Why You Should Cut The Top Off Your Tomato Plants?

One of the challenges in growing tomato plants is deciding whether or not to top them. However, once you make that decision, the process of topping them is quite easy.

First, get a pair of sharp pruning shears that have been cleaned. If you have recently worked with diseased plants, make sure you disinfect the shears using a 5% bleach solution before using them on your tomato plants. This will help prevent any potential spread of disease from the shears to the plant.

Next, locate the central stem of the tomato plant and cut it off cleanly, just above a leaf node at the point where the stem exceeds your supports. By keeping the node on the stem, the plant will grow back stronger from that same point.

If you are topping the plant toward the end of the season, identify the best-performing fruits and cut the stem above that point. But be careful not to cut too much, as direct exposure to sunlight during high temperatures can lead to sunscald in the last ripening tomatoes.

However, topping the plant once may not be enough. The stem will usually grow back quickly, so you may need to continue cutting it to keep it below your installed support. Every week or two when you go out to water your plants, use your shears to trim off any excess growth as needed.

The trimmed pieces can be added to your compost heap or used to propagate more tomato plants. Simply root the cuttings in water or soil, and they will develop roots along the stem.