There’s nothing better than fresh, homegrown vegetables.
And if you love the taste of juicy tomatoes, these are some of the best plants to grow for summer — especially when you can pick them straight from the vine and add straight into tasty salads and dishes.
But while you can easily grow tomatoes from seeds or tomatoes in pots, it can be a challenge to get the most out of your crop, and increase your yield for a bumper harvest.
Luckily, a gardening expert has shared their top secret on how to “grow bigger, better tomato plants”, from one tip that he’s learned over the years. And it's so simple!
Top Tomato Trick
Gardening enthusiast Andre The Farmer posted his knowledge on TikTok, where we see him tending to a small tomato plant.
He shares, "One of the things I've learned over the years is when you have plants, like tomatoes, or cucumbers, or peppers, or squash – and they start flowering, and they're really small, the best thing you can do is cut those flowers off."
The farmer then proceeds to cut the flowers off his plant, pointing out that it’s not yet ready to produce fruit. “You’re going to get a much larger harvest, better yield and a healthier plant in the long-run.”
@andrethefarmer ♬ original sound - andrethefarmer
This post garnered over 38k views and over 2,000 comments with many tomato-growing fans expressing their appreciation for the farmer’s “awesome advice”.
One commenter asked, “How big is big enough to let them produce fruit?”, which Andre replied with, “I’d say for tomatoes; 16-18 inches”. While another fan added, “Finally, someone who knows what they are doing. Followed.”
In addition, pruning the plant regularly with a pair of the best pruning shears can ensure overall plant health and growth.
This is because lower branches and leaves can easily trap fungus and bacteria, which may splash onto the plant surfaces when it rains. It’s also important to encourage the tomato plant to put its energy into the most useful directions, like fruiting.
Just be sure not to make these 7 mistakes when growing your own tomatoes.
So if you want to get more out of your tomato plants, try this top tip for a juicy harvest.
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