Pruning Tomato Limbs on the Ground

Q: Does it hurt to cut off lower limbs of tomato plants that are on the ground?

A: It’s no problem at all and you may avoid disease problems by doing so. Early blight is a common tomato disease that is spread by fungi splashing onto leaves from the soil below. It’s a good idea to mulch tomato plants when young and to keep the stems supported off the ground with a trellis.