Tomato plants are nearing the end of their growing season and there will be lots of ripe fruit ready to be harvested, but there is one simple job which can result in bigger crop yields. 

Gardeners should remember to pluck out the side shoots, also known as suckers, on their tomato plants before summer ends to stop the plant from wasting energy on new shoots that do not have time to grow. 

Toni, a gardener and founder of Simple Frugal Life has shared that pinching tomato shoots will also result in "larger" fruit as the plant will be directing its remaining energy into existing fruit. 

She explained: “If you leave your side shoots to grow, and don’t pinch them out, the plants may become very heavy, may become tangled, and could be hard to manage and control."

She added: “The plant puts their energy into the fruit rather than into growing more foliage. If you have too many stems coming out of the plant it can also reduce the air to the plants and so increase the risk of disease.” 

How to pinch out the shoots on tomato plants

Any shoots that need to be removed will be easy to identify as they will be growing between the main stalk of the tomato plant and the leafy branches. 

All you need to do is use your fingers to simply pinch out the shooter, but for larger side shoots you may need a pair of sharp shears or scissors to snip it off. 

Toni said: “It is easier to pinch the shoots out when they are small. You can just nip your finger and thumb together, literally as if you are pinching something, at the base of the shoot on the stalk, and the shoots will come off really easily.”

Make sure to check your tomato plants at least twice a week until their growing season ends as more established side shoots will be trickier to remove. 

If you are dealing with a large side shooter then make sure to use alcohol to wipe down the shears or scissors to reduce the risk of disease. 

Toni said: “The advantage of pinching shoots out when they are young is that it leaves less of a scar on the plant, and so there is less chance of disease attacking it.”

Once you have cut off the shoots you can place them in your compost or gardening bin, but do not leave them on the ground as decaying plant material can attract slugs. 

It is important to regularly pinch tomatoes a few times a week in late summer to get bigger yields but not do it all in one job as removing too much foliage at once can cause plant stress. 

If you wish to, many gardeners also pinch the top of their tomato plants in late summer to manage the growth of the plant so it focuses entirely on ripening fruit as well as improving airflow and sunlight exposure. 

Toni said: “Some people also pinch out the top of the plant that is growing upwards once the tomato has at least five or six trusses on it, especially later in the season.  This helps the plant put all its energy into growing and ripening the fruit.   

“Other gardeners leave them until there are seven or eight trusses, as some varieties grow more quickly than others, and it depends on how early you have sown and planted them."