Is it really necessary to prune tomato plants?
That's the question one expert gardener posed to his Instagram followers because it is a common inquiry he gets from others.
The scoop
Jamie Walton (@nettlesandpetals), an ecological grower, posted a video on Instagram demonstrating the difference between pruned and unpruned tomato plants.
Jamie says he started removing decaying leaves and side shoots from his tomatoes a few weeks after planting them. He trained the vines for optimal growth but left a few plants unpruned to see what happened.
"If left to their own devices, plants quickly become tomato bushes rather than individual plants, focusing their energy on continuing to grow and producing more and more side shoots," he explained.
This is a problem where Jamie is based, in the United Kingdom, because of the "short, cool summers" that don't allow tomatoes enough time to ripen. The overcrowding can also contribute to more significant disease risks.
"Unless you are growing determinate varieties or have the consistent temperatures and the space to allow your plants to grow and vine out indefinitely, proper pruning is essential and will result in far more ripe fruit by the end of the growing season," he wrote in the caption.
How it's helping
Jamie's hack is helping gardeners understand the importance of pruning, so they don't waste their time, energy, or money on tomatoes that don't grow or become inedible. By following his advice and putting in some pruning effort, home gardeners can enjoy successful tomato harvests and the many benefits of growing their own food.
🗣️ How much time do you spend taking care of the plants inside or outside your home?
🔘 Several hours a week 🧑🌾
🔘 One hour a week ⌛
🔘 Less than one hour ⏳
🔘 I don't have any plants 😢
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Whether you grow tomatoes or another food you enjoy, you give yourself the gifts of physical exercise, reduced stress, and cost savings at the grocery store. A gardening hobby also helps the environment because you'll need to make fewer shopping trips, resulting in less pollution from transportation needs.
What everyone's saying
Instagrammers appreciated Jamie's educational video and were inspired to prune their tomatoes at home.
"Thank you, as I always wondered about this," one Instagram user wrote in the comments.
Another commenter wrote: "Such a good visual example — more plant doesn't necessarily mean more fruit, especially in our colder climates."
"Great post," another person complimented. "I'm in a hot, dry climate, and the extra leaves (no pruning) actually help with keeping the plant cool, thus more fruit."
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