When I grow in cages, no. When I grow to 3 stems up twine, yes.

I only prune the ground level branches to give good air flow. Other than that I will trim off any branches that look diseased. This year I have been more vigilant in the use of fungicide.

Actually, my question was removing little suckers when the plant is small (a seedling.) Removing suckers after the seedling is planted is another discussion.

I mean having more than one main stem.

I very seldom see any "suckers" on seedlings but I guess that depends on how one defines "suckers" and "seedlings". Seedlings that have "more than one main stem" are most likely 2 seeds that were stuck together

My indeterminate variety seedlings are normally already plants in the garden before suckers (lateral branches) would begin to develop on them. And on determinate variety seedlings they aren't "suckers" so wouldn't be removed anyway.

Once planted then no I don't remove them unless I need one now and then to root for a new plant.

Dave

Like Dave, I have not seen suckering/side branching on my own seedlings but I have seen a lot of those on the ones sold at BBS .
There is anther kind of branching and that is , a given stem ( mostly main ) develops a "Y" formation. Both branches are almost the same size and age. Then sometime each of those grow and do that same thing. I had a Mortgage Lifter last year that behaved like that .

Like ncrealestateguy said, if you are staking you have to be selective in keeping side branches. But with big sturdy cage you can contain the beast in it. :-)
So to answer the question : Yes I do prune branches. And always do prune lower leaf branches close to the ground,or any yellowing ones to prevent the possibility of any soil borne diseases.
I also plant too closely. I know that I am compromising some production by this. but I get a chance to grow more varieties . For this reason i prune to 2 -3 branches.

Sey

I've been pinching off the suckers on my container grown patio tomatoes- and keeping one main branch staked. This has been a new experiment for me though, in indoor growing, and I wanted to keep the plants to the main branch as much as possible.

Out in the garden, I tend not to pinch off suckers, because I tend to cage and trellis my tomatoes. But I do prune off the lower branches for soil/air considerations. Or occasionally I will prune off a "big sucker" if it is a pretty much useless branch that does not have much leaf or bloom action on it- this does not happen very often though. I do also prune off yellowing branches- but this does not happen very often either, and when it does, it's usually later in the season and not on seedlings or young plants.

But to the OP pic.. Yes, I would likely pinch off those tiny little lower suckers. mostly because they are so close to the dirt.

And lol, like Sey, I tend to plant too close to be able to plant more kinds as well. This year I'm building cages to help compensate for it, to give them better structure to grow them in. Or at least I am for the ones being caged, I have a handful of them that are getting trellised up a 7 foot tall chain link fence too.

No, I don't trim suckers and my plants thank me for it :P

Linda

Easy to say Grubby, being in Tucson. If all your plants die it ain't food either.