I have learned to pinch off suckers on tomato plants, finally. I didn't know I should be doing that,

I don't know why you believe you are "supposed" to do that but it isn't accurate. Pruning, removing what you are calling suckers but are really later fruit-producing branches, is purely optional. It is not required in any way, and believe it or not, studies show that the majority of successful home and commercial tomato growers do NOT remove them because it costs them fruit production.

I think I posted this on one of your other posts about this but didn't go into detail as it is a Tomato forum issue so I referred you there and the many discussions there about pruning.

Pruning has some advantages in some specific situations but it also has several disadvantages - one of which you are now discovering - it just makes the plant kick back into rapid growth mode and increase its height dramatically. Indeterminate varieties are vines. The more you prune them, the longer (taller) they grow.

I would suggest some extensive reading on the issues associated with pruning, the pros and cons, etc. over on the Tomato Gardening forum here. There is a good FAQ there that covers all the basics and a number of discussions to browse through on when and how or how NOT to do it and why. For example determinate varieties are never pruned.

But as to your question now that you have already done so much pruning then yes, you can remove any of the branches you wish as long as you understand that removing leaf branches will reduce the plants ability to photosynthesize sunlight for energy, shorten its life span accordingly, stimulate additional leafy growth and height, reduce fruit production, and will expose the fruit to sun scorch.

Given that healthy plants and that the fruit is the goal when growing tomatoes it really pays to first understand exactly what you are doing and why as well as how to do it properly before getting into it and creating problems for you and the plant.

Dave

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

Thanks, Dave! The last two paragraphs of your response were very helpful!