Juicy tomatoes are a seasonal delight in British summertime, and many gardeners would agree that they taste even better when picked from a homegrown plant. Growing sweeter tomatoes depends on variables such as temperature, soil type, and the amount of rain and sun given to the plant, but manipulating fruit size is somewhat easier.
According to a gardening expert at Bonnie Plants, some light pruning is often the answer when it comes to tomatoes. “Pruning at the right time directs energy toward creating and ripening fruit instead of making more leaves”, they said. However, as with all gardening tips, technique is crucial.
The plant expert warned that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach for pruning tomatoes.
They said: “You should only prune indeterminate varieties, which produce new leaves and flowers continuously through the growing season. If you prune determinate varieties, you may reduce the harvest.”
This tomato type is often referred to as a cordon variety because it grows tall, often on a single stem, and should be trained on a cane or trellis for support.
Pruning indeterminate tomatoes should involve removing side shoots, says the Royal Horticultural Society.
Left on the plant, the side shoots grow rapidly and form a mass of “scrambling, leafy stems that are difficult to support, produce few fruits, and take up a lot of space.”
How to prune tomato plants
Side shoots, also known as “suckers,” appear in the junction between the stem and branch of a tomato plant, called the axil.
They are easy to remove using your fingers or secateurs. You can pinch them off or cut them—just make sure they come off cleanly.
Getting rid of them swiftly is the most effective way to concentrate the plant’s energy on growing big, plump tomatoes.
The RHS suggests checking tomato plants for suckers every time you water the soil and pinching them off there and then.
It’s not worth it if you’re looking for quantity as you’ll end up with fewer tomatoes overall by removing the tomato suckers. But the fruits your plant produces “will grow to a larger size”, says Nicola from Gardenary.
An added benefit is that you may also get some fruit a bit earlier.
In the UK, indeterminate tomato plants typically start bearing fruit from mid-summer onwards, with the first fruits usually appearing in July and August.
The harvest season can continue well into early autumn, often through September, and even longer if conditions are favourable.