Why you need to pinch out tomato plants — here's how and when to do it

Ripe tomatoes growing in sunlight.

Tomatoes are one of the favorite summer crops that both professional and novice gardeners love to grow. And there’s a good reason why: there’s no better taste than a freshly picked tomato enjoyed straight from the vine.

To get the full potential from your tomato plants, they need to be ‘pinched out’. But what exactly does it involve, why does it benefit your end harvest, and when should you do it?