomato |
| wood. Tomato pruning works in much the same | | | | plants as they grow and produce heavy fruit. |
| way. | | | | Tomato stems are brittle, and will break under |
| Pruning for Plant Health | | | | too much strain. Many types of staking |
| Tomatoes benefit from good air circulation, as | | | | mechanisms exist including cages, trellises, and |
| they are prone to diseases if their leaves stay | | | | single stakes. Consult a tomato growing reference |
| wet or are encased in constant humidity. Pruning | | | | like How To Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes for a |
| helps thin the tomato plant so that air moves | | | | comparison of 11 staking techniques. |
| freely. Tomatoes, when attacked by disease or | | | | The proper staking technique will depend the |
| pests, can recover; however, the injured part of | | | | tomato variety and individual gardener’s |
| the plant must be removed so that the injury | | | | harvesting goals. |
| does not spread to the rest of the plant. | | | | Pruning and Staking are keys to successful |
| Pruning for Increased Harvest | | | | tomato growing, as they promote overall plant |
| Every time a plant flowers, once the flower is | | | | health and higher fruit yield. |