If you will go over to the Growing Tomatoes forum here - linked directly from this forum - you'll find literally a 100 discussions about pruning tomato plants, the pros and cons.

There is also a detailed FAQ there on pruning and why it is only used on certain types of plants, why it is optional and is NOT required for any reason, why what many call "suckers" are not harmful to he plant and are actually fruit producing branches, and why pruning costs you fruit production, etc.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Tomatoes FAQs

Yeah, there are no such things as suckers on tomatoes. The new branches will produce leaves that support the overall plant and will produce fruit themselves. Ideally you want the plant to be as wild and bushy as possible.

No, ideally you do not want the plant to be as wild and bushy as possible. What you want depends on your preferences. There is no 'ideal' separate from the needs and preferences of the grower. Removing suckers can allow more air circulation, and prevent diseases. It can also simplify supporting the plants.

There are benefits for both leaving suckers on and taking them off. Learn the pros and cons of both and decide for yourself. Both work, and can produce pretty well equally.

Hey thanks all. I read the FAQ, and I have a Roma which has started growing fruit but I will probably prune some of it cause it is getting really clustered. I am kinda sad to discover that it will die when it is done fruiting(indeterminate type), but now I know and will post some pictures for ya'll when they are mature...thanks for all the feedback fellow greenies...:-)

Whoa. I think you meant to say your Roma is determinate, which means it will produce all its tomatoes in a short period and then die? If so, you do not want to prune it at all. It has the potential to produce a certain number of tomatoes if unpruned. Every branch you prune means you get fewer tomatoes. Most people would considered "clustered" good. What benefit do you think you would get from pruning?

Agree. Roma is a determinate variety and determinate varieties are never pruned.

Dave

Yes, what Dave said. Determinates do not need pruning, but indeterminates do. I had a indeterminate cherry tomato plant turn into a 15 foot snaking monster and completely take over a whole row of garden once.

"I had a indeterminate cherry tomato plant turn into a 15 foot snaking monster and completely take over a whole row of garden once."

You say that like it's a bad thing?
The plant was happy :-)

Assuming that you are in a Deep South Zone 9, you will find that it is basically immaterial whether you grow determinates or indeterminates. When your daytime temps begin to hit above 90 degrees, all your tomato plants will stop blooming and/or setting fruit. I always keep 2 or 3 cherry tomatoes in large pots that I coddle and pamper through August so that they will begin to fruit again in September and go till frost, but I pull out all the plants in the ground in July and plant my peppers which love growing in a blast furnace.
As far as pruning is concerned, if you are staking your plants, pruning makes it easier to stake them. If you are caging your plants, there is really no reason to prune. As far as removing leaves, I wouldn't advise it. The fruit will suncald without the shade cast by the foliage.