Because the leaves are unable to photosynthesize, burying them will have no positive effect on the plant. If you want to plant tomato plants deeply (which can form roots along the stem if buried), remove the leaves before planting. Should I Cut Off Bottom Leaves On Tomato Plants? Prune techniques and Pruning only as much as needed will minimize the negative effects when necessary to avoid falling off for safety reasons.

The first blooming plants should bePruning early in the spring in the winter to remove their flowers. Tomatoes in New Mexico benefit from greater shade during the growing season because the plant’s leaves grow more (due to increased stems). Secondary branches should be removed even if they are not directly above the ground in other regions of the country. If you intend to plant tomato plants deeply (those that can form roots along the stem if they are buried), you should remove the leaves. In any case, cutting lower leaves from a tomato plant is a relatively simple process that can be done with a sharp pair of shears.īecause tomato plants have large petioles and numerous leaflets, they resemble stems in appearance.

Perhaps the plant is too tall and needs to be shortened, or the leaves are damaged and need to be removed. The lower leaves of a tomato plant can be cut for a number of reasons.

Free download trimming tomato plants