suckers or not?

On another thread,the subject of removing suckers came up.This looks like a good topic to have it's own thread.Lots of newbies don't know the twists and turns these threads take and might miss some good information.

Feel free to cut and paste what you have already posted,or start again.

I,personally remove the suckers for the first 12" to 18".After that,I may pinch out one here and there,but for the most part,my tomatoes develop with most of their upper suckers intact.I have all the room I want for gardening,so plant size isn't an issue,and we have such blistering summers,all of the foliage cover I can get is welcome.I'd rather have my tomatoes a little smaller,than to have some big beauties sunscalded.

Sometimes the foliage gets pretty thick,and if air circulation looks like it's a problem,I'll take a few out.My conditions are such that excess foliage is a help to me,so I leave it on.

I can't add much to Mel's technique, because it's essentially what I do, too. For the same reasons.

I tried removing suckers from my plants several times over the years, and the yields were significantly reduced compared to the years I didn't bother with the suckers.

It could have been a lot of other factors (climate, weather conditions, varieties, etc.) that contributed to the decreased crop, but I finally decided that it wasn't worth it for me.

The only time I remove them is if there is a sign of disease (lower leaves usually) OR if I want more plants for a successive crop, as in pull a few suckers, root them, plant them out. I usually do that with determinates in an effort to keep fruit production coming in (the majority of determinates tend to slow down after a while).

I need to add,that I not only pull the suckers on the lower portion of the plant...I pull the leaves too.I have about a foot of bare stem,before the foliage starts. Keeps down soil born nasties from infecting my plants.

Here is a copy of my post on this subject under the tomato cage thread:

In my personal experience, I have found removal of suckers provides earlier and larger fruits of my preferred varieties, and fruits of improved flavor. The plants tend to produce suckers just after the first flowers open and fruits begin to form, so it is at this time the nutrients are directed straight to the the developing fruit, not into forming side shoots. Some discretion may be advised, depending on the variety in question, whether determinate or indeterminate, and whether there is sufficient foliage on the plant to avoid sunscald of the fruits.