Pam wrote:

...in my area, most tomato growers
encourage the removal of lateral sucker shoots. Our summers are very mild -
seldom do we generate enough heat to encourage tomatoes to ripen much before
first frost. This year, our spring was so chilly and night time temps so low
(although in the 70's during the day yesterday, it still dropped into the high
40's last night) that tomatoes have not been recommended to be planted out
until this month. Removal of these lateral suckers maximizes the available
sunlight and temperatures, otherwise we may never realize any ripe fruit! You
obviously live in an area which has normal summer heat :-) Sunscald on tomatoes
on the west side of the Cascades is unheard of!..



My condolances on your short summer climate. I'm in New England (central
MA). My first planting of tomatoes got it one night about 2 weeks ago.
We still have nights in the (high) 40's occasionally, but my second
planting is all out there now. During the summer we average 3-4 days in
the 90's (21 last summer), but generally fairly temperate, in the mid
80's. We have not felt the need for air conditioning just for those 3-4
days (it would have been nice last year, but we made it through). I
think it was 2 years ago that the only day over 90 was in April (good
old unpredictable New England weather: see
http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/arts/twain1.htm). A breeze
generally does the trick, and gives us fresh air in the house as well.
Last expected frost for this area is May 15. We occasionally get
scattered frost late May-early June, but not often. Sunscald here is
well known, but not a really significant problem.

I believe that removal of the suckers is done not for admitting
sunlight, but for encouraging the development of the first fruit
clusters. If the plant is trying to ripen fruit and grow at the same
time, its resources are thinned. If the growth option is taken away, the
resources are available for ripening the fruit. Consequently removing
suckers will result in earlier fruit, although studies have shown that
the total yield for the year is reduced. However, the early fruit gets
the dollars, so the economic yield may be increased.