The stems are usually topped after 4 to 6 clusters of fruit have set in the spring. Summer tomatoes are not usually topped to allow better coverage of the fruit in the summer heat. Determinant varieties of tomatoes, such as Celebrity, are not pruned as much. Suckers are removed on the lower portion of the plant up to near the first cluster of fruit. Since the number of blossoms set by determinate varieties is limited, any more pruning will reduce the production of determinant varieties of tomatoes.
Weed control is accomplished by cultivation and good sanitation.
Tomato fields are often cultivated in the fall to avoid the buildup of winter weeds. Beds are well-cultivated. The use of plastic mulch is recommended for the spring tomato crop. Its use helps warm the soils and controls weeds on the row. Weeds in the middle of the rows are controlled by cultivation.