Domakihub How to Pinch Out Tomato Side Shoots for a Better Harvest
Remove the right growth at the right time and your tomato plants will thank you with more fruit.
Reviewed by Domakihub garden pros · 2026-06-23 · 4 min read
Growing tomatoes on a terrace, in a kitchen garden, or in pots around a holiday villa is one of the most rewarding things you can do under the Greek sun — but only if you stay on top of the plant's habit of sending out energy-draining side shoots. The video above shows exactly what a side shoot looks like and how to remove it cleanly; this guide gives you the full context, the five steps to follow, and answers to the questions that trip up first-time growers. Whether you manage a private home, a rental property, or a hotel garden in Greece, this ten-minute weekly task is all that stands between you and heavy, flavoursome trusses by late summer.
What Is a Tomato Side Shoot?
A side shoot — sometimes called a sucker — is the new stem that sprouts in the axil between an existing leaf and the main stem of the plant. Left unchecked on a cordon (single-stem) variety, each side shoot becomes a full branch complete with its own leaves, flowers, and further side shoots. The plant spends its resources building bulk instead of ripening fruit.
Bush and dwarf varieties do not need side shoot removal because they are bred to stop growing on their own. The technique described here applies only to cordon or indeterminate varieties — the tall, staking types most commonly grown in Greek gardens and on balconies.
Why It Matters in the Greek Climate
Greece's long, hot summers are ideal for tomatoes, but the same warmth that accelerates ripening also accelerates vegetative growth. Plants can generate a new side shoot every few days during peak season, so a fortnightly check is not enough — weekly is the minimum, and in July and August some growers check twice a week.
Letting side shoots develop in dense Mediterranean heat also reduces airflow around the plant, creating humid pockets where fungal diseases such as botrytis and early blight take hold. Keeping the plant to a single stem or at most two stems lets air circulate freely and keeps the foliage dry after watering.
How to Pinch Out Tomato Side Shoots: 5 Steps
- 1
Identify the axil
Look at each junction where a leaf stalk meets the main stem. The gap between them is called the axil. Any new green shoot emerging from this gap — pointing diagonally outward at roughly 45 degrees — is a side shoot. Do not confuse it with a flower truss, which grows from the stem itself and bears buds, not just leaves.
- 2
Catch it early
Side shoots are easiest and cleanest to remove when they are small — under 2.5 cm (about a thumb's width). At this size you can simply pinch them out with your fingernails in one quick snap. Larger shoots should be cut with clean, sharp scissors or secateurs to avoid tearing the stem and leaving a wound that invites disease.
- 3
Pinch or cut cleanly
Grip the side shoot between your thumb and index finger as close to the base as possible and snap it sideways in a single smooth motion. If using a blade, make a clean cut flush with the stem. Avoid leaving a short stump, as stumps can harbour grey mould. Work from the bottom of the plant upward so you do not miss any.
- 4
Wash your hands between plants
Tomatoes are susceptible to mosaic virus and other sap-transmitted diseases. After working on one plant, clean your hands or wipe your blade with a dilute bleach solution (one part bleach to nine parts water) before moving to the next. This is especially important in shared gardens on rental or hotel properties where multiple plants grow close together.
- 5
Check weekly and train the main stem
Make side-shoot removal part of a weekly routine. At the same session, tie the main stem loosely to its support cane as it grows, check that the lowest leaves are not touching the soil, and remove any yellowing leaves at the base. Once the plant has set four to five trusses of fruit — or when it reaches the top of its support — pinch out the growing tip of the main stem to direct all remaining energy into the developing fruit.
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FAQ
- Can I propagate the side shoots I remove?
- Yes — side shoots removed before they flower can be rooted in a glass of water or pushed directly into moist compost. Roots appear within one to two weeks. In Greece's warm conditions, rooted cuttings planted by early June can produce a light second flush of fruit in autumn, making them useful for extending the season in gardens or on hotel terraces.
- What happens if I accidentally remove a flower truss instead of a side shoot?
- You will lose the fruit that truss would have produced, but the plant will be fine. To avoid the mistake, look carefully before you pinch: a flower truss has visible buds or tiny yellow flowers and grows directly from the main stem, while a side shoot is a leafy stem growing from the axil between a leaf stalk and the main stem.
- Do I need to remove side shoots from cherry tomato plants?
- It depends on the variety. Indeterminate cherry tomato varieties — which keep growing indefinitely — benefit from side-shoot removal exactly like larger cordon types. Determinate (bush) cherry varieties, which stop growing once they reach a set size, should be left alone. Check the seed packet or plant label: 'cordon' or 'indeterminate' means pinch out; 'bush' or 'determinate' means leave them.