Hi, should tomato laterals always be removed, the top one of the 2?

Hi Wendy, I believe you are asking if all tomato laterals should be removed or every second one? Tomato laterals are removed so that tomatoes produce more flowers and fruit and less green (vegetative) growth, if there is a lot of vegetative growth, there will be less fruiting. Remove all laterals from where the leaves branch out from the main stem, once the tomato gets to approximately 1.5 metres high you can then stop pinching laterals, this is optional. With less foliage there will be improved air circulation around plants and hopefully less fungal disease problems during the growing season. If you need more information refer to our Tui Tomato growing guide on the website. The Tui Team.