Learning how to sucker tomato plants is one of the most important skills for a home gardener to master. This simple technique directs your plant’s energy into producing more fruit, leading to a bigger and better harvest from your garden.
Suckering might sound complicated, but it’s really just the process of removing certain small shoots. If left alone, these shoots grow into full branches that compete for nutrients. By removing them, you help your main stems grow stronger and bear more tomatoes.
How To Sucker Tomato Plants
Before you start, it’s crucial to know what a sucker actually is. Look at your tomato plant. You’ll see a main stem with branches growing out to the sides, each with leaves and flower clusters. In the V-shaped space between the main stem and a branch, a small shoot will appear. That’s the sucker.
This little shoot has the potential to become a whole new main stem. While that might sound good, it often leads to a crowded, tangled plant. The result can be fewer tomatoes and a higher risk of disease because of poor air circulation. Suckering keeps the plant focused.
Why You Should Sucker Your Tomatoes
Suckering offers several clear benefits for your garden. It’s not just about tidiness; it’s about plant health and yield.
- Larger Fruit: The plant’s energy goes to developing existing fruit rather than growing excess foliage.
- Earlier Harvest: With less vegetative growth to support, the plant can mature its fruit faster.
- Improved Airflow: An open plant structure allows air to move freely, drying leaves quickly and preventing fungal diseases like blight.
- Easier Maintenance: Pruned plants are simpler to stake, tie, and inspect for pests.
- Healthier Plants: Reducing crowding lowers stress and makes it easier for sunlight to reach all parts of the plant.
Tools You’ll Need for Suckering
You don’t need much to get started. In fact, your fingers are often the best tool. For small, tender suckers, simply pinch them off with your thumb and forefinger. Pinch them early and often for the best results.
- Clean Fingers: Perfect for shoots under 3 inches long.
- Pruning Snips or Scissors: Use these for thicker, woodier suckers you might have missed earlier. Make sure they are sharp and clean.
- Rubbing Alcohol: Wipe your tools (and even your fingers) between plants to prevent spreading any disease.
Step-by-Step Guide to Removing Suckers
Follow these simple steps to sucker your plants correctly. The best time to do this is on a dry morning, when the plants are less likely to be stressed.
Step 1: Identify the Main Stem and Fruit Branches
Locate the primary, central stem of your plant. Then, identify the side branches that are already flowering or setting fruit. These are the branches you want to keep.
Step 2: Find the Sucker
Look at the angle where a fruit-bearing branch meets the main stem. The sucker grows from this joint, pointing diagonally outward. It starts as just a few tiny leaves.
Step 3: Pinch or Snip
If the sucker is small (under 3 inches), pinch it off cleanly at its base. Don’t tear it. For larger suckers, use your snips to make a clean cut as close to the main stem as possible without damaging it.
Step 4: Decide on Your Pruning Method
There are two main approaches: the Missouri method and simple pruning. The Missouri method involves pinching the sucker just above the first two leaves. This can be less stressful for the plant. Simple pruning is just removing the entire sucker at the stem, which is the most common technique.
Step 5: Regular Maintenance
Check your plants for new suckers at least once a week. They grow quickly, especially in warm, wet weather. Catching them small makes the job easier and less shocking for the tomato plant.
Important Exceptions and Tips
Not every tomato plant needs the same level of suckering. The type of tomato you’re growing determines your strategy.
Determinate vs. Indeterminate Tomatoes
This is the most important distinction. Indeterminate tomatoes (like Beefsteak, Cherry, and most heirlooms) grow continuously and produce fruit all season. These benefit greatly from regular suckering.
Determinate tomatoes (like Roma or Bush Early Girl) grow to a set size, flower, and fruit all at once. They require minimal to no suckering. Removing suckers can actually reduce your yeild on these bushy types.
When to Stop Suckering
About 30 to 45 days before your area’s first expected fall frost, you should stop removing suckers. This allows the plant to focus its remaining energy on ripening the existing fruit instead of trying to heal new wounds.
Don’t Overdo It
Avoid removing to much foliage at once, especially on hot, sunny days. The leaves provide necessary shade for the fruit and help prevent sunscald. Never remove more than one-third of the plant’s total foliage in a single session.
Common Suckering Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced gardeners can make a few errors. Here’s what to watch out for.
- Mistaking Fruit Clusters for Suckers: Flower and fruit clusters grow directly from a branch, not from the joint between branch and stem. Always double-check before you snip.
- Using Dirty Tools: This is a fast way to spread blight or other infections throughout your entire garden.
- Suckering When Wet: Working on wet plants spreads water-borne diseases. Always wait for the foliage to dry.
- Removing All Suckers on Determinate Plants: As mentioned, this will hurt your harvest from bush-type tomatoes.
What to Do With the Suckers You Remove
Don’t just throw them on the compost pile! Tomato suckers are very easy to clone. You can root them in water or a moist potting mix to create entirely new, free plants.
Simply place a 4- to 6-inch sucker in a glass of water, ensuring the leaves are above the rim. Change the water every few days. In about a week, you’ll see roots forming. Once the roots are an inch or two long, pot it up. You’ve now got a new tomato plant that’s a genetic clone of the parent.
FAQ: Your Suckering Questions Answered
How often should I sucker my tomato plants?
Make it a habit to check for suckers once a week during your regular garden inspection. They can appear and grow suprisingly fast.
Can I sucker my plants too much?
Yes, over-pruning is a real risk. It can stress the plant, expose fruit to sunscald, and reduce the overall photosynthesis capacity. Stick to removing only the obvious suckers and avoid over-stripping leaves.
Is it too late to start suckering if my plants are already large?
It’s never to late to start, but proceed with caution on a big, overgrown plant. Remove only the largest, woodiest suckers first, and space out the pruning over a couple of weeks to minimize shock.
Do cherry tomato plants need suckering?
Most cherry tomatoes are indeterminate and benefit from suckering. However, because they produce so many fruit clusters, you can often leave a few more suckers on to increase yield without as much risk of overcrowding.
What’s the difference between pruning and suckering?
Suckering is a specific type of pruning. Pruning is a broader term that can also include removing lower leaves, damaged branches, or even topping the plant. Suckering refers specifically to removing the auxiliary shoots in the leaf-stem junctions.
Mastering how to sucker tomato plants is a game-changer for your vegetable garden. It might feel strange at first to remove parts of your plant, but you’ll quickly see the rewards. With better airflow, less disease, and more energy directed toward plump tomatoes, your harvest will be the proof that this simple practice is worth the effort. Just remember to identify your tomato type, use clean hands or tools, and be consistent with your weekly checks.