How to Prune a Desert Tomato

Tomato plants are generally easy-growing fruit that thrive in nearly every location. However, the heat and dryness of the desert is challenging for the plant, so every effort is needed to grow delicious fruit. Properly pruning the suckers and extra fruit off the plant regularly saves energy so the plant can put more effort into growing tasty tomatoes.

Instructions

- 1
  Locate the suckers on each tomato plant, and gently pinch them off with your fingers. Each tomato plant should have two main stalks that branch up into a "Y" shape. The suckers grow out at the bottom and start to form new branches. These take too much energy from the plant and need to be removed.
- 2
  Repeat the sucker pruning every 10 days. The suckers keep forming throughout the growing season so pinching them off will be an ongoing effort.
- 3
  Prune off additional tomatoes when they first start forming so each cluster only has three to five tomatoes in it. Extra tomatoes take too many nutrients, too much energy and can break branches.

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