Snip shoots to keep tomato plants standing tall

Q. I grew a few “staking” tomatoes in the open garden for the first time last year. The plants grew into unruly, crowded bushes instead of one main, straight stem with tomato clusters growing from it. What went wrong, and how can I avoid the same mess this year?
A. To keep a neat, single-stem form, snap off all side shoots as soon as they develop. These side shoots, called “suckers,” grow from the crevices where leaf stems meet the main stem. As that main stem lengthens,