If pruning to one stem seems a bit drastic, then one can always prune to 3 or 4 stems. I prune to three stems, in order to get the above mentioned benefits.

To answer the question, one would not remove all growth originating from that stem, just suckers. You would identify these as branches growing out of the upper side of the leaf juncture. Leave the leaves and the blossom clusters. Usually the pattern of growth up the stem is 2 leaves, a blossom cluster, 2 leaves..... . The suckers grow from all of the leaf junctions and often will regrow after removing. Don't confuse leaves from leaflets. Leaves include the entire formation branch coming from the stem and often extend over two feet from the stem. So the plant with suckers removed does not appear bare but to the contrary is a dense growth.

If you're trellising on ONE vertical string or wire, limiting the growth to one main stem makes some sense. No way to hold everything up if you let the plant spread laterally. In my view, however, trellising on ONE vertical string or wire doesn't make a lot of sense.

" So the plant with suckers removed does not appear bare but to the contrary is a dense growth."

That all depends on one's definition of "dense growth". They only appear dense because the plants are usually crammed in so tightly together that the leaf branches of the neighboring plant overlap each other.

Dave

but one stem...do you mean just the main stem? Are the branches that come off the main stem directly the good ones and he ones that come in between those branches the ones to remove?

ncrealestateguy If
pruning to one stem seems a bit drastic, then one can always prune to 3
or 4 stems. I prune to three stems, in order to get the above mentioned
benefits

----------------------------------------------

That is what I do.

Pruning to a single stem may/can lead to a lanky growth beyond reach.

In my mind there is a difference between top branching out ( "V" /forking) , {I keep those.} and side suckering. Naturally plant wants to grow a sucker at each and every leaf node. Those are the ones that I prune. But keep the top forking and branching.

NOTE: I don't prune determinants, except for the lower leaves and some inside , to provide air flow.

Sey

Can I ask WHY you want to prune? You really haven't made that clear. Who is telling you to do that, and what is it supposed to achieve? You do things because they do something good for you.

I want to prune because I think/thought that I am/was supposed to for more/better tomatoes. No?

" I think/thought that I am/was supposed to for more/better tomatoes. No?"

No. Any form of pruning is merely an option the gardener has. Nothing more. It is not required for any reason and many growers never prune at all yet somehow manage to grow lots of tomatoes just fine. The need for it depends on the type of plant (determinates are normally not pruned), the plant spacing you use, and the method of plant support you use.

Pruning results in LESS tomatoes per plant. Even those who advocate pruning will agree with that. Does pruning produce better tomatoes? Some make that claim but they never define "better" and there is no scientific evidence to support that claim. Some claim "earlier" and "larger" fruit but studies show those gains, if they happen are only marginal.

But there are all sorts of degrees of pruning. To one main stem is the most severe form there is and is commonly used only in greenhouse growing. Like others said above some leave 2 stems, some 3-4, some leave all the stems and branches and only prune off branches that touch the ground.

So can I ask where you got the impression that it was something you had to do?

Dave

Not something you have to do... Just advocated by many tomato experts around the country, Some like Adam Montri, Mich. State, specify that hybrids are better pruned to a single stem, whereas heirloom varieties will perform better if pruned to 2 stems per plant.

With tomatoes an overwhelming impact on yield is disease. By allowing a "Unsightly, impenetrable, disease wracked tangle" one may lose much of their potential yield.

Each prune results in an open wound. Does this not also invite disease and limit production?

I prune to 3-4 stems, but that's because I'm insane and using 1 square foot spacing so I can jam a ridiculous number of varieties into my small garden space. If I had the space to do it I'd not prune and use reasonable amount of spacing (of course if I really had the space I'd probably crowd still if because then
I'd be growing even more varieties because I'm a tomato junkie, lol).

Photo
is one bed with 16 tomatoes in 16 square feet. I will be the first to
say pruning and tight spacing like this actually is detrimental to
production. But I get to try more varieties and still get good yields
since I have some many plants that it makes up for the loss of
production.

By allowing a "Unsightly, impenetrable, disease wracked tangle" one may lose much of their potential yield.

They say that as if it is not possible to grow tomatoes that are not an unsightly, impenetrable, disease wracked tangle unless you aggressive prune them. With good spacing, good support, and proper care that statement is simply not true. I also find the presentation order of the negatives interesting -

1. unsightly (manicured appearance is apparently vital)

2. impenetrable (ideal convenient access is apparently vital)

3. disease wracked (as if guaranteed to develop)

_______________

"Each prune results in an open wound. Does this not also invite disease and limit production?"

Disease invitation? Possibly. Limited production? Definitely.

Dave

Concur: single stem pruning is used when one wishes to grow vertically. Commonly done in greenhouse using hydoponics. As the stem growes taller, the older part of the stem is periodically lowered into the growing medium. For in ground growing about the only use is is trying to grow giant tomatoes. You can pamper the crown set and maybe win a prize for size. Over all yield is reduced however.

"I want to prune because I think/thought that I am/was supposed to for more/better tomatoes. No?"

Well, not clear how and why such pruning makes for more/better tomatoes. The evidence for that is certainly mixed, and I believe it depends a lot on exactly how you grow them and what you want to get. Again, if you're trying to string them up vertically on ONE vertical support, having lots of stems draping all over the place isn't handy. But why would you want to string them up on one vertical support? Also true that you could force growth into a few fruits to make them big and win prizes, but the yield will be smaller. Is that more/better? Need to understand what more/better means to people who recommend strategies to achieve more/better.

Just an example. I had a neigbor back in the 60's who was intrigued by the Burgess advertizing for Trip-L- Crop tomatoes. It featured a family picking tomatoes from a second story window. So he dug a spot by a downspot, enriched the soil with both manure and 10-10-10. pruned that Trip-L-Crop to a single leader used an antenna tower for support. That thing reached 25 ft. I also grew Trip- L- Crop at the time, in cages no pruning. Big plant but no bigger than a Brandywine. Better yielding I got more tomatoes per vine by far than he did. On the other hand I did not get attention from neighbors and the media. He did.

Dave, I should have mentioned that the quote isn't mine but it was given by a reputable grower about 10 years ago on the gardenweb forum. I thought it was such a good definition for "Unpruned" that I wrote it down and have since reprinted it about a dozen times as this topic comes up.

Dan, I use both cages in field and vertical stringline support and for my operation cages determinate don't even come close in production to stringline. But I'll admit I'm harvesting from stringline tomatoes for 6 full months. The greatest feature of stringline support is that the string is cheap and disposable. My thousand cages are starting to corrode excessively and may need replaced in a few years.

Sure, I may win ribbons at fairs for great looking tomatoes, but to the consumer a great looking tomato translates into better quaity. Who am I to argue with thousands of satisfied customers?

I assumed it was from the Michigan State article Barrie since it was in quotes. Didn't mean to imply it was you.

Maxine - as you can see there are no absolutes, no have to do anything when it comes to growing tomatoes. Over 50+ years of growing them I have tried all the various methods of supporting them and all the methods of pruning or not pruning them and then decided on what works best for me, my plants, my climate, and my growing methods. Not claiming it works for all.

But what it get this old man on his high horse are all the grandiose claims out there of how it MUST be done, how this one method and ONLY this one method will give you tomatoes, success, guarantee you more/better/larger/sweeter/prettier/disease free/no pests/etc. tomatoes. It implies that those who choose other options are too dumb to know better or that we don't know a tomato when we see hundreds of them growing in our gardens. :-)

Try a couple of different methods and see what works best for you.

Dave

Wow...so much information...thank you everyone! I think i'll experiment, as Dave suggests. One question though...I still don't get exactly what one stem means...again I know how stupid this must sound but as in my original question what does it mean to prune to one stem? Where do the tomatoes grow? (i'm really a super novice at this)

Maxine, "one Stem" means that you only keep ONE growing tip and prune any and all the branches.

OK, pruning comes in different shapes and sizes. Pruning to a single stem is at the extreme.

One might just prune/trim to tidy up , that just involves lower growth of suckers and leaf branches. A lot of those who are in "Not Prune" camp do that too.

Then there are gardeners who prune and keep side branches selectively. This is a middle ground.

There are other forms and reasons for pruning. For example one might prune an indeterminate plant to grow bushy rather than tall and lanky.

Sey

"I still don't get exactly what one stem means...again I know how stupid
this must sound but as in my original question what does it mean to
prune to one stem? Where do the tomatoes grow?"

Not sure how to explain any better than it has been. When the plant comes up out of the ground it has 1 stem, 1 trunk if you will. You keep that trunk, that 1 central stem. Off that one stem will grow leaf branches. After 2-3 leaf branches sprout off it, a bloom cluster pops out of that stem and the blooms turn into tomatoes. The one stem keep getting taller, 2-3 more leaf branches sprout off to the side and then another bloom cluster is triggered to develop and turns into fruit, etc. The fruit hangs in clusters attached to that one stem. Any other stems that develop are removed.

Here is a picture of a single stem pruned plant with tomatoes growing on it

Dave

Ahhh. it was the leaf branches that had me confused. I kept thinking literally one stem. When you throw in the leaf branches and the clusters that develop in them it all makes sense. Thanks (again)!

Dale (not Maxine)

An actual picture I took might help. The leaves can be extensive but just lateral branches are removed, preferably while they are still less than 4" long.

The plant in center should give you an idea what the single stem looks like. In a row it is just too difficult to distinguish once plants are taller.

the visual helps...thanks!