Measure twice, cut once, or you'll end up like this Redditor and their leafless tomato plant.
A Redditor asked r/vegetablegardening for advice after accidentally cutting too many leaves off their tomato plant.
"Did I make a huge mistake?" the Redditor asked. "This plant is about 5ft tall and recently fell over because I didn't really trim anything … I decided I'd shed some weight and now I'm realizing I cut most of the sun leaves … My question is: is my plant a goner? Anything I can do for now? Just leave it?"
Fellow Redditors gave helpful advice in the comments.
"For future reference don't trim more than 30% of healthy foliage," one user wrote.
"Next time just start with the lower ones that are hanging towards the ground and then any that are touching and causing airflow problems," another user said.
You may prune your plants for many reasons, like deterring pests, managing plant size, removing disease, or encouraging new growth. For the most part, your plant will shed leaves all on its own. But if pruning is necessary, it should be done with purpose, as trimming too much off your plant can harm or kill it. Gardenary advised gardeners to "Never prune more [than] a third of the plant over a one- to two-week period. The plant needs leaves, after all, for photosynthesis."
Gardening can be overwhelming for new gardeners, but it doesn't have to be. There are tons of tips and tricks you'll learn along the way, like using an electric toothbrush to pollinate your tomato plants or using cracked eggshells as fertilizer. You can find more gardening guidance in our guide to growing your own food.
Gardening is full of benefits, like enjoying nutritious, homegrown food and boosting your mental and physical health.
The Redditor left an update on their plant in the comments: "I'm excited to say that my tomato plant has been doing great and has still produced some really tasty fruit," they wrote. "Juicy, sweet, beautifully red, and the slightest bit tangy!"
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