I've started using the elastic bands from my used surgical masks before I throw them out. They pull right off, and tying 2 together gives enough length.
What I was about to say. After seeing this video I realized that I can snip off the bands of the mask they provide daily at work at the end of the day to use for my tomatoes. I got the big 8 foot thick green tomato stakes they sell at Home Depot for $6.99. They look like a javelin from the Olympics and really don't cost much more than the fir runners and already have a sharp end that goes easily into the ground.
We used this exact method last year and it worked perfectly! Our tomato plants were so healthy and grew like wildfire! We are using this method again this year. Actually, we are growing our tomatoes from last year’s seeds for the first time! Thanks for the great advice! 👍🏻
About pruning, Luke pruned and staked to the level of the first fruit. What about all the foliage above that level? Do you just leave it all on the plant? Do you just trim the laterals all the way up to the top of the stake? If not, how do you trim it?
@@spatin51 late but maybe not for the new growing season! You should continue to cut/snap off any suckers (laterals) that show up the whole way to the top of the plant. And check the forks where you already removed suckers, the plant puts out more🙄! Also continue to tie the plant loosely to the stake all the way up, it'll fall over if it is unsupported for too long and it won't naturally use the stake for support (you want to tie loosely or with a stretchy material so the stem doesn't get too big and strangle as it grows). As for removing the foliage, leave all the rest of it on the plant after the first fruit. Cutting it off below there helps prevent soil bound fungal diseases. A caveat is if any of the leaves above the fruit touch the soil go ahead and cut off at least some of that branch if not all of it. Hope it helps!
Don’t care that I have seen ALL of your tomato videos! Repetition is the beat way I learn ! Great deal on spots podcast!! Excited for you and us! Kristy in Missouri 😃😃😃
When HGTV steals this knowledgeable personable handsome young guy from RUclips we’re going to miss you! Good luck with your calling. You made the right choice.
HGTV is a garbage channel. Nothing about gardening, just cookie cutter BS shows with pretty people. A whole lot of fluff with little substance. They're all fake AF by the way, I know people that have done work on the houses on those programs and its about as fake as can be.
Thanks for sharing that tip about using the elastic- and what exactly that is.... the same as what is used to make those masks. Now I found a great use for those masks; I can cut them up to use the elastic part in my garden!!! Thank you!
Thanks for what you do. we recently started our raised bed gardens and being in northern Minnesota you are one of the first channels we have found that show gardening in a climate similar to ours(we are colder lol). My wife and I find your indoor garden videos informative as we are thinking about doing some indoor winter green gardening
I never heard you mention that this should ONLY be done to Indeterminate tomatoes, not determinant.... People don’t always remember that their IS a difference. Thanks for the help. 🤗
Kimberly Penney Hi, could you please explain how they are different? I have some Ukrainian purple tomato plants that are NOT doing well, spindly, flaccid, curled leaves, in spite of an extra water fertilizer feed, although I just found out I didn’t give it enough. The rest of my tomato plants in the same bed are doing pretty well.
MsAmaya1110 He has a video on it: How to DECREASE tomato yields by 75%... that explains it nicely. My comment above was stating he did not specify that this type of pruning should only be done to INDETERMINATE tomatoes, not Determinate... if you prune off the extra branches on a Determinate tomato bush, you wind up removing the plants ability to produce tomatoes.
Romas can actually be determiant, indeterminate, OR semi-indeterminate. If yur unsure which you have grow some one way, some another, & see which produce best.
LOL! the first video of yours I watched was the one where you first suggested the elastic, and of course that was exactly when the virus hit here in March. I searched and searched and finally have started tying up my tomatoes with the elastic.
T-shirt yarn is a great alternative to the elastic, and if you make it from a 100% cotton shirt the ties are compostable! I generally cut 1/2" strips. There are tutorials here on RUclips for continuous yarn but simple strips work just fine...
Loved the stories about potted lettuce and orange care packages. 💜🙂 And thanks for this vid. too. I've always tied up my tomatoes to an I-screw in the roof soffit. This is very similar. 👍
Have to say I LOVE the podcast! It's so much fun to listen to you while I'm actually out in the garden! Looking forward to many, many more podcasts to come! :)
I’m going to do this tonight when I get home. I’ve had problems in the years past with tomatoes and this seems like it could be a cure for all the things I’ve had trouble with. Thanks so much.
i stopped this in the middle of the video to go prune. Went to town. great reminder. things were getting insanely unruly in a tight-ish planting. Thank you!
Hey Luke, been loving the channel and all the helpful videos as we've recently moved into our first home and are getting into gardening! One thing that would be nice to see more of, would just be more frequent quick videos going through the entire garden and showing how everything's progressing as a whole. For inspiration as we think through other veggies we could add to our own garden, but also just to measure up against the progress of our own garden to gauge how ours is doing! Keep up the good work, and thanks!
Hey hey congrats crossing over the 700k mark. You single handedly made me gardener. All the seeds and fertilizers I use are MIgardener. You are terrific in every way thank you Luke for giving me the gift of gardening. I have a 10 by 10ft plot and it is bursting all thanks to your knowledge. Did I say thank you? THANK YOU!
I'm using this method in my garden. (I sent you pics in an email). It is working great. My tomato plants are right at 4' tall now and quickly filling with fruit thanks to this method and a healthy dose of trifecta+. Since I can't find the elastic cord at a reasonable price, I used some paracord I had and just tied everything loosely to give it some wiggle room and prevent pinching. It has worked fine for a few weeks, including through some windy storms. Hoping this method continues to be reliable and no plant gets a kink in it. Thanks for the updated vid. I already dug up the old ones, but I enjoyed this one too.
The green nylon tape they sell at HD and other big box stores is cheap and works great. I'd replace the paracord. I've tried tying string with no give loosely and, invariably, when the plant gets really big (they always do) the weight is just too much and it chokes the plant.
just wanted to say hello from South Carolina. We love your videos and we are starting our garden on 7 acers! The content has given us the tips to grow a better garden we are doing raised beds in a sunny 1/2 acer spot . Thank again for all you do.
Thanks so much! Getting ready to stake my tomatoes single-stem style like you’ve taught me! Your videos and seed store are so helpful and I would love to see more complete growing guides on herbs like oregano and thyme. Grow big or grow home!
I took your prior tips to heart. I only have two tomato plants, indeterminates, because that's all we need. I staked them with two 1x2x8 pieces of strapping. I also use the elastic that you recommend before. Works great! I was lucky and ordered it back in March. Thanks for all your help! :D
Ya, I didn't prune my tomatoes for years, and the plants got super dense and bushy, and tomatoes rotted inside the leaves before I found them. Pruning good.
Dude I am supremely jealous that you were able to set fruit in June. It's late June again now and I'm basically just starting to see pea sized fruits set.
You inspired me so much last year, Luke, that I'm single-stemming 30 tomatoes in 40 sq ft this year. All heirlooms from your store, and we've got our first flush coming on now.
@@encouraginghope7657 I single-stem using the exact method Luke outlines in the video. I have a spool of elastic that I use to tie the main stem up 8ft furring strips (the furring strips are about $1.88 per at my local home depot). I am pruning suckers probably twice a week. Some strategic leaf pruning is required to keep airflow through the 4 rows that make up the bed as well. Here in zone 7a my tomatoes are all 4ft+ up these furring strips, so a real challenge will be dealing with them once the tomatoes exceed that height in July.
Thank you so much for all your videos. I watched all your tomato videos like five times each at least, and today I realized, because you left on some hefty suckers, that on two of my plants I had some serious sucker growth. If it wasn't for this video I wouldn't have caught them.
hello Luke, the thing I would like to see is an edited together A-Z video on the different plants. no one has anything like it, from planting the seeds to care, to harvest and maybe even different ways to preserve the crops.
this helped me tremendously. i have recently returned to gardening after some time "off". I am struggling with my tomatoes and I'm in Texas. My plants are HUGE!
Excited to hear your podcast! I planted multiple seeds for my tomatoes in case one didn’t germinate and ... 2-3 grew in 3 of the plots and 0 in one so ... I hope I will be able to transplant one of them when it gets bigger ... (I tried one of them and it hopelessly died)
Put the podcast on RUclips!! That way you can have an even bigger audience!! I watch/ listen to podcasts while I clean and do gardening... So Luke.. I'm telling you.. So many people would love it to be on RUclips!! 💙🙏😘
After seeing a video in 2017 I bought 70 yards of 1/4" black elastic cord....still have some but will finish it up this season. It was priced at $8.15 in 2017. Another vendor had the some size, color and length for almost $19 on Amazon last week. I almost bought some but didn't with the hope that supply/demand thing will get the price back down. Best. Tomato Tie. Ever.
I watched this video, not realizing single stem meant indeterminate tomatoes. I follow directions and pruned my Romas. I then watched the video about mistakes, and that's when you said not to take off suckers from determinant tomatoes. I pray I haven't destroyed my crop!
Luke this is my 3rd year single stemming thanks to one of your older vids. I love high density gardening! Unfortunately I got over zealous and clipped my Early Girls. It took me a while to figure out why I only got 5 tomatoes from that plant! Haha.
I didn't realize you had to cut off the branches. My dad always just let our tomato plants grow wild and half the tomatoes rotted on the ground. I am trying this technique this year and my garden is definitely looking much neater and tidy, like Vito Corleone's well manicured tomato patch in the Godfather. Last year I got some plants at Lowes and the Cherry 100 variety grew like an Octopus and took over half of the garden. The Cherry varieties seem exceptionally vigorous and sort of like a plant version of Marfan's Syndrome much more elongated stems and leaves. This year I have the 8 foot Javelin type green stakes from Home Depot and have the Sun Sugar variety of Cherry. This one seems to be growing very tall and I am thinking about double stemming just this variety as the single stem seems destined to grow past the top and the foliage is not real thick, more like Honey Locust leaves as opposed to the thick shade of a Norway Maple. I am definitely noticing the Hybrid varieties are more vigorous than the Heirlooms. The Big Beef is huge and also very thick stem. The Cherokee Purple is not growing as fast despite having the same soil and a little bit more sun than the Big Beef with a bush to it's east. I added a Green Zebra two weeks ago after seeing this intriguing variety in the store. Also have Brandywine and Better Boy. The Sun Sugar and Big Beef are already starting to produce fruit.
New viewer. New subscriber. No social media. Grateful for your videos. Started container garden this year for first time in many years. Had a large in-ground as a kid. Looking for modern tips. Last night, bunnies (I think) at a bunch of my plants. I have marigolds, didn't deter. Any suggestions to deter them? (not into killing). Thank you! Good health and happiness to you and everyone you love.
I am so happy I have found you on here!! Just in the past month your videos have been so helpful. Because you are in a shorter growing season in your state it's more realistic to ours as well in Minnesota. One thing I would like to ask you. In your opinion, would the elastic help with vine growing plants, like cucumbers, squash and zucchini? I have build a few A-frame supports for these and have been trying to figure out how to support them on the frames as I help to get them to learn how to climb frames.
Do you treat cherry or grape tomatoes differently? Prune or not prune for smaller varieties? Would love to hear your take on it for next year’s garden. Thanks for the wealth of knowledge, it’s helpful for many of us beginner gardeners.
I use old t-shirts to tie up mine with the shortage of elastic. Just start at the bottom of the t-shirt & cut strips around the shirt. Works really well & a form of recycling.
I stopped wearing pantyhose years ago but I have a few pairs of old underwear waiting to be cut into rags and so I cut all the seams and bands off and then cut the rest up into strips about an inch wide. Perfect! The seams are very sturdy and the strips of knit are soft and really stretchy.
There is some elastic string on Amazon. You can put the suckers in water and root them. All pruning should be done from 7:00 an to 11:00 am so the plant has plenty of time to dry off. Pollinating from 12:00 to 3:00 pm as the pollen is at its driest. I use to grow tomatoes hydroponically I started over 23 years ago. I really like your channel. When do we get to see the wife and your nice little girl. They are cute working with you.
I also found that if you can't get a hold of that particular stretchy cord, you can use the elastic string that comes attached to party hats to tie up your plants.
As a cheap substitute for the ties I cut old plastic table cloths into strips and used that to tie my tomatoes up. So far it is working great and works just like the green plastic tomato tape.
I did a couple this way last year. I used trail marking tape to hold it up though and I let 1 sucker grow low so I had a double stem plant. Otherwise I normally use cages
@ Migardener Just throwing an idea out there that may help you create content and inform the new viewers. - Create a new series or playlist that goes over older videos. Call it, "Remastered" or if you want a catchier title, perhaps call it "Replanted." (By uploading these newer videos about topics you've previously discussed, it may offer a refreshing new perspective on the particular subject. It'll inform both your new viewers AND engage the interests of your existing community.) Not to mention that by uploading new/more videos you'll continue to be relevant to the RUclips algorithm and hopefully reach the viewer's YT account or gain new subscribers. I like your channel alot! I enjoy your videos and I respect what your doing. Keep doing what your doing and do what you do. :D
How do you plan on staking your tomatoes in 2022? You used the Florida weave method kind of a few years ago but didn’t stake each plant in the weave as usually done down here in Florida and reserved for determinate tomatoes. First tomato garden here after a few years without for me. I have learned a lot from your RUclips. Great work you do and highly appreciated.
My new favorite channel! I look forward to the podcast. It looks like you have shredded wood on your beds. Is that just your unfinished compost? Humus from the woods? I'm in Massachusetts with similar weather to you and soon the summer will be very hot and I've planted basil and marigolds around my tomatoes but they are not big enough to provide shade yet. Thank you for all that you do!
just planted tomato plants yesterday, gonna stake them up like you showed us. first time going single stem... i'm a little nervous. i usually grow full bushy plants with so-so amounts of fruit. this will be different and exciting.
Thanks for the helpful information. I rely on you for great gardening advice and appreciate the time and effort that you put into educating gardeners. I do have a question from a video from another source which advised pruning off the first set of fruit on a tomato plant. I noticed that you do not do this and I'm wondering if you ever had or would for any reason? Thanks for your response.
I've started using the elastic bands from my used surgical masks before I throw them out. They pull right off, and tying 2 together gives enough length.
What I was about to say. After seeing this video I realized that I can snip off the bands of the mask they provide daily at work at the end of the day to use for my tomatoes. I got the big 8 foot thick green tomato stakes they sell at Home Depot for $6.99. They look like a javelin from the Olympics and really don't cost much more than the fir runners and already have a sharp end that goes easily into the ground.
Oh what a great tip!!! Thanks!
Now you can actually say they’re safe and effective ;)
We used this exact method last year and it worked perfectly! Our tomato plants were so healthy and grew like wildfire! We are using this method again this year. Actually, we are growing our tomatoes from last year’s seeds for the first time! Thanks for the great advice! 👍🏻
About pruning, Luke pruned and staked to the level of the first fruit. What about all the foliage above that level? Do you just leave it all on the plant? Do you just trim the laterals all the way up to the top of the stake? If not, how do you trim it?
@@spatin51 late but maybe not for the new growing season! You should continue to cut/snap off any suckers (laterals) that show up the whole way to the top of the plant. And check the forks where you already removed suckers, the plant puts out more🙄! Also continue to tie the plant loosely to the stake all the way up, it'll fall over if it is unsupported for too long and it won't naturally use the stake for support (you want to tie loosely or with a stretchy material so the stem doesn't get too big and strangle as it grows). As for removing the foliage, leave all the rest of it on the plant after the first fruit. Cutting it off below there helps prevent soil bound fungal diseases. A caveat is if any of the leaves above the fruit touch the soil go ahead and cut off at least some of that branch if not all of it. Hope it helps!
Thanks Luke!!
Went back 2 years and found another episode that was very helpful!!
What an amazingly informative video! I've been gardening for years and never knew any of this stuff. Thanks a million, Luke!
Don’t care that I have seen ALL of your tomato videos! Repetition is the beat way I learn ! Great deal on spots podcast!! Excited for you and us! Kristy in Missouri 😃😃😃
When HGTV steals this knowledgeable personable handsome young guy from RUclips we’re going to miss you! Good luck with your calling. You made the right choice.
He is going to be on HGTV?
HGTV is a garbage channel. Nothing about gardening, just cookie cutter BS shows with pretty people. A whole lot of fluff with little substance. They're all fake AF by the way, I know people that have done work on the houses on those programs and its about as fake as can be.
@@mplslawnguy3389 Agree, everything on tv is fake
Thanks for sharing that tip about using the elastic- and what exactly that is.... the same as what is used to make those masks. Now I found a great use for those masks; I can cut them up to use the elastic part in my garden!!! Thank you!
Thanks for what you do. we recently started our raised bed gardens and being in northern Minnesota you are one of the first channels we have found that show gardening in a climate similar to ours(we are colder lol). My wife and I find your indoor garden videos informative as we are thinking about doing some indoor winter green gardening
I never heard you mention that this should ONLY be done to Indeterminate tomatoes, not determinant.... People don’t always remember that their IS a difference. Thanks for the help. 🤗
Lynn Kerr so Roma tomatoes are treated differently.
Kimberly Penney Hi, could you please explain how they are different? I have some Ukrainian purple tomato plants that are NOT doing well, spindly, flaccid, curled leaves, in spite of an extra water fertilizer feed, although I just found out I didn’t give it enough. The rest of my tomato plants in the same bed are doing pretty well.
MsAmaya1110 He has a video on it: How to DECREASE tomato yields by 75%... that explains it nicely. My comment above was stating he did not specify that this type of pruning should only be done to INDETERMINATE tomatoes, not Determinate... if you prune off the extra branches on a Determinate tomato bush, you wind up removing the plants ability to produce tomatoes.
@@kimberlypenney7216 DO NOT SINGLE STEM ROMAS. Romas are a determinate plant, every sucker you pull cuts your yield.
Romas can actually be determiant, indeterminate, OR semi-indeterminate. If yur unsure which you have grow some one way, some another, & see which produce best.
LOL! the first video of yours I watched was the one where you first suggested the elastic, and of course that was exactly when the virus hit here in March. I searched and searched and finally have started tying up my tomatoes with the elastic.
T-shirt yarn is a great alternative to the elastic, and if you make it from a 100% cotton shirt the ties are compostable! I generally cut 1/2" strips. There are tutorials here on RUclips for continuous yarn but simple strips work just fine...
Thanks!
I just use old cotton tee shirts. Rip!
Thats what I use too. Doesn't cut into the plants!
Love the refresher videos! It keeps us seasoned and sparks interest in new growers! Awesome work luke!
Thank you for the video. Nice to know about the pruning the bottom leaves. Will go out and do it to my tomato plants right now.
Loved the stories about potted lettuce and orange care packages. 💜🙂
And thanks for this vid. too. I've always tied up my tomatoes to an I-screw in the roof soffit. This is very similar. 👍
Have to say I LOVE the podcast! It's so much fun to listen to you while I'm actually out in the garden! Looking forward to many, many more podcasts to come! :)
I’m going to do this tonight when I get home. I’ve had problems in the years past with tomatoes and this seems like it could be a cure for all the things I’ve had trouble with. Thanks so much.
... running into my garden right now. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge and have a great gardening season. 🌻
Love it!
This is my first year growing!!!
So helpful
Thank you
i stopped this in the middle of the video to go prune. Went to town. great reminder. things were getting insanely unruly in a tight-ish planting. Thank you!
Hey Luke, been loving the channel and all the helpful videos as we've recently moved into our first home and are getting into gardening!
One thing that would be nice to see more of, would just be more frequent quick videos going through the entire garden and showing how everything's progressing as a whole. For inspiration as we think through other veggies we could add to our own garden, but also just to measure up against the progress of our own garden to gauge how ours is doing!
Keep up the good work, and thanks!
This is my first growing tomatoes and using the single stem method. These videos have been so helpful. Thanks for sharing
I started pruning this year. I didn't know that existed, sense doing it my tomatoe plants look amazing. I am excited for harvest time...
Hey hey congrats crossing over the 700k mark. You single handedly made me gardener.
All the seeds and fertilizers I use are MIgardener. You are terrific in every way thank you Luke for giving me the gift of gardening. I have a 10 by 10ft plot and it is bursting all thanks to your knowledge.
Did I say thank you? THANK YOU!
I started single stemming on your advice last year. I am better this year and so excited about the production I am getting already!
Thank you! Found this video just in time. My tomatoes are getting wild!
I'm using this method in my garden. (I sent you pics in an email). It is working great. My tomato plants are right at 4' tall now and quickly filling with fruit thanks to this method and a healthy dose of trifecta+.
Since I can't find the elastic cord at a reasonable price, I used some paracord I had and just tied everything loosely to give it some wiggle room and prevent pinching. It has worked fine for a few weeks, including through some windy storms. Hoping this method continues to be reliable and no plant gets a kink in it.
Thanks for the updated vid. I already dug up the old ones, but I enjoyed this one too.
Doug, cut an old tee shirt into strips, very good elasticity and easy to tie.
The green nylon tape they sell at HD and other big box stores is cheap and works great. I'd replace the paracord. I've tried tying string with no give loosely and, invariably, when the plant gets really big (they always do) the weight is just too much and it chokes the plant.
just wanted to say hello from South Carolina. We love your videos and we are starting our garden on 7 acers! The content has given us the tips to grow a better garden we are doing raised beds in a sunny 1/2 acer spot . Thank again for all you do.
Thanks so much! Getting ready to stake my tomatoes single-stem style like you’ve taught me! Your videos and seed store are so helpful and I would love to see more complete growing guides on herbs like oregano and thyme. Grow big or grow home!
GreenIdLady 1 why? Determinantes just grow to a set height but single stemming will still aid in focusing energy into producing more tomatoes.
Determinate tomatoes also have a set amount of fruit.
I took your prior tips to heart. I only have two tomato plants, indeterminates, because that's all we need. I staked them with two 1x2x8 pieces of strapping. I also use the elastic that you recommend before. Works great! I was lucky and ordered it back in March. Thanks for all your help! :D
Thanks! I’m growing my first tomato plant and I never knew they needed pruning
Ya, I didn't prune my tomatoes for years, and the plants got super dense and bushy, and tomatoes rotted inside the leaves before I found them. Pruning good.
Bro. You just dropped this video right after I staked my tomatoes
Same
Super excited about your podcast!!
Thank you! Really enjoyed this video!! As a new gardener this was so informative and helpful!
Dude I am supremely jealous that you were able to set fruit in June. It's late June again now and I'm basically just starting to see pea sized fruits set.
You inspired me so much last year, Luke, that I'm single-stemming 30 tomatoes in 40 sq ft this year. All heirlooms from your store, and we've got our first flush coming on now.
Wow!!! That’s great! How are you trellising? I have 46 tomatoes in a 30x5 ft and trying to figure out trellising
@@encouraginghope7657 I single-stem using the exact method Luke outlines in the video. I have a spool of elastic that I use to tie the main stem up 8ft furring strips (the furring strips are about $1.88 per at my local home depot). I am pruning suckers probably twice a week. Some strategic leaf pruning is required to keep airflow through the 4 rows that make up the bed as well.
Here in zone 7a my tomatoes are all 4ft+ up these furring strips, so a real challenge will be dealing with them once the tomatoes exceed that height in July.
This video is so helpful! I’m off to buy some stakes and clean up my tomatoes.
Looking forward to the podcast!!! You're my favorite yt gardener!!!
from Japan!
The scale of America is amazing!
I also started a vegetable garden in Japan!
Thanks for the fun video!
Be helpful
Thank you so much for all your videos. I watched all your tomato videos like five times each at least, and today I realized, because you left on some hefty suckers, that on two of my plants I had some serious sucker growth. If it wasn't for this video I wouldn't have caught them.
Thank you for all the education you give us and for your time. It is appreciated. ☺️🍅🥕🥦🌶🥒🥬
LOL I was just looking for this type of video and didn't realize you JUST made it 🤣 thank you Luke!!!!
Seedstheday, Love the creativity!
Growing up next to Castroville, I've got to say "I love your shirt". As always, good information. Thank you.
I'm so excited you have moon and stars watermelon seeds. Ordered today, yay❣
hello Luke, the thing I would like to see is an edited together A-Z video on the different plants. no one has anything like it, from planting the seeds to care, to harvest and maybe even different ways to preserve the crops.
Great Video. I tie my plants up with shear stockings. One pair you can cut up for several plants.
Thank you. Liked your video & info about the stretchy cording. This year, I'm using the green stretchy tape.
I don’t care that I have seen all of your tomato videos! Repetition is the way I learn!
Thanks, Juanita in Idaho.
I love the channel. Second season for my outside garden.
Best explanation of suckers! Thank you!
this helped me tremendously. i have recently returned to gardening after some time "off". I am struggling with my tomatoes and I'm in Texas. My plants are HUGE!
Excited to hear your podcast! I planted multiple seeds for my tomatoes in case one didn’t germinate and ... 2-3 grew in 3 of the plots and 0 in one so ... I hope I will be able to transplant one of them when it gets bigger ... (I tried one of them and it hopelessly died)
Very clear and concise info. Already getting tomatoes here in California but good to know for the future.
Can't wait for the podcast!
Put the podcast on RUclips!! That way you can have an even bigger audience!! I watch/ listen to podcasts while I clean and do gardening... So Luke.. I'm telling you.. So many people would love it to be on RUclips!! 💙🙏😘
After seeing a video in 2017 I bought 70 yards of 1/4" black elastic cord....still have some but will finish it up this season. It was priced at $8.15 in 2017. Another vendor had the some size, color and length for almost $19 on Amazon last week. I almost bought some but didn't with the hope that supply/demand thing will get the price back down. Best. Tomato Tie. Ever.
I watched this video, not realizing single stem meant indeterminate tomatoes. I follow directions and pruned my Romas. I then watched the video about mistakes, and that's when you said not to take off suckers from determinant tomatoes. I pray I haven't destroyed my crop!
Thanks Luke. Did my porch garden today. Tomorrow my rental garden. Best
Luke this is my 3rd year single stemming thanks to one of your older vids. I love high density gardening! Unfortunately I got over zealous and clipped my Early Girls. It took me a while to figure out why I only got 5 tomatoes from that plant! Haha.
Found your podcast in iTunes store. Have it downloaded and ready for tomorrow morning.
Thank you so much for being so through in the explanation of trimming tomatoes. Now I have a better understanding.
Another great video, used some of your ideas on my new allotment
I didn't realize you had to cut off the branches. My dad always just let our tomato plants grow wild and half the tomatoes rotted on the ground. I am trying this technique this year and my garden is definitely looking much neater and tidy, like Vito Corleone's well manicured tomato patch in the Godfather. Last year I got some plants at Lowes and the Cherry 100 variety grew like an Octopus and took over half of the garden. The Cherry varieties seem exceptionally vigorous and sort of like a plant version of Marfan's Syndrome much more elongated stems and leaves. This year I have the 8 foot Javelin type green stakes from Home Depot and have the Sun Sugar variety of Cherry. This one seems to be growing very tall and I am thinking about double stemming just this variety as the single stem seems destined to grow past the top and the foliage is not real thick, more like Honey Locust leaves as opposed to the thick shade of a Norway Maple. I am definitely noticing the Hybrid varieties are more vigorous than the Heirlooms. The Big Beef is huge and also very thick stem. The Cherokee Purple is not growing as fast despite having the same soil and a little bit more sun than the Big Beef with a bush to it's east. I added a Green Zebra two weeks ago after seeing this intriguing variety in the store. Also have Brandywine and Better Boy. The Sun Sugar and Big Beef are already starting to produce fruit.
I just got on here to find a tomato pruning video! Lol glad you did an update.
Great video Luke I’m going to start pruning . Thank you!
This was spectacular! Many blessings 🙏🏻🍅
New viewer. New subscriber. No social media. Grateful for your videos. Started container garden this year for first time in many years. Had a large in-ground as a kid. Looking for modern tips. Last night, bunnies (I think) at a bunch of my plants. I have marigolds, didn't deter. Any suggestions to deter them? (not into killing). Thank you! Good health and happiness to you and everyone you love.
Nice to see you supporting single tomatoes instead of letting them rely on government assistance.
Seriously though, good demo.
Totally lmao😆🤣
I am so happy I have found you on here!! Just in the past month your videos have been so helpful. Because you are in a shorter growing season in your state it's more realistic to ours as well in Minnesota.
One thing I would like to ask you. In your opinion, would the elastic help with vine growing plants, like cucumbers, squash and zucchini? I have build a few A-frame supports for these and have been trying to figure out how to support them on the frames as I help to get them to learn how to climb frames.
Love the videos. Great content. Thank you.
Lol yesterday I looked up your video from a year or so ago on pruning and caring for tomato and then you posted this today.
I needed this!! Thank you Luke!
Thank you Luke! Awesome video
Do you treat cherry or grape tomatoes differently? Prune or not prune for smaller varieties? Would love to hear your take on it for next year’s garden. Thanks for the wealth of knowledge, it’s helpful for many of us beginner gardeners.
I use old t-shirts to tie up mine with the shortage of elastic. Just start at the bottom of the t-shirt & cut strips around the shirt. Works really well & a form of recycling.
I do the same! It's a good way to get rid of old tee shirts. Then I throw them I to the compost at the end if the season.
@@deirdrehall4449 💛💚💙Thanks for sharing.
Howdy ,from NW Indiana. Love your library of vids. Fall planting show soon? Thanks man.
Love your channel. Thanks!
Look forward to when you release seeds for the Giant Crimson Tomato!
Best wishes from Kate in Olympia, WA
I stopped wearing pantyhose years ago but I have a few pairs of old underwear waiting to be cut into rags and so I cut all the seams and bands off and then cut the rest up into strips about an inch wide. Perfect! The seams are very sturdy and the strips of knit are soft and really stretchy.
That was super helpful!! Thank you!!! Now I'm heading out to prune my tomatoes!
There is some elastic string on Amazon. You can put the suckers in water and root them. All pruning should be done from 7:00 an to 11:00 am so the plant has plenty of time to dry off. Pollinating from 12:00 to 3:00 pm as the pollen is at its driest. I use to grow tomatoes hydroponically I started over 23 years ago. I really like your channel. When do we get to see the wife and your nice little girl. They are cute working with you.
Have been using this method for several years....after seeing it used on one of my trips to Latvia....
I also found that if you can't get a hold of that particular stretchy cord, you can use the elastic string that comes attached to party hats to tie up your plants.
Great video! Saludos from Stanton, CA
As a cheap substitute for the ties I cut old plastic table cloths into strips and used that to tie my tomatoes up. So far it is working great and works just like the green plastic tomato tape.
I love to hear how people reuse, reduce, and repurpose. Thanks for sharing!
I use old t-shirts as well, even cotton is a little stretchy
Luke, I got my fantastic elastic when you first mentioned it on your channel. Happy happy :)
Clear instructions! Thank you 🤗
I did a couple this way last year. I used trail marking tape to hold it up though and I let 1 sucker grow low so I had a double stem plant. Otherwise I normally use cages
@ Migardener
Just throwing an idea out there that may help you create content and inform the new viewers.
- Create a new series or playlist that goes over older videos. Call it, "Remastered" or if you want a catchier title, perhaps call it "Replanted."
(By uploading these newer videos about topics you've previously discussed, it may offer a refreshing new perspective on the particular subject. It'll inform both your new viewers AND engage the interests of your existing community.)
Not to mention that by uploading new/more videos you'll continue to be relevant to the RUclips algorithm and hopefully reach the viewer's YT account or gain new subscribers.
I like your channel alot! I enjoy your videos and I respect what your doing. Keep doing what your doing and do what you do.
:D
Loved this video.
How do you plan on staking your tomatoes in 2022? You used the Florida weave method kind of a few years ago but didn’t stake each plant in the weave as usually done down here in Florida and reserved for determinate tomatoes. First tomato garden here after a few years without for me. I have learned a lot from your RUclips. Great work you do and highly appreciated.
My new favorite channel! I look forward to the podcast. It looks like you have shredded wood on your beds. Is that just your unfinished compost? Humus from the woods? I'm in Massachusetts with similar weather to you and soon the summer will be very hot and I've planted basil and marigolds around my tomatoes but they are not big enough to provide shade yet. Thank you for all that you do!
just planted tomato plants yesterday, gonna stake them up like you showed us. first time going single stem... i'm a little nervous. i usually grow full bushy plants with so-so amounts of fruit. this will be different and exciting.
Great tips, thank you!
Very informative, Thank you!
Thank you. That was very clear!
Well well. Ive read, or heard, exactly what you are saying a hundred times. But this time, with the appropriate footage, I actually understood it!
Thanks for the helpful information. I rely on you for great gardening advice and appreciate the time and effort that you put into educating gardeners. I do have a question from a video from another source which advised pruning off the first set of fruit on a tomato plant. I noticed that you do not do this and I'm wondering if you ever had or would for any reason? Thanks for your response.
Shoot, I looked you up on Google podcast and you're not in there yet
I love listening
Thank you, that was very clear.