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Taking off extra tomato branches

by Ed
(Brooklyn, NY)

My grandfather's family were farmers in Europe. When they settled in NJ, they also farmed. My grandfather said that he learned to take off some of the auxiliary branches from the tomato plant (the branches that have no blossoms and serve no purpose).

As an added bonus, he used to stick those auxiliary branches in the ground and he said that they often rooted, making more plants!

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Nov 27, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		Blazing Sun !
by: Anonymous

Down in Texas removing folage means scalded tomatoes!
Jul 16, 2013
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by: Anonymous

I like to use a razor blade to cut off all branches or leaves that are have even a touch of blight, the "suckers", and pretty much any branches that don't have any blooms or tomatoes. A razor blade makes a good clean cut, and using it makes my tomato plants look good and healthy! It also stops that blight from spreading! It will also cause more energy to go to producing fruit instead of foliage. Just be sure to leave some foliage on there.
Jun 10, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		Pinch the "Suckers" or clone them
by: MissMeesh

I grew several tomato plants, about 16, in a small 8x10' garden last year and ended up with an enormous, continuous harvest. I had read that if you remove some, or even all, of the "sucker" branches you will encourage your tomato plants to focus on the blossoms and fruit growing on the main branches. The suckers are the branches that grow in the junction of the main stem and branches. If you will, like a crotch of a tree. You can pinch them off and toss them or use a sterile blade and cut them off at an angle, like you would cut flowers, and dip the end into a rooting hormone gel. Rooting gel is available in most big box home and garden stores, in the garden section. Place the newly cut branch in a moist growing medium(soil, coco fiber, or other- preferably not the peat pellets) and treat gently indoor, under light in a small container, making sure to not let the new cutting dry out. Within 2 weeks the new plant should start to take root. This is called "cloning". Once the plant start to thrive, go ahead and plant it and care for it as you would the plant you cut it from. I recommend cutting a few clones at a time since this method isn't always 100% successful.
I pinched and tossed last year and was rewarded with larger, faster growing tomatoes. This year I am planning to make several clones to share with friends and family.
Jun 24, 2012
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star 		branches
by: Anonymous

Every branch on my tomato plants have blooms so I don't bother them.

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