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Tomatoes will grow into shrubby, multi-stemmed plants that topple under the weight of their fruit. The fruit and foliage are more prone to get pests and disease when they’re sprawled on the ground. Pruning and using plant supports can help healthier, more productive tomato plants. The advantages of pruning is to keep plants compact and prevent sprawl, minimize disease by improving circulation. Most tomato pruning involves removing suckers — the shoots that form in the axils where side branches meet the stem. Remove suckers when they’re small by pinching them off or snipping them with pruners.