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To Prune or Not to Prune Tomato Plants

Pruning isn't mandatory. Many gardeners skip it entirely. If your plants produced only foliage last year, excess nitrogen was likely the cause—not lack of pruning.

If You Choose to Prune

Limit to 1–2 main stems.
Remove suckers (shoots between main stem and leaf) when 2–3 inches long.
Improves airflow and can increase fruit size, but reduces total yield.

Focus first on balanced fertilization—low nitrogen, higher phosphorus/potassium—for better fruiting.

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