Or you can prune the plant when it’s reached the height you’d like it to be – at the top of your greenhouse or its supporting cane, for example. If you want to pinch the main stem, wait until you have at least four fruit trusses if you’re growing them outside or six inside.

Simply check the plant every week or each time you water. Keep pinching out regularly from that point, as it’s easier to remove young side shoots than chunkier, older ones.

You can also pinch out the top of the main stem (the vertical trunk of the tomato) to prevent the tomato plant getting too tall.įor side shoots, wait until the first flowers appear on a fruit truss.

Trusses grow out from the main stem, like branches, and are what will carry the fruit. You pinch out side shoots, which grow between the main vertical stem and the fruit trusses. The pinching out method of pruning means you support one single stem with a cane or string, and it also staggers the production of buds throughout the season, creating in multiple, high-quality harvests – yum! If left untrained, tomatoes will produce a large number of flowers on a big mass of foliage, which puts pressure on energy reserves, results in poor quality pickings and is difficult to support. You can also pinch out the top of the main stem (or growing tip) to stop the tomato plant growing too tall. Pinching out is an easy process of removing extra side shoots with your fingers, so the plant puts its energy into growing one single stem with fewer branches and larger fruits. If you’re unsure about when and how to start pinching out your plants – or even what pinching out means – we’ve got all of the answers for you. Growing tomatoes is easy and fun, and with a little bit of pruning, they will produce lots of delicious red fruit for the summer.

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