Pruning tomato plants is one of the key practices used by gardeners. Many of them claim that leaf pruning helps improve the yield and overall health of plants. I am personally in favour of pruning and continue to use this method.
After pruning, the tomatoes feel great, are not susceptible to disease, do not burst or crack, and the fruiting itself increases significantly compared to the years in which I did minimal or no pruning. Moderate pruning of leaves has a positive effect on tomatoes. And these are not just my assumptions, but a scientifically proven fact.
One of the reasons for this positive effect is that with each leaf pruning, the tomato bush receives a signal about the need to develop additional roots. As a result, the plant becomes stronger and healthier. Increasing the number of roots provides more nutrients that reach the plant and fruit. In addition, pruning transfers the plants to the generative phase, which has a beneficial effect on fruit filling and the formation of new tomatoes.
Another benefit of trimming the lower leaves is better light exposure from the fruit, which helps it ripen faster. Dense, dense shrubs are more likely to suffer from disease, and their appearance leaves a lot to be desired. Also, plant photosynthesis is sufficient if there are a certain number of leaves on top of the flower clusters, so there is no need to worry about this.
In addition, if your tomato plant is very grown and this prevents it from producing fruit, it is recommended to carry out more frequent and intensive pruning. You can cut it back down, which will help speed up the use of nitrogen in the soil. Shrubs with unlimited stem growth require more regular pruning, preferably every 10 days, especially removing the lower leaves, which can protect the fruit from sunlight.
Tomatoes with limited growth, on the other hand, require pruning as needed, such as when the lower leaves begin to yellow or when the shrub becomes too bushy.
