I'm new to vegetable gardening and I'm facing a bit of a challenge with my above-ground garden bed. It's 4x2 and currently has 3 tomato plants planted in the back row, 3 Shishito peppers in the middle, and 3 basil plants at the front. The tomatoes are growing really quickly and starting to shade the peppers, which I think is affecting their growth. I've heard about pruning tomatoes to improve growth and air circulation, but I'm unsure about the right way to do it without damaging the plants. I'm considering trimming some branches to give my peppers more light but need advice on which parts to cut without harming my tomatoes. Any tips?
3 Answers
Before you do any pruning, it's good to know whether your tomatoes are determinate or indeterminate. Most are indeterminate, meaning they'll keep producing along the main stem. You can prune off the suckers (the little side shoots) without too much worry. If the tomatoes are indeterminate, they can get really tall, so training them up a trellis might help keep them from shading the peppers. You can also prune leaves up to the lowest node that has fruit to let in more light. Just be gentle—some people go quite aggressive with pruning, but that can stress the plant.
It might also be worth thinking about relocating the peppers to the front row if you haven't already. They can handle some shade, and moving them might help them thrive more with the sun they can get. Just make sure your tomatoes are getting enough support as they grow!
Thanks for the suggestion! I just planted them two weeks ago, so I'm not sure if it's too late to move them, but I'll consider it!
Just a heads up, peppers and tomatoes are both in the nightshade family and are heavy feeders. They need a lot of nutrients, so be sure you're giving them what they need to grow well together!
Great advice! Also, for future plantings, consider putting tomatoes on the north side of your bed so they won't shade the other plants as much. Shishitos are small, so they could go in the front!