What tomato suckers are and why they matter
Suckers are shoots that grow between the main stem of a tomato plant and its branches. They sprout from the joint where a branch meets the central stem, and they will grow into full branches if you leave them alone. Removing them is optional — your plant will survive either way — but pruning suckers directs the plant's energy into fruit production rather than leaf growth, which means bigger tomatoes and a harvest that comes earlier in the season.
Not all tomato varieties benefit equally from sucker removal. Determinate varieties (bush types that grow to a fixed size and ripen all at once) rarely need pruning. Indeterminate varieties (vining types that grow taller throughout the season) respond well to it. If you are unsure which type you have, check the seed packet or plant label — it will say "determinate" or "indeterminate" explicitly.
Key Takeaways
- Suckers grow in the V-shaped joint between the main stem and a branch, and they look like small shoots with their own leaves.
- Pinch off suckers by hand when they are small and tender, before they grow woody and thick.
- Indeterminate (vining) tomatoes benefit most from sucker removal; determinate (bush) types rarely need it.
- Remove suckers once or twice a week during the growing season, starting when the plant is about 12 inches tall.
- Leaving the bottom suckers on the plant can help shade the roots and reduce sun scald on fruit.
Where to look for suckers on your plant
Suckers always grow in the same place: the crotch or V-shaped joint where a branch splits off from the main central stem. Look along the main stem from the bottom of the plant upward, and you will see branches coming out at angles. In the angle between that branch and the stem, a sucker will emerge as a small, tender shoot with its own tiny leaves.
The easiest way to spot them is to run your hand gently up the main stem. You will feel the small shoots before you see them clearly, especially on a bushy plant. Early in the season, when the plant is still small, suckers are obvious. As the plant grows taller and bushier, they become easier to miss, so check your plant at least once a week during the peak growing season (late spring through mid-summer).
Do not confuse suckers with the lowest branches on the plant. The lowest branches are part of the plant's natural structure and should stay. Suckers are the small shoots growing in the angles between branches and the main stem, not the branches themselves.
How to remove suckers by hand
The best time to remove a sucker is when it is small and still tender — ideally when it is 2 to 4 inches long. At this stage, you can pinch it off with your thumb and forefinger. Grasp the sucker as close to the stem as you can, and bend it back and forth until it snaps off. The break should be clean, and no tool is needed.
If a sucker has grown larger and become woody (thick and stiff), you can still remove it, but you may need pruning shears or a sharp knife. Cut it as close to the main stem as possible, leaving no stub. A stub will sprout new shoots, and you will be back to pruning the same spot in a week.
Prune on a dry day if you can, or at least wait until the morning dew has dried. Wet plants are more prone to disease, and your hands will slip on wet stems. Wash your hands or wipe your pruning shears with a clean cloth between plants if you are working in a garden with multiple tomato plants — this reduces the spread of fungal and bacterial diseases.
When to start and stop removing suckers
Begin removing suckers once the plant is about 12 inches tall and has several branches. Before that, the plant is still establishing itself, and the extra leaves help it grow. Stop removing suckers about four to six weeks before your first expected frost date. At that point, the plant should be putting energy into ripening the fruit already on it, not growing new branches.
In most regions, this means you stop pruning in late July or early August. If you live in a warm climate with a long growing season, you may prune into September. Check your local frost date — your county extension office or a frost date calculator online can tell you when the first frost typically arrives in your area.
How aggressive to be with sucker removal
You do not have to remove every single sucker. Many gardeners remove all of them on indeterminate plants for maximum fruit size and earliness. Others remove only the largest ones and leave the smaller shoots, which still produces good fruit but requires less work. Both approaches work.
One practical compromise is to leave the lowest sucker or two on the plant. These lower branches help shade the roots and keep the soil cooler, which reduces the risk of sun scald (a pale, papery patch on the fruit where it touches hot soil). If you remove all the lower foliage, the fruit sits more exposed to direct sun and heat.
If you forget to prune for a few weeks and the plant becomes very bushy, do not try to remove everything at once. Remove the largest suckers and the ones highest on the plant, and leave the rest. Removing too much foliage at once can stress the plant and expose fruit to sunburn.
Tools and techniques for larger suckers
For suckers that have grown too large to pinch off, use pruning shears or a sharp knife. Bypass pruning shears (the kind with two blades that pass each other like scissors) work better than anvil shears (which have one blade that presses down onto a flat surface) because they make a cleaner cut and are less likely to crush the stem.
Make the cut as close to the main stem as possible, angling slightly downward so water runs off rather than pooling on the cut. Do not leave a stub — a stub longer than a quarter-inch will sprout new shoots. If you are using shears, wipe the blades with rubbing alcohol or a 10 percent bleach solution (one part bleach to nine parts water) between cuts if you are moving between plants. This takes only a few seconds and prevents disease spread.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake is waiting too long to remove suckers. A sucker that is 8 inches long has already diverted significant energy from fruit production, and removing it at that point means the plant has wasted resources. Check your plant weekly and remove suckers when they are small.
Another mistake is removing too much foliage from the lower plant. The leaves feed the plant and protect the fruit from sun damage. If you strip the plant bare, the fruit will sunburn and the plant will slow its growth. Aim to keep at least some foliage on the lower half of the plant, even if you remove all the suckers.
A third mistake is pruning determinate (bush) tomatoes heavily. These plants are bred to grow to a set size and produce most of their fruit at once. Aggressive pruning on a determinate plant reduces yield rather than improving it. If you have a determinate variety, light pruning or no pruning at all is the better choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my tomato plant die if I remove a sucker by mistake?
No. Removing a branch or sucker by mistake will not kill the plant. The plant will continue growing and producing fruit. You may have slightly fewer tomatoes or a slightly later harvest, but the plant is resilient. If you are uncertain whether something is a sucker or a main branch, leave it alone — you can always remove it next week if you are sure.
What if I do not remove any suckers at all?
The plant will still produce tomatoes. You will have a bushier plant with more foliage and more branches, which means more flowers and more fruit overall. However, the individual tomatoes may be smaller, and the harvest may come a week or two later than it would on a pruned plant. This is a perfectly acceptable trade-off if you prefer less maintenance.
Can I use the suckers I remove to grow new plants?
Yes. A sucker that is 4 to 6 inches long can be placed in water or moist soil and will develop roots within a week or two. Once roots form, you can plant it in soil and grow a new tomato plant. This works best early in the season when you have time for the new plant to mature before frost.
Should I remove suckers on cherry tomato plants?
Cherry tomatoes are almost always indeterminate varieties, so they respond well to sucker removal. However, they are also very productive even without pruning. Light pruning (removing only the largest suckers) is usually enough to improve air flow and fruit size without much extra work.
Is there a best time of day to remove suckers?
Early morning, after the dew has dried but before the heat of the day, is ideal. The plant is hydrated and less stressed, and the wound will dry quickly. Avoid pruning in the hottest part of the afternoon or in the evening, when the plant is under water stress and wounds heal more slowly.