Grab a pair of clean, sharp pruning shears or even a sturdy pair of kitchen scissors. Please—for the love of all things red and juicy—wipe them down with rubbing alcohol between plants. You don’t want to spread tomato AIDS (okay, it’s technically bacterial canker, but still).
And wear gloves. Tomato stems have a weird, sticky resin that will turn your hands into a science experiment gone wrong. Trust me, I made that mistake and spent an hour scrubbing with dish soap and regret.
The Big Decision: Determinate vs. Indeterminate
Before you go Edward Scissorhands on your plants, you need to know what you’re growing. Determinate tomatoes (like Roma or Bush Early Girl) are the boring, well-behaved cousins—they grow to a fixed size, set fruit once, then call it quits. Don’t prune these heavily; just remove the yellowing leaves at the bottom.
Indeterminate tomatoes (like Brandywine or Cherry varieties) are the drama queens. They’ll keep growing upward and outward like they’re trying to climb Mount Everest. This is where you become the boss. These plants need regular pruning to keep them sane and productive.
