How to Prune Tomatoes for MASSIVE Harvest
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- Learn the secrets to pruning tomato plants for a larger harvest and healthier plant. Once I started using these methods I went from hardly any tomatoes to bushels of tomatoes that provide my family of four a year's worth of tomatoes.
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Thanks so much for watching! Are you growing tomatoes this year?
Melissa K. Norris - Modern Homesteading yes!!! I have 17 tomato plants (15 ind. and 2 det) and 2 tomatillo plants!!!
I had 4. They did absolutely nothing. So we pulled them up and started over with new dirt. Even though we still have enough time to grow another planting of tomatoes I’ve found replanting more tomatoes in he same place doesn’t work here or in this bed. I’m going to try either beets or cucumbers in that box and see how they do.
Great video! I purchased your course on tomato growing and learned so much. I planted 20+ this year, and they are doing well. I never used to prune, but I do now that I know how. Thanks for all your helpful hints.
About 20 plants. They are loaded down. What am I going to do with all of these tomatoes! :)
Yes, picking a few current ones, but others are slow to ripen have a San Mariano that is loaded and many more lost of mystery tomatoes that came up in compost. Probably gave away 500+/- and filled every spot I had still finding more coming up in pots where other things are planted and mixed in my raised beds. If they all ripen not sure what I will do. May put some out by curb for free like I did the plants. They are also growing with my flowers out front. Got some over 6’ tall.
Late season pruning has improved my average size and giving my largest of the season tomato and because your gardening is partly clean up your late season cleaning is partly done before the horrible weather hits.
Thanks for the teachings
I have 24 Amish Paste tomato plants. Winding the vines around anchored baling twine. They are almost 5 ft as of today. No leaves below the first fruiting stem. You should see all the tomatoes !! Some leaves I cut the tips off to give more air flow where they overlap between plants. Between the first and 2nd fruiting stem I took one to two leaves off. Too many leaves removed may hold back the plant as that is what converts sunlight to energy for the plant. Last year I had 14 plants and picked 18.5 lbs from them, made 7.5 quarts of sauce. If all goes well I will certainly surpass that !! Just an aside... the seed I used was saved from my harvest last year.
Dragoncarver, I prune my indeterminate tomato plants the same way you do. It is very stressful on the plant to prune so many leaves at one time so I under prune one week then sucker prune and aerate prune the next. I only allow 2 stems to grow on indeterminate.
You are my FAVORITE homesteader!! You are so informative, I have all your book and have learned so much from you!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge ❤️
This is by far the best video I have seen regarding tomatoes! I learned so much! Thank you
Thank you for sharing! It has been an unseasonably cool summer for sure
Not by us, it's hot and dry.
Melissa, thank you for the generous gift of sharing so much information with everyone who finds your channel. You cover the important points very quickly and all of those tips have helped me harvest an abundance of wonderful produce. Thank you and God Bless your kind and generous Spirit.
Like this lady! It is hilarious that is is late July and she is wearing a jacket in the rain. :) We popped some tomato plants in the ground and did nothing except a Florida weave. Ours are loaded down with 10-20 on every plant and we harvested a ton already. We pay for it with tennessee heat and humidity though....
That's what I was thinking too! My first thought was if this video was filmed last fall because there is no way I would be able to wear those hot clothes in July in NC! We've been getting heat advisory updates on our phones daily with the heat index being 107, and I'm in the Piedmont, not the beach! I'm sure our weather differences affect our growing production greatly!
I came to the comments to find out where she is from. I stopped the video after she was speaking on when she started them and what time of the year it is now. As she said that I was like WAIT... She is wearing long sleeves and vest in JULY??!!
I did a little research... she homesteads in the foothills of the North Cascade Mountains in Washington state.
@@rebeccadawn8212 It is a beautiful area but good God the rain! Not exactly a tomato growing capital. :)
@@bassmanjr100... I am supposing that is why she grows in a "greenhouse". I really do like her - she is very informative without being technically overwhelming. 🙂
Thank you so much for the pruning info.
Great 👍 idea how to prune tomatoes 🍅 to get yields of fruit , thanks for sharing to us such an amazing informative and educational
🙌 Hay string everywhere!!!
We are in Australia, and just sown our first tomatoes in a greenhouse a week ago so they will be ready to transplant by the time the weather warms up here. Really appreciate your work and the detail you are willing to share
Hello first off thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. In your pantry stock up you said you make your own mayo do you have video on it .thanks again
I have a brandywine plant as well. One other year we grew brandy wine and it had very few fruits but those we did have were HUGE. This year it looks as if the plant is not going to get very big but it already has several fruits on it. I like your comment that we are always learning - and I would add the conditions are often changing. We have had very dry conditions and I am guessing that is why our garlic harvest was disappointing. Thanks for your great videos!
So informative! Thank you. I'm growing jalapenos, basil, strawberries, tomatoes, zucchini and lettuce. Waiting to add more to my garden.
What a wealth of information. Thank you!
Yes ! Have 21 Roma Tomato plants going since April in PNW. I count 142 green tomatoes so far. Very good video- as always 🙏🏻
Planted 28 tomato plants this year. Early girls, Roma, a few black cherry, and another type I can not remember off the top of my head. I have only had a few ready to pick so far, but seem to be producing well. I'm grateful, I need to replenish my pantry selves. Trim my tomatoes the same way as you do. Will you be doing more canning videos by chance? I enjoy your videos.
I actually have a full canning course with over 30 videos. I may do a few videos but I do have quite a few already up on my Home Food Preservation playlist here on UA-cam and canning tutorials/recipes on my website
I do prune off lower leaves and suckers, but never top my plants. The day before a predicted first frost I pull the plants and hang in the storage room, check them daily and pick the fruits as they ripen.
This is a very good guide! I have let mine get out of control! I will be cutting some back for sure!
Hi Melissa. Great episode. I'd like to add 1 more tip if I may. Some gardeners have small greenhouses or other similar covered structures, used in the early spring to get a jump start on the growing season. But they really can't be used in the summer because it gets way too hot in there. However they are extremely useful for extending the growing season into the fall well past the 1st frost date and one of the plants that benefit from that is tomatoes. All those suckers that you cut off are potential tomato plants in their own right. As you know, tomatoes will grow roots off their stems if left in water or even just stuck into moist soil. I suggest picking out the healthiest looking suckers and planting them into pots, like a 5-gallon bucket with good drainage. Leave them outside for now but place them in the shade of the taller tomatoes so the sun doesn't damage them. They will establish a good root system and as that 1st frost date comes closer, move the tomato buckets into the greenhouse, high tunnel or whatever serves that purpose. As the 1st frost comes and goes the outside tomatoes will be finished but the suckers that were given another chance at life are already setting their 1st fruits and will reward you for another couple of months with fresh tomatoes. Planting the healthy suckers saves you huge amounts of time because you're not planting seeds. You are basically planting a cutting from a living plant, which is done all the time with many, many plants of all kinds. It works really well with tomatoes.
Depends on your climate for the high tunnel, I grow my tomatoes in it clear through the full summer with no issues
Im enjoying your videos. I recommend you mention in every video what growing zone you're working (perhaps listed in description) for reference.
Awesome, learned some cool new stuff about tomatoes!
Thanks so much! This is really helpful!
Great video. I have also not had much luck with tomatoes but am determined to grow a bunch this year. My last frost date is mid Sept, so time to start seedlings ( I am in South Africa)
Great info...This was really useful.
Hi I am up near Mt Rainier and I have about 100 tomato plants this year. I am growing your varieties and several other heirloom variate's. Do you compost the trimmings from your tomato plants. I find your videos very valuable as we are in the same general geography Thank you.
Amazingly awesome,thank you
I have 2 plants in buckets. I have no place to grow a garden so a bucket is my only option. I figured I might as well try I might learn something.
I tell ya, this is my first year planting the Marzano Lupo's (just 2 plants) and I did it before seeing your vid on planting 18 of them, and this is the best haul I've ever had- but not like yours. We've been in 100+ heat here in Texas and mine are in a tub with intermittent shade, with no shade cloth. I will only plant these from now on! Unfortunately some of them are getting some end rot on the fruit. And my yellow pear tomatoes, best haul ever for the cherry-sized tomato.
So glad you're enjoying them! If they're getting blossom end rot it's usually an inconsistent watering issue, they do best with a deep watering a few times a week rather than daily. :)
@@MelissaKNorris Well, it is the fruit itself blackening on the end, so is that the same thing? I deep water every 2 days because of the heat.
@@MelissaKNorris My Cherokee tomatoes failed, though.
It's been nothing but 95-100 for a week and a half in a 6b zone... All of the tomatoes flowers fell off, and on the up side, the San marzano lungo 2 weren't blooming yet, so that's a plus.
Just an update! Seeyabye!
PS: Your book did help immensely, and I've shamelessly plugged it to a couple friends... I'll just get it for them for Christmas.
Once it cools back down hopefully you'll get more blossoms. Thank you for the plugs!!
@@MelissaKNorris - Fingers crossed!
You're super helpful, and the format is great, so it's the least I can do.
New subscriber here. Your videos are awesome!
Thank you so much for these tips!
Great thought on pruning you can never have enough tomatoes
Can you tell me how you dry tomato seeds for next year. I have had a good crop, with your help, but I don't remember what they are and do believe they are the best I've ever tasted. I'd like to know how you do it. Love these videos. I live in FL and I have had to go to our extension service for more information but the basic information is the same. Thank you and God bless.
Quick question: You said in a video that you love the San Marzano Lugo 2 tomato. I am wondering where you normally get your seeds and if Johnny's San Marzano 2 might be the same type as yours. Thanks. I'd really appreciate hearing.
Your beds always look weed free - we are over come with weeds this year Any Suggestions?? Need Help. Also do you grow lettuce? How do you get all the earwigs(bugs) out of the lettuce before bringing into the house?? AND any suggestions on Cabbage we grew this year but looks like the worms are really getting into!! Thanks in advance for your help. I love your books and your You Tubes they are helping me alot!!
Hai..What nutrision you gave for tomatoes tree before be fruit
I really love yr videos Great job looking forward to more💛💛also may I ask what type of wood chips or shavings those are I'm allergic to hay so I would like to use another alternative 😊Thx
Good video, thanks! Question: Do you put the cuttings in your compost pile? I've heard I shouldn't because if there's a disease the compost pile might not get hot enough to kill it. Thanks again.
Yes I am growing tomatoes this year - I finally found a variety I like. Usually we don't grow or if we do it was for my mother gave them all to her. Needless to say we grew lots since my husband and myself do not normally like them. BUT finally found a type we like last year my daughter in law gave me some and I really liked them - they were oval and small in shape. So I tried this year I will need to go home and prune as you have shown see if I get more.
HELP!!! I’m a newbie I planted two transplants one grape and one cherry from Lowe’s the cherry is doing ok I think but it seamed like it’s taking to long for the lil guys to ripen. The grape got either blight or curly top it has two bunches I was waiting on to ripen. I have heard all about pruning and I think I over did it. Recently i heard one of my favorite UA-camrs say not to prune cherry type toms. Should I tear out the plant with problems? Can we eat the fruit? Can I replant in that spot????
This video is very helpful! thank you! Haha you said Crotch! 😝
I see that there are several main stems right from the bottom, wondering what type of tomatoes is this ?
What are your favorite heirloom tomato varieties? I ordered Dester Beefsteak, principe borghese, and sunrise bumblebee from Baker Creek. I need more good beefsteak and medium size tomatoes to grow :)
The two I'm growing 😊 San Marzano Lungo and Brandywine
Principe Borghese is delicious. It's the quintessential tomato for drying. My favorite heirloom is Mortgage Lifter. Amish Paste is a great paste tomato with classic tomato flavor. Check out Southern Exposure for a nice variety of seeds.
I grew tomatoes 2 years ago all year long
I'm worried I may have killed my early girl plant bc she was so blighty and sad looking had to take almost all the leaves to try and save the fruits that already set 😪 first year so I'm using ignorance as my excuse lol the super sweets look amazing tho 😁
When you buy the seeds or save how do you know if it is an indeterminate or determinate tomato.
A lot of times it will tell you on the seed packet or plant tag, but if it doesn't, use your phone and Google the variety for that information. Many of the old heirloom varieties are indeterminate.
I thought San Marzanos are determinant
Do yo always have your tomatoes covered all year?
Yes
Yes , just only 6 plants
I also tried the "bucket" method years ago, and it was a total faillure.
I found it too hard as one has to water and feed it a lot
I am growing tomatoes and they are not doing very well
Oh. I thought you were going to prune tomatoes. Like you do with plums.
So you may or may not know this but those suckers can be rooted and be very productive check out "MHPGARDENER"s channel he does alot and I mean a lot of tomatoes
My growing season is too short for the suckers, they won't mature in time to bother with
You are as sweet, adorable, and knowledgeable as it gets!