August is here, and with it comes that moment when you step into your garden and ask yourself: "Did I plant tomatoes... or did I accidentally grow a tropical rainforest?"

By late August, your garden's growth goes into overdrive. Your indeterminate tomato plants are stretching for the sun, flopping over, and turning into a tangled mess. If you just leave them to do their thing, diseases can quickly take over. Your mission today? Shift from a wild green jungle to a serious harvest haul that you can actually manage.

Prune Suckers

If you haven't started pruning yet, late August is the deadline for a cleanup cut. Ideally, it's best to start in June or July to minimize damage to the plant, but late maintenance is better than no intervention.

Pruning isn't just about aesthetics; it's about growing more efficiatnely. The goal is to direct the plant's energy toward already formed fruit rather than creating new branches. By reducing foliage density, you also promote airflow, which limits disease risk.

How to Prune

To identify "suckers," look for those little shoots growing in the axil of the main stem.

• If the sucker is small, simply pinch it with your fingers.

• If it's the size of a pencil, use clean pruners to avoid wounding the main stem.

If you need to intervene now, analyze your plant's architecture: keep the 3 or 4 most vigorous stems and prune the rest.

Important note: If you grow determinate varieties (like theNapoli a Fiaschetto), they don't require as much attention. Don't "clip their wings" unnecessarily, or you'll cut into your harvest.

Remove Lower Leaves

In August, temperature swings create a humid environment, which is conducive to fungal diseases. To protect your plants, remove the lower leaves up to 12-18 inches high.

Why? Because when leaves touch the soil, rain splashes can transmit diseases directly to the foliage. By clearing the bottom, you encourage the plant to dry quickly after morning dew. This is your best insurance against disease, while also exposing your fruit to more sun to speed up ripening.

Top Plants

This is undoubtedly the most heartbreaking step, but it is the most important.

About six weeks before the first expected frost (often mid-to-late August depending on your zone), take your pruners and cut the main stem. (For cherry tomatoes, you can wait an extra week or two).

By cutting the top, you're sending a clear message to the plant: "Stop spending your energy growing, focus on your fruit." Let's be realistic: a tomato that flowers in September here in Quebec won't have time to ripen. For indeterminate varieties like theMoskvitch, theQuébec #13, or theMontreal Tasty, this energy concentration helps fruit finish ripening beautifully before the cold arrives.

Keep this handy table nearby so you don't forget these essential steps: 

Grab your pruning shears and channel your inner Edward Scissorhands! You're going to help your tomato plants finish the season strong. That's how you turn a wild green jungle into a serious harvest haul.

Frédéric