This summer, garden enthusiasts following the growth of their tomato plants have been treated to a lesser-known gardening hack poised to boost yields.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) revealed that tomatoes reign as the favourite home-grown vegetable due to its rewarding yield of succulent fresh fruits.
BBC Gardeners’ World has highlighted the need for “rich, fertile soil or large pots of peat-free potting compost, and a good sunny, sheltered spot” for the flourishing growth of this prized plant.
Specialists emphasise regular hydration and propose a weekly feed with a “high-potash fertiliser”.
Nonetheless, Jamie Walton, a well-known green-thumbed guru, indicated there is a critical procedure frequently missed by many.
Adopting the moniker @nettlesandpetals on TikTok, Jamie elucidated how pruning contributes to the cultivation of a more “manageable and healthier” plant.
He clarified: “First, it’s important to determine if your plant actually needs pruning at all.”
He further explained: “So, is it an indeterminate vining variety that can be pruned to a single tall stem and trellised to grow upwards or a determinate bush variety that can be left to grow to its determined size.”
The expert added, according to the Mirror: “If it’s indeterminate, I will begin to prune them a couple of weeks after planting.”
Jamie shared his gardening tips, starting with the removal of any lower leaves that touch the soil as they are prone to problems like mildew.
He then prunes the side shoots, which sprout at a 45-degree angle in the axil of the plant, between the main stem and the leaves.
“I remove them all the way up the plant, but always leave the growing point to continue to grow,” he explained.
The pruned side shoots can be rooted in water to create a “duplicate” of the original plant. He further added: “I then just keep training the plant up the twine support as it grows.
“If the plant has developed two main stems, both could be trained up separate supports, or just prune one away and pop it in water as that will create a nice new plant.”
The Spruce explains that indeterminate tomato varieties refer to vining plants that continue to grow longer and set fruit throughout the growing season.
Popular indeterminate options include Beefsteak, Big Boy, Brandywine, Sungold, and Sweet Million, according to Watters Garden Center.
On the other hand, determinate tomatoes reach their mature height, set all their fruit at once, and stop growing, The Spruce adds. These include Roma, Rutgers, Carolina Gold, and Bush Early Girl.