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How to Dead Head Tomato Plants
How to Dead Head Tomato Plants. In gardening, the term dead heading refers to the process of removing spent flowers in order to encourage the plant to produce more blossoms. If you do not dead head a plant, the plant will put its energy into producing seeds or fruit instead of on producing more blossoms. Dead heading a tomato plant involves the...
In gardening, the term dead heading refers to the process of removing spent flowers in order to encourage the plant to produce more blossoms. If you do not dead head a plant, the plant will put its energy into producing seeds or fruit instead of on producing more blossoms. Dead heading a tomato plant involves the removal of blossoms, which will prevent the plant from fruiting.
Things You'll Need
Garden shears
Monitor your tomato plant starting in the late spring, when they begin to bloom and set fruit.
Remove any blossoms that are beginning to lose their vibrancy, which is a sign that they will soon set fruit. Tomato blossoms open wide and are generally a yellow color when they are mature.
Cut the blossoms off the plant with your garden shears. Make the cut at the base of the blossom, where it meets the stem.
Repeat this process until you are ready for the plant to begin fruiting. Do not deadhead past the early summer if you want the plant to fruit at all during that season.
Tips & Warnings
Dead heading a tomato plant will encourage the plant to grow more foliage. If your plant is already bushy, you may want to avoid this.
