Pinching Out Tomatoes

If you are growing tomatoes, you may have heard the term pinching out tomatoes, what does it mean when someone is pinching out tomato plants? Read on to find out more about how to pinch out tomatoes and more importantly, should you be doing it at all?

Pinching Out Tomato Side Shoots

The first thing you need to consider when looking at pinching out tomatoes is whether you are growing a variety that needs pinching out. Start by consulting the packed of tomato seeds that you are growing from.

If you see the packet mention indeterminate, vine or cordon tomatoes then they will need pinching out.

If your variety is determinate, you shouldn’t pinch out your tomato plants, as this will result in less fruit.

When To Pinch Out Tomatoes

This is a good question. To help you decide when you pinch out tomatoes, you need to go and look at your plant. To pinch out your tomato plant, you’ll need to wait until your plant has developed at least six pairs of leaves.

How To Pinch Out Tomato Plants

Now you’ve identified which type of tomato plant you are growing, you’ll actually want to know how to pinch out your tomatoes.

Once you’ve determined that your plant has enough pairs of leaves growing on it, you can then start to pinch out your tomato plant.

Then look for any shoots that are appearing from the side. Using your fingernail and thumb, simply nip off the side shoot.

You now have a couple of options, you can either try rooting the side shoots in water, then potting them up or you can pop them into your garden waste bin for recycling.

Why Should You Pinch Out Tomatoes

Pinching out tomato plants will increase the number of tomatoes you get from the plant. If you don’t pinch out the side shoots, these will flower and pull the energy away from the main shoots. This will ultimately produce fewer tomatoes and lower quality tomatoes.

You should pinch out your tomato plant and train the single-stemmed plant, by tying it in with a tall cane. If you water and feed it regularly, you should enjoy tomatoes all summer long, possibly even into early autumn.