How to Prune Tomatoes for Earlier Harvests, Higher Yields & Healthier Plants

[@nicchauvin1096]

It's so nice to find a video where the host sounds like they actually had a script or thought out what they were going to say, instead of rambling on and on. Job well done!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@bte_permaculture]

You said it ❤️👍

[@jeanlaikan8400]

It is nice listening to someone who talks about tomatoes & has a lot of tomatoes on his plants too.

[@rayswoodshop4467]

I have two Tomato plants growing in my basement that I started from the suckers on the mother plant that was in the garden. Got blossoms ...yay !

[@ejej6934]

Wow, other videos take 2 to 3 times as long to give you the same information. Excellent work, OYR!

[@LearnToGrow1]

Your tomatoes are looking so healthy! Great tips here, thanks for sharing Patrick!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks Misilla!

[@AussieMaskedOwl]

Thank you so much for explaining suckers so clearly. You are the first experience of gardener I've come across who shows and explains it in a way that truly made sense for me. Great vid!

[@Kikipotamus]

I had to watch five videos on this topic before finding yours--which explains identifying suckers much better than those other videos. Thank you. You're a good teacher.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Kelly! I'm glad the video was helpful.

[@naturallivingdesigns2383]

Another awesome video! Thanks for sharing!!!!! I have been an organic farmer for over 12 years now and I must tell you a tip an Old timer taught me. Spray milk(I use raw milk but any milk will do) at a ratio of 1:10 milk to water every couple weeks all over your tomato plants. When I started doing this my tomato and pepper yields tripled in quantity. They also seemed to me to taste sweeter. What it does is not only give the plant more calcium and other needed minerals it also helps strengthen the cell walls which help fight off fungus. It also attracts beneficial wasps that eat the larva of worms and other pests! I look forward to your next video!(-:

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Eco Oasis ! I'll give the milk spray a try next growing season.

[@naturallivingdesigns2383]

I'm sure you will be amazed of the outcome...you can also spray the milk on any vegetables in your garden as an inexpensive amendment with great results.Keep me posted.(-:

[@winnieo4968]

Direct and well-articulated presentation.

[@OneYardRevolution]

+ogo orah Thank you!

[@PlantSugar]

Pruning is one of the most undervalued techniques out there. Thanks!

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome!

[@maureentrainor7158]

This is the first video that showed me exactly what I needed to do. Believe me I have watched MANY! Thank you!

[@lilmissmonsterrr]

very well presented. to the point yet full of info, simple yet extremely helpful. no frills. exactly what I needed. thanks!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@katy4714]

I appreciate the advice. I am always reluctant to prune anything in our garden but these tips give me the confidence.

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome, Katy! Best wishes with your tomatoes.

[@katy4714]

I pruned my plants mercilessly and now I havw huge bushes of tomatoes! Thank you again!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Excellent video! A wealth of information. Thank you.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@nicholec6215]

Fantastic info. First person I have found that actually shows what exactly topping a plant was. I figured that was it, but it's nice to see it done. You got straight to the point and I appreciated the info. Hopefully you will have other videos.

[@smeghed1025]

The length of those clusters is amazing and your plants are looking very healthy.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks Onward to Innisfree !

[@bryanwickizer7485]

Awesome tips Patrick. I like your trellising system. I made the mistake of using standard tomato cages for my indeterminates and they just shot right past it, and now I am trying to rig something to hold them up. Keep up the great work, your plants look amazing.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Bryan! Yeah, I've been using trellises like these from the beginning and am very happy with how they perform. Thanks for watching!

[@castleofcostamesa8291]

What a nice video and lush, beautiful garden, it’s a piece of paradise!

[@TheSno78]

Best video for tomato pruning I have seen. It helped me understand thank you!

[@jeaniemalone5304]

I have learned so much from your videos and have recommended your channel to others. Thank you!

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Fantastic tips on pruning and managing your tomatoes ! Once I settle on a variety of tomato I enjoy I'll have to re-build my trellis so I can put it back in the garden for them.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks ***** ! Are you growing only determinate tomatoes now?

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Nope I snuck in some indeterminateness so that my wife and I can learn what the family likes. It's a total mess lol.

[@OneYardRevolution]

***** The trellises I use are very portable and easy to store. They're in a different location every growing season.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

We have the same ones 1/2 inch galvanized electrical conduit and vinyl netting :) they are not in use this year as I ran out of time before everything took over

[@1wolfgirl300]

I keep looking up videos on how to increase fruit and veggie yields but I always seem to come back to your videos because you're the only one who has consistantly helpful videos! Thanks so much for what you do! You're one of the few channels that inspire us to grow so much food! I know this is an old video and I saw it for the first time when I was subscribed to you way back when it came out, but I hope you see this feedback and know you guys are doing an awesome job. I am continuously coming back and watching the same videos over and over again when I forget or need to know more info :)

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thank you so much for letting me know! I truly appreciate it and am glad you find my videos helpful.

[@StaceyHerewegrowagain]

Great video!! I love growing cherry tomatoes and making fresh homemade sauce with it! Thank you so much for sharing, this was such a great video to watch!!

[@briannoie8832]

Wow! Amazing yield you have there! Plants are looking great. Thank you for the tips and good luck!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@daddyleon]

3:38 that's a very lovely leaf-shape..I had never noticed that!

[@SunSugarFarms]

Great video with important tips that are straight to the point. Always wondered why not just pull the bigger branch (arm) vs the sucker. My farm (Sun Sugar Farms) grows these on a small commercial scale and we use 16 foot cattle panels with T posts as trellises since the plants can get so big and heavy. We weave the plants through the squares and prune as we go along. We also package in a paperboard Sustainable Produce Container we developed for our tomatoes and other farmers if you're ever looking for something recyclable for packaging.

[@photoggenes7443]

I've always left the suckers an pruned the branches. I always have adequate fruit.

[@priayief]

That's an excellent video! I'm amazed at how tall your plants get - mine reach typically only about 5 feet tall. And I'll confirm that removing the lower stems of tomato plants effectively reduces (and for me, eliminates) early blight. Although I don't prune my determinate tomatoes, I do remove the lower leaves - but only those that are close to the soil. I read/heard/saw a tip years ago that advised against using pruning shears on tomato plants. Instead, the advice was to simply "pinch prune" with your fingers. I can't remember the reasoning and I don't really know if it makes a difference. Gotta admit that its a good practice though, as I always have my "pinch pruners" with me.

[@ohhowhappygardener]

Great tutorial on maintaining/cultivating indeterminate tomatoes!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks OhHowHappyGardener !

[@MrSkunkie24]

Good advice.I will now prune more off my plants,I have pruned them a bit but wasn't sure how much to prune.Now I know ! Like others the side shoots grow very quick here,(Corfu Greece)..I now have a second flush of fruits so will be busy with my secateurs today..Thanks for a good video..

[@OneYardRevolution]

+Mel Smith Thanks, Mel!

[@lorenzoloren2314]

You can change the world one yard at a time 👌

[@susanwalter5420]

great video, thanks! So much more clear than several of the longer ones other folks' put up.

[@metroi7622]

Thanks for the help without all the chitchat! Beautiful garden!

[@davidgetz5343]

When frost is near, I have had great success ripening tomatoes indoors. I can't remember where I read about this, but here is what I do. I uproot the plants carefully and hang upside down in from the ceiling in my basement near a window. They continue ripening for a couple weeks.

[@OneYardRevolution]

David Getz That's a great approach David. I think I've seen that before too, but have never tried it. I'm glad to hear it works!

[@AVSgirl1985]

Gorgeous lush green leaves! Wow!

[@christophersmith8014]

Looks great! I saw you pinching through and cutting the suckers with your pruners. I usually just snap them out of the leaf crotch with my fingers. They have a readily formed breaking line and pop off cleanly and easily without leaving any wounded stem. It's just like popping the thorns off of rose stems; a little side to side pressure is all it takes.

[@OneYardRevolution]

+Christopher Smith Thanks! You're right. If you get them on time, they can be snapped right off.

[@flanmaryj]

I really like this video and others you make because it's so much easier for me to understand theories much better when they're put into practice.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! I'm glad it was helpful!

[@claudinevallee]

Very clear and helpful. I can now easily identify the suckers and I know not to remove them from my determinate tomato plants. Thank you!

[@hargobindsingh2012]

Nice to see you are using a ground cover for keeping in moisture/providing nutrients/food for worms, etc, and doing permamculture chop and drop method.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Hargobind Singh Thanks Hargobind!

[@Fidg234]

Best explanation I've seen to date and makes sense.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@SquatchWorld]

Love all of your videos Pat. I use your garden as inspiration for mine here in zone 7. Keep up the great work!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thank you! Best wishes with your garden.

[@CookingLessonsforDad]

Great tips and you have a great garden!

[@OneYardRevolution]

+Cooking Lessons for Dad Thanks!

[@rickpadgett405]

Very good straight forward techniques.

[@OneYardRevolution]

rick padgett Thanks, Rick!

[@userbosco]

I know this is an older video and probably not being tracked anymore - but very well made and helpful.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@MrChip123472]

Excellent trellis setup! I really like that! Definitely makes sense. Thanks for sharing!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks MrChipGardener ! We've been using this type of trellis for a couple decades now. They really work great.

[@TheMuldooh]

Short and simple. Thanks!

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome!

[@Rosangela161]

So wonderful and didactic job. Congrats and thanks.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Rosa!

[@barbarasamuel7253]

Some very good points that I can easily remember to do.

[@BenjasUberHobby]

Great ideas and techniques.

[@OneYardRevolution]

+Benja's Uber 1337 Hobby Thanks!

[@BenjasUberHobby]

:)

[@michellebristol9654]

Thank you for sharing this information. Very well done video with clear and concise instruction. I wish they were all like this. Subscribed!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@seamusnalaoch6409]

Patrick, great stuff as usual. Can you do a quick vid on your tomato trellises? I'm particularly interested in their bases or mounting. Thanks for all you do.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! I do need to put up a couple more, so I'll see if I can put together a video at the same time. I can't make any promises, but I'll try. Thanks for watching!

[@OneYardRevolution]

I just remembered, I do have a video that shows how I put together the trellises: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooO7qY2GptCVhcU I hope this helps.

[@Mindmaid1]

Well, again I thank you for an informative,interesting, and well done video. I hope to be able to utilize this information someday soon.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Mindmaid1 ! I'm glad you found the video informative.

[@BrownHawk84]

Right on. Thanks for sharing.

[@daveannan]

Thanks ! I enjoyed your Video a lot,very well done, nice Voice and Great Tips...........Thanks from SCOTLAND U.K !

[@tomreynolds3178]

Agreed. And no loud background music interfering with the discussion.

[@MikeLongo]

Great, short and informative video! Well produced and beautiful to watch thanks.

[@Tiggs321]

Great tips! Have to do this to my tomato plant

[@OneYardRevolution]

+Tiggs Thanks! I hope you get great results.

[@shanatinnin8388]

Very helpful information. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@zarsvirus]

Thank you for this very informative video, I will do this on my plants now.

[@IndigoEarthGirl4444]

Yes thanks for the great to the point video 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼 and the explanations of the definitions of words, and arrows and close ups!!! You’re great thanks!

[@keyplayr61greenhousehydrop14]

Good video, Patrick! You always explain things very well! Very healthy tomatoes as well!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks keyplayr61 ! I appreciate your supportive feedback.

[@ralfkessler]

Thanks short sweet and to the point.

[@amarchadbagan8667]

Khub sundor pilant valo laglo sathe roilam

[@LindaPenney]

Lovely update thank you for sharing have a blessed day

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks Linda. You too.

[@04monina]

Thanks you so much for sharing , this was so helpful .Keep up the good work. God bless .

[@OneYardRevolution]

+Lea brown You're very welcome!

[@attilarivera]

Beautiful!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Attila Rivera Thanks!

[@JoeFeser]

Great video. By next week I will not have any plants to prune.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks Joe!

[@svetlanikolova5557]

I remove the suckers when they are very small and also pruned the bottom leaves because they were dying anyway! Anyhow, thank you for the pruning tips

[@michele2161]

Thank you. Excellent tutorial with visuals and advice.

[@McDowallManor]

Cheers mate. It's always fascinating looking around your yard. Damn, those cherry toms are going well.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks Andy. It's starting to look like a jungle out there now. The squash plants have really taken off over the last few days. There even starting to take over the walkways. Thanks for watching!

[@spir5102]

Thank you! You are so good about including everything the gardener needs to know before we ask! I do have one question: do you and your wife actually eat all the food you produce ? I want to maximize my harvests, but it is just for myself and I'm not sure what to do with the excess. Thanks.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks Cindy! Yes, we eat all the food ourselves. We eat almost all of our produce fresh, but you can freeze, dehydrate, or can surpluses. Some crops, like pumpkins, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and garlic store well without a lot of processing.

[@JuicingGardener]

Thank you. Lovely video. You have such a great style.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks JuicingGardener ! I appreciate your feedback. Thanks for watching!

[@bond-jamesbond4926]

Perfect video! Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

[@dymondwillow2]

Amazing show of tomatoes!...informative videos also, thank you.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, dymondwillow2 !

[@ustinman8446]

LUV cherry tomatoes, hate grape tomatoes, skin to thick. great tips.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@walkingmonument]

so clear. I had a lady tell me that I need to prune my tomato plant (determinate) and I knew something was wrong with that advise because of this info. thanks

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@egparis18]

Thank you for all this good, clear advice.

[@Jayman2042]

Thanks for the info, this is a very simple and informative video.

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome, Jayman2042 ! Thanks for the feedback!

[@seamusnalaoch6409]

Patrick, Thanks for the response. Absolutely brilliant. I tend to overengineer things and was envisioning a somewhat elaborate base. What could be simpler (and more effective) than the rebar? I appreciate all the videos -- been learning a lot. Incidentally, I have a loose goal of a ton of coffee grounds for the garden this calendar year; I estimate I'm in the neighborhood of 1,000 pounds so far. Very much in the process of soil building for the next few years. Thanks again!

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're very welcome! I'm glad to hear you're putting all those used coffee grounds to good use building your soil. Best wishes!

[@MrDieselmanblue]

Have you ever considered getting some poultry to be even more food independent. Your garden gives me inspiration. Thanks for the videos and info.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks for your kind words, MrDieselmanblue ! We've thought about getting a few hens, but have been been reluctant to do so until our cat Oscar gets a little older and mellows out a bit. He would terrorize the poor things. We also have a lot to learn about how to care for them, especially over the long cold winters, but having a few hens is definitely on our wishlist. Thanks for watching!

[@texex963]

If you take a sucker about 6" long, and trim off all the bottom leaves, and stick it in the ground up to the remaining leaves, you'll have a new healthy plant that will start coming on when the mother plant starts tiring out. Works every time so you can get infinite plants off of one. Don't throw those suckers away PLANT THEM!~!

[@OneYardRevolution]

That's great advice, especially for people who live in areas with long growing seasons. Our season is too short to get much, if any, production out of re-planted suckers.

[@texex963]

My beloved grew up on a small truck farm in MS specializing in growing tomatoes from seed. She thought I was insane planting suckers. " We always threw them away, city boy." Works better if you allow some of the outer grainy part of the outer stalk to peel back when you pull the lower leaves off by peeling the leaves upward, not downward. PLANT AS DEEP AS POSSIBLE (6") W/ JUST A FEW LEAVES SHOWING. And plant them in straight, sanitized manure from HD and they won't need any fertilizer later on. Yes, your freebie sucker plants will be coming along nicely when the mothers are playing out AT NO COST. Works on cherries, early girls, big, boys or anything that has nice long suckers. So let them grow out instead of pinching them off and throwing them away.

[@theresachalmers8189]

Tex Ex - May I ask the sanitized manure you mentioned, chicken or steer ?? I am also try your suggestion about re-purposing suckers, sounded fascinating to me. Thanks.

[@texex963]

Steer only as I hear the chicken is highly acidic but guess you could run a ph on it. Been also planting t-bones in it but no luck on that yet. LOL! Must have the wrong seeds for the t-bones.

[@svetlanikolova5557]

+Theresa Chalmers Put the chicken manure in water for 3 days and put more water in. It needs to look like yellowish tea !

[@10yearvet]

Looking good. Ours never got that tall. I try a new tomato each year. Thought I was planting an indeterminate as the package claimed so I planted them fairly close. Instead they are bushing and I have had to prune out leaves to get good ventilation Or I end up with mildew. If we like the tomato I'll know better next year.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, ***** ! Yeah, ours always get very tall - usually about 12 feet if we don't prune them. It sure can be frustrating when products are mislabeled. I hope the tomatoes produce well for you.

[@jagsfanrick]

Very cool, i plan on growing some cherry tomatoes. Thanks for a great video.

[@OneYardRevolution]

jagsfanrick Thanks! Best wishes with your cherry tomatoes.

[@goforgreenliving]

You always make things look so easy. I enjoy that part of your video's. Me I get soaked with sweat and really dirty. You have a beautiful garden its a pleasure to watch!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks goforgreenliving ! I appreciate that. It hasn't been hot enough to get sweaty so far, though we're expecting temps in the low 90's this week. Thanks for watching!

[@claudettefaglie957]

I really needed this video. Thank you so much. This year, my tomatoes are a jungle, but I will be ready next year. Thanks again.

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome, Claudette!

[@claudettefaglie957]

Wow... thank you so much.

[@vintagekitchengardener8674]

good tips :) I grow mine on 6ft. bamboo canes.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! 6 ft. is a very manageable height. I'm 6' 3" and 8 feet can be a bit of a stretch! :D

[@lizzie9173]

I would love to see a video on how you made the tomato trellis here - they look great

[@JohnMartinez-sm1sk]

Great video, you have a very calming voice

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, John!

[@softwaretest1879]

Excellent !

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@jimh3500]

Dang! Something, probably a terrapin, ate my tomato and tomatillo plants right down to the ground. I have almost no mulch. I'm gonna replant and mulch 3 inches and see how it goes. San Diego is a very easy place to grow things

[@OneYardRevolution]

+Jim Hervey Sorry to hear that, Jim! Every area has its challenges. I've definitely never had to worry about terrapins. ;-)

[@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane]

Very informative, thank you!

[@cyberianmanx1]

Great input and advice. Thanks for the refresher and NEW info.

[@JoeFeser]

When they get that big, I top them and then let a new lower sucker grow up. Eventually you end up pruning off the entire original branch.

[@OneYardRevolution]

That's a great idea! Thanks, Joe.

[@eyeswideshut2800]

My indoor hydroponic lollipopped determinate is almost 6ft from low light but PRODUCING MANY TOMATOES. Nature does as it pleases, I'm just a bystander.

[@GreenthumbsGarden]

Great vid, thanks

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@robyaksich1944]

Very cool. I wonder how this would work in a dry, windy Southwestern climate (6400 feet, so not Phoenix hot, but still single digit humidity most of the summer)?

[@ELBlDu]

you have so many things in your space. Looks like mine by the end of the season, can hardly get thru the jungle...lol Very cool idea with the tomatoes. Mine end up growing over the fence (8 ft fence) think I'll take your advise and top them this yr. Thanks, great idea with the trellis

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! I'm glad you found the video helpful.

[@ELBlDu]

yes I did find it very helpful, and your use of space gives me wonderful ideas. I will have a tomato wall by Sept. lol. pruning tips also are very helpful. thanks for sharing your knowledge. Liz

[@watsjiva9155]

cool presantation . thanks

[@Walaiwan702]

i just subscribed to yr channel.i am new in this gardener thing but i am really interesting to be more serious when i saw yr garden. it is beautiful and healthy looking. i want my garden to look like yr and i see you reply all the questions. i am really impressed and that is another reason why i subscribed. thanks a lot for doing this. great job!! :)

[@OneYardRevolution]

walaiwan kerdsati Thanks so much for subscribing! I hope my videos help you with your gardening!

[@Walaiwan702]

Oh yes, I'm learning to make compost for the first time in my life, I just find out that I really like to do it (a lot) lol thanks to you! :)

[@FesterWerks]

Man, those cherry tomatoes sure do look delicious! I may have to top a couple of my varieties but I sure don't want to.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks FesterWerks ! Yes, they're tasty. We've had a couple small harvests so far.

[@jorythomas9400]

I grew husky cherry tomatoes last year and they were good

[@sultrypeach9]

Good, helpful, and simple suggestions. Thank you!

[@OneYardRevolution]

John McClendon You're welcome, John!

[@bobbleheadscott3992]

thank you so much for this you rock Patrick!

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome!