Gardeners frequently refer to tomato suckers, or sideshoots on tomato plants, as “tomato suckers”. Tomato suckers refers to these side shoots which appear between leaves on a tomato plant.
Pinch them out as soon as you notice them to help the plant direct its energy toward producing fruit rather than growing suckers.
They’re the side shoots
Suckers are small shoots that appear at the intersection between stem and branch in a tomato plant. While they can range in size from one leaf to a full set of flowers and fruit, gardeners have two main approaches when it comes to suckers: pruning them off or leaving them alone – each approach offers different advantages for their particular situation.
Determinate tomato plants usually flower and bear fruit once they reach a specific height, making sucker pruning unnecessary on these types of plants. On the other hand, indeterminate varieties must be staked or otherwise supported as they mature – otherwise their weight could cause them to bend forward, potentially cutting off their nutrient supply and leading to slumping and thus producing an uneven harvest. Therefore gardeners who cultivate indeterminate varieties should remove suckers for maximum production from these types of crops.
To remove a sucker, pinch it off with your fingers or use clean pruning shears to snip its stem. Be sure to wash and disinfect these tools between plants so as to prevent disease transmission, and pinch off suckers when they are only several inches long so they have time to root back into their host plant. If there are extra suckers you would like to save, place them in a jar filled with warm water until roots form – or let the plant do it itself!
Gardeners should regularly tie tomato plants to their supports to prevent them from toppling over as their fruit ripens, which helps minimize sunburn and scalding of fruit while encouraging their development of more leaf cover, potentially helping protect against diseases caused by prolonged moisture. Doing this also allows gardeners to extend the plant’s lifespan.
Many gardeners have strong opinions about whether gardeners should remove suckers from their tomato plants. Some believe it’s essential for getting an abundant harvest; others maintain that leaving suckers may produce more fruit. Both approaches may work, depending on your individual situation and preferences.
They’re a sign of disease
Tomato suckers are those tiny shoots that appear between each leaf or branch on a tomato plant and its main stem, similar to node points where two branches connect. Gardeners frequently use tomato suckers as propagation tools for propagating new plants for next season’s growing season – however if left to grow unchecked they could take up too much space and divert resources away from fruiting branches that you want.
Suckers need energy to grow, taking away nutrients from producing tomatoes. By eliminating suckers, your plant will focus more on ripening its existing tomatoes as well as producing larger and better ones.
Removing tomato suckers not only provides your plant with less foliage to maintain, but it also reduces how much soil resources (water, minerals and fertilizer) it needs to use to keep those leaves and branches alive – leading to healthier plants that produce larger yields of tomatoes over a longer period.
Pruning tomato plants using shears or snips is possible, though pinching off small and tender suckers with your fingers is usually easiest. If you need to prune many suckers at once, however, gardening gloves or special pair of snips designed to cut through leaves without harming stems may be more appropriate than shears or snips.
As this can shock the plant, cut away no more than 1/3 at one time to avoid shocking it. Instead, make small cuts at a time over several days, returning every so often for further trimming. Doing this will prevent major damage to the base of your tomato plant while decreasing disease risks; sucker removal also makes your plants easier to manage while helping keep them looking tidy in your garden.
They’re a waste of time
Pruning suckers is often an argumentative topic among tomato gardeners. While some consider them unnecessary and should be removed, others see them as essential to healthy plant development and consider them essential parts of healthy tomato cultivation.
Suckers form wherever secondary stems and leaves connect with the main tomato plant, as well as where leaf bases connect to stems. They serve as mini-tomato plants that produce new leaves, flowers and fruit but do not bear tomatoes themselves; though not usually seen as a threat by gardeners. Although suckers shouldn’t be avoided as part of normal tomato growth processes, they may take up more space than expected while competing with its main stem for nutrients.
Gardeners who prune suckers from plants find that doing so reduces competition for nutrients and encourages the main stem to produce larger fruit. Too many suckers removed at once may shock a plant’s system and even slow its growth temporarily; to avoid this happening, only prune a handful at one time.
Gardeners who want their plants to remain manageable should prune any newly appearing suckers as soon as they appear, in order to prevent excess foliage from growing out. Instead, that energy can go towards producing larger and higher-quality tomatoes.
Removing suckers helps the plant maintain a more compact shape, which in turn helps minimize diseases spread by unruly branches and leaves. Furthermore, increasing airflow around plants reduces their susceptibility to infection by fungi or bacteria.
Decisions on when and whether to remove suckers are ultimately up to each gardener; however, pruning them for optimal tomato plant growth may be worth your while. Just ensure you use clean pruning shears or scissors and hand sanitizer before handling other garden items; don’t be afraid to experiment with your tomato plants either; perhaps a smaller harvest with higher-quality tomatoes is preferable! So pinch off those suckers and see how well they perform for you!
They’re a gift
Gardeners frequently debate whether tomato suckers are beneficial to plant growth. Some believe that suckers play an integral part in helping the plant prosper while others view them as nuisances. The decision on whether or not to keep tomato suckers depends on your personal preferences and gardening experience; both arguments have their own set of benefits and drawbacks that need to be carefully evaluated prior to making your final choice.
Proponents of the “keep the suckers” philosophy see side shoots as valuable resources that provide extra growth that increases overall plant size, promotes fruit set through flowering and pollination, protect ripening tomatoes from direct sunlight, prevent sunscald and promote biodiversity in their garden by keeping heirloom varieties alive or protecting endangered varieties that could otherwise become extinct.
However, those in favor of sucker removal argue that the plant will benefit from having more uniform shape. They believe too many suckers create a thicket of branches that obstruct air movement, leading to diseases in the plant and increasing production of tomatoes from its main stem. They further maintain that sucker removal increases yield by redirecting more energy toward fruit-bearing structures rather than into thickets of suckers that cover it up.
No matter which viewpoint you hold, it is imperative that your tomato plants receive regular pruning of suckers to ensure optimal production of healthy, ripe fruits. Indeterminate tomatoes require regular pruning as their branches could easily become overgrown and struggle to produce fruit that are healthy and ripe. If left alone, their production could become even less reliable.
Gardeners sometimes use suckers to propagate new tomato plants. This method provides gardeners with an advantage during the season as the early-fruiting tomato plants will start producing fruits sooner. To root a sucker, simply cut off part of its stem and soak it in water until roots develop; once that has happened, simply plant it in pot with fresh potting soil until its ready for planting in their gardens.
