If you take good care of your tomato plants, you will be rewarded with vigorous growth and a lot of fresh leaves and branches, but tomato plants can grow too fast for their own good. All those new leaves and stems may weaken the plant and lessen fruit production. Lots of leaves crowded together, touching the soil and holding onto moisture, are susceptible to rot and fungal diseases. Reducing the lower leaves before planting and during the growing season is going to continue to keep the plant powerful and infection free.
Remove the bottom leaves from the plant before placing it at the ground. Put it in the ground so that only the top set of leaves is above the soil, and roots will form from the submerged stem as the plant grows. You can also plant it sideways in a trench, gently bending the top of the plant upwards; this process is best for tall plants with sparsely growing divisions.
Remove the lower leaves that touch the soil or are so crowded they do not get enough sunlight or airflow. Start looking for leaves that are yellow or have tiny black spots. Pinch the leaves with your hands rather than cutting them, as this assists the plant heal faster.
Remove new shoots, called suckers, which grow from the junction of the primary stem and also a side stem. Suckers develop into stems with more leaves if permitted to grow, but they drain energy from the rest of the plant.