How to grow from ground to table -

Pruning Tomatoes Video

Pruning Tomatoes .Click on link for video

Tomato 10 days after Planting

This plant is ready to be pruned

Remove all visible suckers and lower 2-3 leaves

Removing the suckers puts all energy into the main trunk of the plant

Removed Sucker

Removing suckers must be done every week to 10 days

Remove lower leaves

Removing lower leaves gives a barrier between the ground and the plant minimizing disease spread

Remove bottom 3-5 leaves

removing these leaves also makes room to add straw

Finshed plant

This plant has had the lower 3-4 leaves removed and all visible suckers removed.

Tomato rows weeded, pruned and ready for straw

I have added a shovel of compost to each plant after pruning and cultivated the soil pulling soil up around the base of the plant.

Straw added

I have added a 4-6 inch mulch of straw but any non woody mulch will do such as hay, shredded leaves, dry grass clippings, pinestraw etc. Put mulch 30 inches wide around the plant