@@kristintrossbach6320 Mornings would be better. You don't want wet leaves going into the night where you're creating a better environment for disease to thrive which is what you're trying to prevent!
In my 20’s (I’m 70 now) I worked on a 17 acre tomato farm that had a packing shed. I learned a lot about endurance and became a tomato snob. We drove a stake after 2 plants. As the plants grew we looped twine around the stakes and took out the slack. This process was repeated as the plants grew. Each morning a 16’ flatbed truck made the 45 mile trip to the Sacramento produce market destined for grocery stores. Those were the most memorable years of my life and paid my college expenses.
@UncleHank thanks for sharing your tomato growing experience-I enjoy hearing it, and I bet you have had some interesting stories to tell! God's blessings on you and happy growing!
🍅🍅🍅 Thank you, Uncle Hank❗️l loved hearing you reminisce of that happy time in your life while you were working on a 17 acre tomato farm‼️I’m 68 now, but began gardening when l was 22 & have never stopped. It’s so enjoyable AND rewarding. Being, what I call, “In The Dirt” is peaceful to me, so I’m out there as much as possible for my New England climate. Most recently, I’ve been learning all l can about extending my growing season: with a few crops, straw mulch, or a low hoop tunnel, I’ve been able to harvest a few cold tolerant vegetables right out of the ground in winter. Anyway, HAPPY GARDENING‼️🍅🥬🍠🥔🌽🥦
@@rkhound247 That’s the way we did it back then. When I dropped out I gat drafted, then I used my G I Bill money to finish. Tuition was much cheaper in the 70’s. My sister’s kids did the same.
@Leslie Behrens 1x1” wooden stakes separated by 2 tomato plants. Twine looped starting just above ground level and cinched to remove slack. 1 string on each side and another as the plants grow. This offers excellent support and easy access for quick picking. A machete makes quick work of the twine (biodegradable) at seasons end.
What a _pleasure_ viewing a video with good audio in plain English, no distrating music or graphics and the presenter knows what he's talking about. Thank you Brian!
Except for the often twisted, yet still incorrect notion, the tomato "hairs" become roots... For the record, they don't... New roots grow from the stem, but don't transform from hairs... You can even take a cutting (say, when you prime a lateral shoot) such it into water and it'll grow roots... Voila! You've just cloned a tomato plant.
Thank you son. I'm an old guy now and that was the easiest, most succinct tutorial on growing tomatoes that I've ever seen. Well done. And I am now a subscriber. You get so much convoluted content these days, it is refreshing to skip the nonsense, and see how easy it can really be.
You're an old guy just learning to grow Tomatoes? What did you do all your life in the Summer? Just kidding, hope you get lots of extra for the neighbors!!
Great video! I grew up hearing a few tricks and tips, but the wackiest one my grannie did was hitting her tomato plants with a old grapevine broom. She did that when she didn't think the plants were doing their pollination properly and she said it kickstarted that process. She also would use egg shells in a large glass jar covered with water and when her plants needed a boost she would water them with that concoction. She grew some amazing, huge, beautiful, TASTY tomatoes! So she must have had something working. One comment about the plants growing. I had a cherry tomatoes plant self-start at the ends of my porch and that plant grew to about 7' long growing along the ground. My son was about 3-4 yrs old then and he had a little tunnel in that plant and when he was missing you could find him there laying on his back, picking tomatoes and eating them one by one! (he ate more of those tomatoes than my wife and I put together!!)
your grannie knew what she was doing, sometimes you need to shake the branches to get the pollen distributed, especially since we are losing our pollinators, make sure to plant some flowers that attract pollinators. Love the story about your son.
Smart lady. I'm fortunate to have bumblebee's around and they're only 1 of 2 species that can actually pollinate tomato plants. So they do the brooming for me.
I've been growing a indeterminate beef stake indoors in my 72"x96" window for 16months now harvesting tomatoes entire time. Blows my mind and I love it. I've cloned about 10 plants off of it thus far
I got a real kick out of your post. Imagine hitting the plants with a broom! I'm out there every day with my electric toothbrush carefully doing each bloom. lol
I’m 70 years old and I have had plenty of experience growing a garden mostly in the NW. I learned more from your video than watching a bunch of others. You are one smart feller. Thanks
You are 70 years old, but I reakon you learned alot more from being able to watch what you specifically want to watch, not the random crud they put on tv which they focus on sponsers suggestions and stuff that really is not relevant. But Great on you for taking your viewing to what you want to watch. So great to hear this kind of stuff.
spaaggetii Man Thank you for your comment. I taught my Mom to do the same. She is 86 and going strong. I hope I will be as good if I reach 86. We don’t even have a TV here in this modern world. You’re right, it’s mostly all crap.
Hello sir, I am writing you from Ethiopia, traditionally we grow the determinate tomatoes type, we don't get here the indeterminate type. So, could you please send me any single pack of indeterminate tomato type? sorry bothering you. Amrach
These videos are terrific. I never had much luck gardening which is an embarrassment since my mother was an experienced successful gardener having worked in agriculture and being a farmer’s daughter and my uncle farmed cotton in the San Joaquin Valley. After watching video decided to try again. I bought 10 tomato plants of 5 different varieties thinking if I get one plant to produce at least 1 tomato I would finally be a success and break the continuous bad luck. I followed the instructions in this video. My goodness all 10 plants are producing and we’ve already harvested a few ripe tomatoes that really have a good flavor. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! Wishing you all the best!
That was such a informational video. Those little tips are so useful. I made that mistake thought the more branches all the more tomatoes. Now I know. Thank you.
I am a novice gardner. I watched your video and immediately decided to prune my tomatoe plants per you recommendations. I was rewarded by finding lsome bites on the leaves along with some black dots. I would not have known what this meant but you had covered tomatoe worms. I looked down and the green worm was on my shirt! Love it. Thanks
I love watching your Chs you make me feel calm and confident rather than overwhelmed to deal with gardening. You are a great teacher. Thank you and God bless you.
For those wondering, like I was, how often to spray the plants with the ASPIRIN solution, it’s EVERY 2 WEEKS. This got answered in a reply to somebody’s comment here already, but it’s buried and a bit hard to find. These videos are gold, by the way! Thanks for starting this channel - the content is fantastic.
Yes, thanks a million! I appreciate your expertise information. I'm now trying to grow my very own garden & needless to say, I'm so excited! I hope your gardens all grow & makes an abundance of good veggies & fruits! Blessings!
I’ve been growing tomatoes most of my life and I learned more about growing and caring for tomatoes in the last 21 mins than I ever knew! Can’t wait for this years crop! Thanks for the great tips!
Alan J I was going to say the same thing. A lot of things I did by years of trial and error but was good to get confirmation. But there were some very important stuff I did not know like the difference between a determinate, indeterminate and Beef Stakes. Some new ideas about fertilizing was good also. Can’t wait till next year.
*Thanks for sharing❗️... I live in Britain and I will certainly give this a try....plus I'll share with my daughters and they can share with their friends! 🍅😋🍅*
*Same! This is a fantastic video!* I used to grow tomatoes with my nan as a kid, and grow them myself now as an adult, and all the things I struggled with over the years with my tomatoes I finally now know how to fix. And I *really* scratched my head over the cracked tomatoes last summer, and now I finally have an answer! So now I know I have to find a solution to keep them watered steadily when I’m away for 3 days or more (maybe should look into something similar to the nice dripping system he showed us in this video).
I've watched quite a few on RUclips about tomatoes growing and this was defo the most educational ...the way he explained and paused and gave the expression on each ..
I overwintered about 5 of my hot pepper plants in place in my raised garden bed in Chico CA by accident. I did not pull them out as they were still producing all the way into Jan. So in Feb I cut them back to where they were producing new leaves and they are doing great!
Thanks Brian, I’ve been growing a few tomatoes each year for the last fifty years with very average results. Today I’ve learnt that I haven’t been planting them deep enough and also I have been guilty of sometimes letting them get too dry between watering, and I’ve been getting splitting late into the U.K. season. I’m already looking forward to a fresh start next season! Bless you and stay well. 🙏🇬🇧
It is my first summer growing tomato's and I got them in the ground in mid July due to the build of my raised garden beds taking more time than the norm due to never doing such a thing before and doing it alone. That being said, I invested the money and effort/time into building the raised beds because my research has pointed to them being the best when it comes to water drainage (amongst other benefits). Initially, I was having what sounds to be a similar issue to what you describe in your comment. Assuming you don't have raised garden beds, and also assuming you have the room to do so- I would recommend checking it out. The reason being, you can over water the plants (within common sense reason, of course) to the point of even flooding the beds and it will do nothing but accel growth and health, from my experience (of 1 year, LOL, I know!). I hope this comment doesn't come off in a rude, "know-it-all" type of way, just food for thought. Take care.
@@eyeswideshut1989 hello EWS! Well after effectively one growing year I can happily say my decision to convert from portable grow bags to fixed raise beds this year has paid-off handsomely. Despite being in a location that is very well sheltered from wind but also devoid of all but about three hours of direct sun, my plants this year ( always small cherry variety) have grown like trees and are extremely heavy with numerous frogs of approximately 10 good plump fruit per frond. My raised bed faces west against a strong timber fence and is built up just over a foot deep from the ground using a dry build of old driveway pavers and is fully cane and string supported to a single row running north/south and height of five feet. The big difference this time is that I am now able to keep the soil flood wet at all times with a regular watering necessary every two or three days, in comparison to my grow bags that needed a good flooding every morning and evening to prevent the imminent danger of drying to a crust. This now means my wife and I can now go away or a long weekend without the stress of arranging a neighbour’s intervention during our absence. Lastly, I always sow my three inch high pot grown plants mid May here in central southern England. My tomatoes slowly began redness approximately mid August albeit reluctantly but I’m now hoping that with this coming week’s promised late heat wave, I may get up to 70% of them to ripen! Sincere best wishes to you 🙏
Its not thumb down, its only provided to click if you dont like it. No thumb downs till now, if you click that there will be a number popping up besides that thumb. That number is there only for thumb up . Just check
Thank you, i plant lots of plants successfully, but not all the tomato plants are happy by me, i think it's because I've been wetting their leaves, i appreciate your help 🎉
I've had this video in my "saved for later" playlist for 3 years, and I'm so glad it popped up today. Great insight, concise information, and the secret weapon at the end is such a bonus! Can't wait to start my first tomatoes with success from the start. Thank you.
I have followed your advice and my tomato plants in buckets are absolutely gorgeous. One variety is producing flowers. And no bugs! Before I moved to this house, stink bugs ruined every plant I ever had. I bought your book, and have pots of basil all around the tomato buckets. It’s all just working as you say it will, and I am thrilled! So….how do I keep squirrels out of my lettuce? They love to dig holes in my containers!
I plant 200 plants minimum every year in Iowa. 4 foot high hog fence 18 inches apart. I take straw, too, support plant after it's about 2/ 2.5 feet. It's insane how many tomatoes I get. I plant them deep as well. I also learned that over the years,they don't like to be touched.
Brooooooooooooooo...... Where the hell were you last year when I destroyed my tomatoe plants!?!?! Now, it's me and you buddy... We're gonna DOMINATE this year!! Thank you.
Lmbo;) suspect I’ll have a better crop this year than any other;) Thanks so much for all the information. I just need to check out about the aspirin spray and where to spray it???
When you pinch out your plant's put those into a pot to shoot and you will have an exact match of the tomato your growing and It also staggers your planting to avoid gluts of produce.
@@lisahelton3297 the parts that you cut off from the "armpits" in the video In general, a tomato stem can make a whole new plant if you're lucky, but the flower will never be able to grow into a whole plant
Yours is one of the few videos I have seen where the narrator is able to bring out whatever he is saying right into the understanding of the watcher. Respect you. Anand
20 years growing tomatoes and my watering trick is using large Tim Horton cans for each plant at plating time , open both ends of the can plant tomatoes plants 6" in the ground making sure half the can is out of the ground so when you water your plants they will take a liter of water in that can just for each plants. My plants are watered every two day during dry times and they will grow more than you ever seen
Brain this is exceptional as I am sure you know from some of the comments. I was looking for something for my wife and this is the one. I have been gardening over 60 years and you taught me some things! What a blessing you are!
Brian, I’ve been watching videos for several years on growing tomatoes, and this one is THE BEST one I’ve seen. Thank you for the way you present the information. And thank you for sharing your knowledge and your experience. I will be following you from now on and I’ll be reviewing any other video you have shared. Thank you again.
Strings tend to damage and cut the fragile tomatoes stems, specially in very windy areas like mine. So I cut old used bed cotton sheets into strips and use it to bow tie the stem to the stakes, and it is a very safe method to adjust/undoo and to take it off at the end of the season 😬✌️
@@Texan_Patriot if you have old panty hose lying around that's what I use. Just cut them to the proper length they are more resilient to stretching a little and they are very gentle and they don't disintegrate so you can use them decade after decade after decade
Hey Brian, a massive THANK YOU, my friend! We used this video as a guide and our tomatoes were absolutely epic this year. We planted mostly grape varieties since our kids love taking them to school as snacks, and we started growing SO MUCH FRUIT that the branches were starting to kink and needed support. We're talking 16-22 tomatoes per branch on average. Our yellow heirloom tomatoes had double branches (in a Y formation), though my guess is that's how they grow normally (first year for those). We used seeds saved over from tomatoes bought at the store (Angel Sweet and a couple heirloom varieties), but our fruit looks way more "muscular", almost athletic, compared to what you get at the store. Flavour and texture didn't disappoint either - all around excellent crop. Again, thanks for your top notch videos - your knowledge and presentation style are absolute fire!
I always cut off all the leaves 1 foot from the ground so when I water tomatoes using garden hose, they don't get splash back (water on leaves that grow higher up). Furthermore, instead of the stuff you put underneath the plant (when planting them), simply bury a nettle which contains a lot of potassium so the plant will feed on it as roots grow. Also, if I plant/grow tomatoes too late and they don't turn red by rainy season (autumn), I collect them while they're green and keep them in dark place at home (cupboard) and they mature (turn red throughout) in about 3-4 weeks. Kris from Ireland
I have heard that you can pick the green tomatoes and wrap each tomato in a piece of newspaper place them in a box in a closet and they will last a very long time.
Krzysztof M, this year try fried green tomatoes. Many recipes. Personal favorite, slice green tomatoes a 1/2 inch thick or less. Dip in flour. Dip in beaten salty egg and a little milk. Dip in Maseca which is fine milled white cornmeal. Fry in oil and butter until light brown. Serve with mayonnaise. My tomatoes are most bountiful and green when the snows come. Thank-you for the tip.
Interesting! I was taught by my father and other elders of our community to strip tomato plants of their bottom leaves up to the first fruits. This helps enormously with air flow which helps against disease and pests. The bottom leaves are the first to die anyway when the plant gets older and has already produced ripe tomatoes. Great video! I was wondering if one of those tips would be an ultraviolet flashlight! NICE! All of these tips are perfect and the best tips you could possibly come up with. Thank you for sharing your wisdom! Bless you!
I've been gardening for 34 years and last year was the first time I had end rot. Good to know why. Also, I never have a lack of tomatoes but will try your methods cause they make so much sense. I'm a little scared how much more I'll get. My neighbors, friends, family and enemies will love me. Thanks for the great advise.
I just learned more about gardening tomatoes than I’ve ever known. What a great video thank you so much!
6 месяцев назад+41
Love the tomato info. Thanks. 😊 Just one suggestion on covering tomatoes or any plants, trees or shrubs to keep the birds out - please use tulle fabric instead of bird netting which can trap some birds (like hummingbirds) and they could die. Besides, tulle fabric is cheaper than bird netting and can be found at most fabric shops and on line stores like “The Tulle Shop” (Emerald, 54 inch Bolt X 40 Yards for $4.99) and other discount shops and some specialty stores like Etsy ($0.99 per yard). The little holes in the tulle are small enough not to catch and trap most birds including little hummingbirds unlike ‘bird netting’. We want to discourage birds from steeling our fruit, not kill birds. Thanks. 🙂
Yes! I am growing in raised kiddie pools, hook bungee cords around it to keep the tule secure. Leave them there , pull the tule out to sun, harvest, feed&water etc, then tuck it back it❤😊
The way you present and teach is just phenomenal! I have a brain lesion in the base of my brain and I have a really hard time understanding things, but the way you do it is just amazing and I don't have to listen to the video 100 times to "get it"! Thanks a bunch for all of your hard work and these amazing videos! 🤗💜
After watching numerous videos on growing tomatoes, I stumbled upon this one, And, by far, the most informative and easiest to understand of all! It answered many questions I have about tomato fruit production, not just beautiful plants with limited fruit production!
Hi. We love your videos here in Iran 🇮🇷. We use your videos for many of our students here in Tehran university. We love you and thank you so much for sharing your videos. You are awesome. With lots of love from here in Iran 🇮🇷 to you in USA 🇺🇸. By the way happy bday to your country. Best wishes
That is so cool your watching from Iran. Hello. Your country has saffron. Could you make a video to show us how to grow that here. Or any thing that you grow that is unique. Thank you.
Thank you for this video!! I grew tomatoes with my boys when they were little. We were kinda successful, but between my two young boys, the birds, and the rats, I only got to enjoy a few tomatoes myself. I can't wait to start using your techniques to grow enough tomatoes for ALL of us!!!
This was an amazing video for someone like myself that really doesn’t know much at all about gardening but likes to try. Thank you for so much great information!
I have always had problems with growing tomatoes and now I know why. The clearest set of instructions I have heard yet and I bought some today to plant tomorrow. I know where to come if I forget what to do lol. New sub NZ.
I save egg shells all winter and mix with my compost in the soil. I plant in pots on a patio. I have not had the shells attract pests. I also save the water from hard boiled eggs, add egg peels. wait a few days and water tomatoes with that. It has eliminated blossom end rot for me. Thanks for the great video. I found it by accident but have subscribed.
My sister is an avid gardener and have a lovely backyard to grow all the items she wishes to grow. I on the other hand live in apartment and although i have an ideal weather system in which to grow things, i do not do that much. She suggested that i watch your video, mostly because i was bombarding her with tons of questions about different planting techniques etc. I did not know about the two kinds of tomato plants. I really enjoyed your video, so informative and i learned so much!! Have a happy day!
Great video, very informative. I am new to your channel and I am enjoying watching your videos. I just wanted to add to your list here. I plant all of my tomatoes and pepper plants with aspirin and Epsom salts in the hole lightly sprinkled with soil before putting the plants in. I only water the first couple weeks until they get established and then don’t water the rest of the season. All of my plants are mulched to retain moisture but have not had any problems with BER, mildew, or blight since I started doing these things. Now we do get rain throughout our growing season so some people might have to water. Another great idea is to integrate the plants amongst your beans as they are a natural source of nitrogen. 😊 thank you for sharing your videos 🇨🇦🇨🇦
I have been growing tomatoes for years and had a problem with mice and voles, so i kept all the loose fur from my dogs and spread it around the base of the plants, no more problem. Hope it helps. Thank you for your great videos. Chris from Canada
My dogs pee on my containers that house my tomato 🍅 plants and the rats could not care less, they come under the fence from my next door neighbors nightly and have taken bites from my GREEN tomatoes even. Rats are much much smarter than mice when it comes to traps as well
My next door neighbors rats come under the fence at night and chomp on my GREEN tomatoes. I have 6 dogs constantly in that dog run area. Should I concentrate their fur? I comb them daily
Just getting started with my adventure into growing various Fruits and I can honestly say, there’s absolutely so much to learn that I never knew about. I’ve had problems with diseases ruining and killing my plants and trees because of the extremely wet climate in which I live. It’s my own fault because I ignorantly assumed that I could dig a hole and plant something and it will grow. 😂😂 Unfortunately, I had to lose several hundred dollars in saplings especially before I decided to research, which brought me here. I’ve learned some valuable information during your videos and for that, a Big Thank You. 😊😊
I'm just getting started and I've been binging RUclips videos on growing tomatoes. I just wanted to let you know I've learned more from your video than the other six videos I watched...combined. Tons of great information. Thanks for making awesome educational videos.
Really comprehensive video. Regarding stubborn cases of BER. Folks may want to test their soil. The cause that I have found no where in You Tube videos or gardening resources is having very alkaline soil. I found it researching North American soil types and large scale agricultural issues. The salts compete with calcium for uptake and calcium loses. No amount of proper watering, Epsom salts or calcium will help. However, adding aluminum sulphate to the soil (test every year) works wonders. Once I applied this approach, I went from having virtually everything with BER to having only a plant or two with a few problem fruit. So, test soil, turn in aluminum sulphate about 3 weeks before planting and then side dress about 1/2 c per plant about 3 weeks after planting. Keep testing soil.
Thank you Brian for all the tips!! I have a cherry tomato plant that came up volunteer from my compost in a Desert Xeroscape and it must be Indeterminant - this is its third year of producing huge clusters of cherry tomatoes. It is in a semi-protected area and freezes back and I prune it in the spring. Now there are five or six more plants growing around it, very heat tolerant. I love its spirit so much I tore out the Xeroscape and coverted it to raised beds-- cucumbers, zucchini ect. I'm in Tucson, AZ but at 4000 ft so I have 4 or 5 freezes a winter. I save a couple of cherry tomatoes, dry them out and every season plant half of one (I'm lazy) in my main garden and in 4 weeks they are up and growing in March. I will try Rock Phosphate. Thanks again, subscribed!
In Umbria, Italy this year there was TOO MUCH SUN! My tomatoes suffered terribly and stopped producing for weeks. I rigged some shade cloths but the damage was done and here i am in September playing catch up😔 they ARE delicious though because they sat on the plants for so long!
Hands down the most informative video on tomato gardening from beginning to end. I have been growing tomatoes for about 12 years and am always looking for new tips and I now have the aspirin tip! Thank you for the time you took to make this thourough enough to keep us interested but succinct and to the point without wandering. No weird music and no talking about yourself for 10 minutes. One tip I did not hear you mention but could be helpful to new tomato growers. Pinching off a few of the small fruits in order to develop a larger sized fruit. Great video, I am hitting subscribe.
I have a special spiral notebook on all the videos you make, so I can refer and remember your special tips! Thank you very much. This retired teacher is happy to keep learning!
This year I tried to replant the sucker branches directly into other places of the garden. And that actually works really well :) they wilt for 1-2 weeks a bit, bit if you water them regularely they catch up really easily and grow very fast.
What a wonderful video, thank you so much, I learned a few new tips. I have been growing tomatoes for years, and long ago someone told me to plant basil in with the tomatoes to stop hornworms. I have done this for years and have had no hornworms since. Doesn't take a lot of basil plants, just a few. The moth that lays the hornworm eggs does not like basil so they move on.
I have an even less expensive alternative to landscape staples. Wire hangers are a dime a dozen. Everybody has a surplus, especially if you get your laundry done at the cleaners. Simply cut the hook off & the bottom bar in half & you have a 2 landscape staples.
I got sig huge bags of chicken manure from a local farmer. It had a lot of saw dust in it but I tilled is into my garden before I did any planting. I gotta say my garden looks great. My tomatoes are really taken off. I’m gonna try all his ideas next year. I’m very excited. My dad use to lay the plant down side ways when he planted them. They would bend and shoot to the sky and I’d say this is why. I had no idea about pruning and planting deep. This guy is on point.
It is also possible to use suckers which have not been removed from a plant in time and have grown very long. When you cut them off you can dip them directly into a deep light potting soil mixture. Preferably you would need to cut off the top of the sucker and only leave a few leaves on the stem for better rooting. I have successfully duplicated many plants with this method.
Someone said that he is using the "Suckers" to produce clone of the original plant. In fact the result is even stronger and healthier than the original...
@valconstantinescu8484 yeah any plant you grow by taking a cutting or shoot off a mother plant it will be genetically identical to the mother plant, so a clone with all the same features. Whereas growing from seed the plants flowers are often fertilized by pollen frim a different male plant and so the plant grown from those seeds will have a mix of genetics from both and thus mixes of features that can be more random and not controlled well by the grower. Thus say if someone's trying to preserve and replicate certain strain of plants with desireable features they'll often grow them bu cuttings/cloning. If you didn't know that already anyway. ))
I've learnt more in just a few minutes thank I had from years of growing and reading. Excellent presentation skills, clear concise presentation. Thank you.
It's always better to hear someone actually talking about things than reading in a book, or reading from the internet. And it's also so much faster. I enjoy it alot better. 👍☺️
Love your videos. I wanted to say that rather than bunch of little plastic pieces, you can also just tie a bowline knot around the plant. Thanks for sharing all of this great information. I'm trying to improve my gardening a little each year!
Watched TONS of vids on tomatoes and your voice is mesmerizing. Lol. Plus, I absolutely appreciate the pace by which you speak. I love listening to your voice and your crystal clear instructions. Thank you sooooo much!!!
Well thank you! Ive always hated my voice. Editing all of these videos Ive kind of gotten used to it now lol. Thank you for the other kind comments as well!
THIS is a fantastic channel‼️ Even though I’m viewed by many of my friends & family to be “all-knowing” when it comes to gardening - Ha Ha, I know I’ll NEVER know everything & that one person never can. BUT, I DO BELIEVE that wise people will always seek to expand their knowledge & move forward with lifelong learning, listening to the perspectives of others. Anyway, you’ve TOTALLY BLOWN ME AWAY with your abundant knowledge, tips, AND experience‼️THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO SO WELL‼️‼️‼️ I guess I’m still in the honeymoon phase, having just discovered this channel within the last week or so, BUT WHAT A GREAT DISCOVERY IT HAS BEEN, INDEED❗️
Great video. I really appreciate the different support strategies, pruning tips and reminders of preventative maintenance for disease. I helped my grandpa with his huge gardens when I was very young and pretty much forgot most of what he taught. Watching this video brought back so much and I learned more from this one video than I have watching ten others. This year I decided to start growing mainly so my four kids know just in case or in case they want to have it just be part of their lives. I appreciate the time and effort you put into your work. Thank you so much.
I have learned so much from you. You have such a wonderful way of explaining things and it’s just the highlight of my evening to watch your gardening videos and to learn the things that I’ve always wanted to know to correct the mistakes I’ve been making and it’s just wonderful that you’re willing to do this. You’re such a blessing.
If you don't want to buy and mess with netting, queen size panty hose are $1 in the dollar stores. Cut the legs into small sections, tie off one end of each,and slip over the fruit. The fruit doesn't need sunlight. It only needs air. This will mask the red color from the birds, as well as guard the fruits from any who find them. Easy to slip on and off, too. I use larger sections for groups of cherry tomatoes. This trick was shared with me from an old granny grower in Dallas, TX.
@@JB-hn6qw Do I?? 6 huge pines that tower over my tiny apmt and are only 7ft from my door. I grow in two huge pots and didnt know they could ruin my tomatoes and peppers because of THIS comment in the video I followed. Didnt lose not a one. No bug holes either. One more thing...the Lowe's sold ugly green nylon hose already cut for a buckand once they were on the tomatoes were even camouflaged so my neighbors didnt pick them walking by my beautiful flourish plants😄 Oh, yes plenty squrriels running around them all day
Exactly, growing indoors is light years better than outdoors. You wouldn’t raise your family outdoors 24/7 why would you raise your flowerbed out there? People are so weird. Also people who think pets/animals like living outdoors over a nice home, as if humans do?
@@matthewhunter6421 growing indoors will need lot of energy to make tomatoes taste same as outdoor. I grow tiny tim indoor and outdoor. Indoor behind window its basicily taste less. Outside tomatoes are super sweet
Thank you! I want to start growing cherry tomatoes on my windowsill, but we only receive 2 hours of direct sunlight each day. Could I still grow the tomatoes under this condition? I am starting with the heirloom seeds from home depot. Do you think they are truly heirloom? Also my windowsill is only 30 in wide, so I would only be able to plant two at a time to give them space? How long will it take to grow and while I receive lots of cherry tomatoes with just two plants. Thanks so much! This is my first time Farming :)
For the tomato worms, I have put my ashes from my wood stove. For the last 30 years I have not had any tomato worms. You video was excellent I learned a lot. Richard
I feel like this is the kind of stuff when you sell produce, people will say-I'll only buy from you, your tomatoes taste so much better! It's the extra knowledge and care-thank you!
Thanks for the great video, very informative. I've seen long videos that are 80% useless because people are more interested in hearing themselves talk. Yours is very educational and no bullcrap or wasting time. Going to share for sure.
I live in northern Wisconsin and our growing season is quite short so I’m always open to growing tips. To assure that water gets to the roots, I cut off the bottom of plastic water bottles and bury them upside down right next to my plants with only the open bottom sticking out. I can then fill the buried bottle with water each time I water my plants and the moisture goes right to the roots. My harvest has been very successful using this watering method.
such a great hint, I have done this when going on vacation for indoor plants. However here in FL I would be concerned about standing water of any kind as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
I've grown tomatoes a few times over the decades and there's always an impressive bumper crop. An incredibly forgiving fruit. Honestly, know nothing more than that. Thanks, I learned a lot. Subscribed.
My Italian dad would lay the plants down in a trench with just the top above the soil to establish the root system. Just found you and subscribed. Great informative videos!!!
My first time in Carbon county Utah the nursery guy showed me that trick of laying about 6 inches of the plant stripped of leaves horizontally in a trench. I had trouble doing that w/o breaking the stem. I think I did ok that year although at 7K feet of elevation it was a short growing season. I had some coal that had been in the bed and the tomatoes had a green taste to them, but it was fun and I had more success the next time. We have raised beds now with our own compost pile. Struggled with leaf spot and mold this time, but probably splashed water on them and added insult by covering them with a white cloche spraying it with water because of the heat. They are pulling out of it now. Also had a tomato worm last year that was attacked by those parasitic wasps. That was so cool seeing how diversity works in an organic garden.
Nicely done! I've been building organic landscapes in WA for over 25 years. Removed my back lawn when covid hit in '20 and have had a large food garden ever since. That allowed me to practice what I've preached to my clients over the years when it came to their vegetable gardens. Therefore, I'm relatively new to creating crops, but I have had huge success using the same information you laid out here. Great video!
I will refer to this video frequently. I've grown tomatoes for many years & have seen a few of the problems you mentions. Some years I have had so many tomatoes I got tired of canning them. Sometimes they are so sweet & other times not so sweet. Thank you for such good information, it filled in a lot of blanks.
Hey Brian, you are definitely one of my very favorite teachers of all things gardening! your combination of knowledge, experience and honesty about challenges you’ve faced, all make you such a wonderful “resource” for so many people. you make it interesting and fun and i’ve learned (learning that is) so much from you. Thank you for so generously teaching us!
@@NextLevelGardening i’ll be praying for ongoing health and well-being for you and your family, and for continued successes with your gardens and inspiring homestead. Couldn’t be a better time to be more and more producing one’s own food! i’m just doing a small vegetable garden for the first time and your videos have helped tremendously. Thanks again friend.
@@NextLevelGardening Hi, did you really just call tomatoes a vegetable in the beginning of your video?? 🤦 It's a fruit! Botanically as well as nutritionally.
I save tomato cuttings every fall so i don't have to plant tomato seeds in the spring when it's cold and have to worry about slow growth cuz it's too cold OR damping off and other problems with seedlings
I plant and side dress with vermicompost (worm compost). I used to use compost from redworms, but these days it's a by product of white worms (in coconut coir) that I culture for tropical fish. The resulting tomatoes are amazing! 🙂
When my grandmother planted tomatoes, she would strip off the lower leaves like you do, but she would lay them horizontally along the ground, cover the entire stem with soil and leave only the top leaves of the stalk exposed. Works well also for increased root production!
Holy cow, this is one of the most useful videos I've seen, you really cover all the bases and it's so well structured! I decided to try and grow heirloom Costoluto Genovese tomatoes this year and they can be finicky, I am SO glad I watched this while they're still seedlings! Thank you!
I've decided to start tomato farming, I'm planning to acquire an acre of land and I will soon be asking you for tips on how to do it here in Uganda..... Thx for sharing your knowledge
Im now retired but when I got interested in gardening in high-school, my great Uncle taught me how to make tomato cages from concrete reenforcement wire. It has 6" square holes and looks like heavy duty wire fencing. The cages are ab about 2 1/2' in diameter and secured by simply cutting out the vertical wire on oneside and using the exposed horizontal wires, with pliers to the opposite side, forming the 2 1/2' diameter of the cage. Then cut off the bottom horizonal wire exposing the numerous vertical wires that are used to stabalize the cage when pushed into the ground. The reenforcement wire is 6' wide that leaves a 5 1/2' cage when the bottom exposed wires are pushed into the ground.
You can plant your tomatoes 2 rows wide with the cages close to touching and secure the double row of cages together with hog rings. This is incredibly stable and requires no stakes or anything else to secure it. Im still using the cages i made about 40 years ago although some are bent up and the bottom wires of some have finally rusted away.
Loved the video. I learned a lot of helpful things about controlling my tomato plants. Thank you! Did you know that if you plant basil around your tomatoes plants, it will keep the hornworms away? They hate basil. I've never had a hornworm problem.
I have one 5 gallon bucket for my tiny apartment patio that I'm going to attempt to grow a single tomato plant in. Do you know whether I could plant a tiny amount of basil in the same bucket? Or would a small pot nearby work? There is so much I don't know. I already ruined one seedling, and I was prepared to give up, but this video explained a few things that probably killed it so I know to change how I proceed next time. But I have never grown tomatoes before, and I'm pretty lost.
Instead of a wood structure to run the strings, I went with 3 double shepherds hooks for 6 plants. Works and looks great! BTW, your videos helped realize I was doing everything wrong growing tomatoes.
Brilliant idea! I have an HOA which would’ve had an issue with wooden trellises so I was looking for alternatives when I came across your post. Terrific idea! Thanks!
I have been growing tomatoes on and off for years with varying success so I was very happy to come across your channel ... we are about to plant tomatoes again and will definitely use your tips...thank you for sharing your experience I have just subscribed to your channel and look forward to seeing more of your great videos.
Spray the Aspirin every two weeks!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Towards evening time, I'm assuming...as not to burn leaves....?
@@kristintrossbach6320 Mornings would be better. You don't want wet leaves going into the night where you're creating a better environment for disease to thrive which is what you're trying to prevent!
In my 20’s (I’m 70 now) I worked on a 17 acre tomato farm that had a packing shed. I learned a lot about endurance and became a tomato snob. We drove a stake after 2 plants. As the plants grew we looped twine around the stakes and took out the slack. This process was repeated as the plants grew. Each morning a 16’ flatbed truck made the 45 mile trip to the Sacramento produce market destined for grocery stores. Those were the most memorable years of my life and paid my college expenses.
@UncleHank thanks for sharing your tomato growing experience-I enjoy hearing it, and I bet you have had some interesting stories to tell! God's blessings on you and happy growing!
🍅🍅🍅 Thank you, Uncle Hank❗️l loved hearing you reminisce of that happy time in your life while you were working on a 17 acre tomato farm‼️I’m 68 now, but began gardening when l was 22 & have never stopped. It’s so enjoyable AND rewarding. Being, what I call, “In The Dirt” is peaceful to me, so I’m out there as much as possible for my New England climate. Most recently, I’ve been learning all l can about extending my growing season: with a few crops, straw mulch, or a low hoop tunnel, I’ve been able to harvest a few cold tolerant vegetables right out of the ground in winter. Anyway, HAPPY GARDENING‼️🍅🥬🍠🥔🌽🥦
I wanted to cry when you said a summer job helped pay for college. 😢
Plants generally cheer me up🌱
@@rkhound247 That’s the way we did it back then. When I dropped out I gat drafted, then I used my G I Bill money to finish. Tuition was much cheaper in the 70’s. My sister’s kids did the same.
@Leslie Behrens 1x1” wooden stakes separated by 2 tomato plants. Twine looped starting just above ground level and cinched to remove slack. 1 string on each side and another as the plants grow. This offers excellent support and easy access for quick picking. A machete makes quick work of the twine (biodegradable) at seasons end.
What a _pleasure_ viewing a video with good audio in plain English, no distrating music or graphics and the presenter knows what he's talking about. Thank you Brian!
🙄
Except for the often twisted, yet still incorrect notion, the tomato "hairs" become roots...
For the record, they don't... New roots grow from the stem, but don't transform from hairs...
You can even take a cutting (say, when you prime a lateral shoot) such it into water and it'll grow roots... Voila! You've just cloned a tomato plant.
@@VashtiWood good to know. Thanks!
AMEN!!
Yes, exactly this. Thank you for this comment.
The photos of blossom end rot, rust, blight, etc. are very helpful, as is the entire video. Thanks!
Clearest, most informative, thorough and well organized education on raising tomatoes I have seen. Bar none. Excellent!
Thank you son. I'm an old guy now and that was the easiest, most succinct tutorial on growing tomatoes that I've ever seen. Well done. And I am now a subscriber. You get so much convoluted content these days, it is refreshing to skip the nonsense, and see how easy it can really be.
Thank you !
Great show!
I agree!
You're an old guy just learning to grow Tomatoes? What did you do all your life in the Summer? Just kidding, hope you get lots of extra for the neighbors!!
Great video! I grew up hearing a few tricks and tips, but the wackiest one my grannie did was hitting her tomato plants with a old grapevine broom. She did that when she didn't think the plants were doing their pollination properly and she said it kickstarted that process. She also would use egg shells in a large glass jar covered with water and when her plants needed a boost she would water them with that concoction. She grew some amazing, huge, beautiful, TASTY tomatoes! So she must have had something working. One comment about the plants growing. I had a cherry tomatoes plant self-start at the ends of my porch and that plant grew to about 7' long growing along the ground. My son was about 3-4 yrs old then and he had a little tunnel in that plant and when he was missing you could find him there laying on his back, picking tomatoes and eating them one by one! (he ate more of those tomatoes than my wife and I put together!!)
your grannie knew what she was doing, sometimes you need to shake the branches to get the pollen distributed, especially since we are losing our pollinators, make sure to plant some flowers that attract pollinators. Love the story about your son.
The eggs releases calcium - this first part Brian was talking about
Smart lady. I'm fortunate to have bumblebee's around and they're only 1 of 2 species that can actually pollinate tomato plants. So they do the brooming for me.
I've been growing a indeterminate beef stake indoors in my 72"x96" window for 16months now harvesting tomatoes entire time. Blows my mind and I love it. I've cloned about 10 plants off of it thus far
I got a real kick out of your post. Imagine hitting the plants with a broom! I'm out there every day with my electric toothbrush carefully doing each bloom. lol
I’m 70 years old and I have had plenty of experience growing a garden mostly in the NW. I learned more from your video than watching a bunch of others. You are one smart feller. Thanks
Thanks for watching! I appreciate that.
You are 70 years old, but I reakon you learned alot more from being able to watch what you specifically want to watch, not the random crud they put on tv which they focus on sponsers suggestions and stuff that really is not relevant. But Great on you for taking your viewing to what you want to watch. So great to hear this kind of stuff.
spaaggetii Man Thank you for your comment. I taught my Mom to do the same. She is 86 and going strong. I hope I will be as good if I reach 86. We don’t even have a TV here in this modern world. You’re right, it’s mostly all crap.
Yes he is one smart fella. That was I going to say too.
Hello sir, I am writing you from Ethiopia, traditionally we grow the determinate tomatoes type, we don't get here the indeterminate type. So, could you please send me any single pack of indeterminate tomato type? sorry bothering you.
Amrach
These videos are terrific. I never had much luck gardening which is an embarrassment since my mother was an experienced successful gardener having worked in agriculture and being a farmer’s daughter and my uncle farmed cotton in the San Joaquin Valley. After watching video decided to try again. I bought 10 tomato plants of 5 different varieties thinking if I get one plant to produce at least 1 tomato I would finally be a success and break the continuous bad luck. I followed the instructions in this video. My goodness all 10 plants are producing and we’ve already harvested a few ripe tomatoes that really have a good flavor. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! Wishing you all the best!
Thank you for not putting music on your video. It makes it much easier to focus on what you're saying.
You're welcome😉
Agreed!
Banjoman 2007
Completely agree. People have a bad habit of letting friends do the music. I am very picky about music
That was such a informational video. Those little tips are so useful. I made that mistake thought the more branches all the more tomatoes. Now I know. Thank you.
Pushpa Naresh m.nlnb
52 years old and I’ve gardened most of my life and I learned heaps from this. Thank you.
I am a novice gardner. I watched your video and immediately decided to prune my tomatoe plants per you recommendations. I was rewarded by finding lsome bites on the leaves along with some black dots. I would not have known what this meant but you had covered tomatoe worms. I looked down and the green worm was on my shirt! Love it. Thanks
Hi Sandy
Careful those worms bite or sting
I love watching your Chs you make me feel calm and confident rather than overwhelmed to deal with gardening. You are a great teacher. Thank you and God bless you.
For those wondering, like I was, how often to spray the plants with the ASPIRIN solution, it’s EVERY 2 WEEKS. This got answered in a reply to somebody’s comment here already, but it’s buried and a bit hard to find.
These videos are gold, by the way! Thanks for starting this channel - the content is fantastic.
I guess every two weeks it's okay to get the leaves wet? Is there a specific time of day they should be sprayed with Aspirin?
@@PositronsFish Spray early in day so water will evaporate quickly. Good luck!
Yes, thanks a million! I appreciate your expertise information. I'm now trying to grow my very own garden & needless to say, I'm so excited! I hope your gardens all grow & makes an abundance of good veggies & fruits! Blessings!
yes! thankyou
I’ve been growing tomatoes most of my life and I learned more about growing and caring for tomatoes in the last 21 mins than I ever knew! Can’t wait for this years crop! Thanks for the great tips!
Thanks for watching! So glad you enjoyed it. Good luck on this year's crop!
Alan J I was going to say the same thing. A lot of things I did by years of trial and error but was good to get confirmation. But there were some very important stuff I did not know like the difference between a determinate, indeterminate and Beef Stakes.
Some new ideas about fertilizing was good also. Can’t wait till next year.
*Thanks for sharing❗️... I live in Britain and I will certainly give this a try....plus I'll share with my daughters and they can share with their friends! 🍅😋🍅*
Mm no I'm no in y
*Same! This is a fantastic video!* I used to grow tomatoes with my nan as a kid, and grow them myself now as an adult, and all the things I struggled with over the years with my tomatoes I finally now know how to fix. And I *really* scratched my head over the cracked tomatoes last summer, and now I finally have an answer! So now I know I have to find a solution to keep them watered steadily when I’m away for 3 days or more (maybe should look into something similar to the nice dripping system he showed us in this video).
I've watched quite a few on RUclips about tomatoes growing and this was defo the most educational ...the way he explained and paused and gave the expression on each ..
I overwintered about 5 of my hot pepper plants in place in my raised garden bed in Chico CA by accident. I did not pull them out as they were still producing all the way into Jan. So in Feb I cut them back to where they were producing new leaves and they are doing great!
Thanks Brian, I’ve been growing a few tomatoes each year for the last fifty years with very average results. Today I’ve learnt that I haven’t been planting them deep enough and also I have been guilty of sometimes letting them get too dry between watering, and I’ve been getting splitting late into the U.K. season. I’m already looking forward to a fresh start next season! Bless you and stay well. 🙏🇬🇧
Me too
Ollas is the cure for that.😊
It is my first summer growing tomato's and I got them in the ground in mid July due to the build of my raised garden beds taking more time than the norm due to never doing such a thing before and doing it alone. That being said, I invested the money and effort/time into building the raised beds because my research has pointed to them being the best when it comes to water drainage (amongst other benefits). Initially, I was having what sounds to be a similar issue to what you describe in your comment. Assuming you don't have raised garden beds, and also assuming you have the room to do so- I would recommend checking it out. The reason being, you can over water the plants (within common sense reason, of course) to the point of even flooding the beds and it will do nothing but accel growth and health, from my experience (of 1 year, LOL, I know!). I hope this comment doesn't come off in a rude, "know-it-all" type of way, just food for thought. Take care.
@@eyeswideshut1989 hello EWS! Well after effectively one growing year I can happily say my decision to convert from portable grow bags to fixed raise beds this year has paid-off handsomely. Despite being in a location that is very well sheltered from wind but also devoid of all but about three hours of direct sun, my plants this year ( always small cherry variety) have grown like trees and are extremely heavy with numerous frogs of approximately 10 good plump fruit per frond.
My raised bed faces west against a strong timber fence and is built up just over a foot deep from the ground using a dry build of old driveway pavers and is fully cane and string supported to a single row running north/south and height of five feet. The big difference this time is that I am now able to keep the soil flood wet at all times with a regular watering necessary every two or three days, in comparison to my grow bags that needed a good flooding every morning and evening to prevent the imminent danger of drying to a crust. This now means my wife and I can now go away or a long weekend without the stress of arranging a neighbour’s intervention during our absence. Lastly, I always sow my three inch high pot grown plants mid May here in central southern England. My tomatoes slowly began redness approximately mid August albeit reluctantly but I’m now hoping that with this coming week’s promised late heat wave, I may get up to 70% of them to ripen! Sincere best wishes to you 🙏
I don't understand why people give videos like this a thumbs down. Its a lot of haters in the world I guess. Yes I'm subscribing
Thank you...and welcome!
I was just thinking the same thing because it's a lot of good info... haters...
@@purplesage2621 That's what the play back speed button is for. You can listen to the entire video in half the time.
@@purplesage2621 dumbass
Its not thumb down, its only provided to click if you dont like it. No thumb downs till now, if you click that there will be a number popping up besides that thumb. That number is there only for thumb up . Just check
Thank you, i plant lots of plants successfully, but not all the tomato plants are happy by me, i think it's because I've been wetting their leaves, i appreciate your help 🎉
I've had this video in my "saved for later" playlist for 3 years, and I'm so glad it popped up today. Great insight, concise information, and the secret weapon at the end is such a bonus! Can't wait to start my first tomatoes with success from the start. Thank you.
I have followed your advice and my tomato plants in buckets are absolutely gorgeous. One variety is producing flowers. And no bugs! Before I moved to this house, stink bugs ruined every plant I ever had. I bought your book, and have pots of basil all around the tomato buckets. It’s all just working as you say it will, and I am thrilled! So….how do I keep squirrels out of my lettuce? They love to dig holes in my containers!
We have an armadillo 🤨
Coffee grounds squirrels hate it
I plant 200 plants minimum every year in Iowa. 4 foot high hog fence 18 inches apart. I take straw, too, support plant after it's about 2/ 2.5 feet. It's insane how many tomatoes I get. I plant them deep as well. I also learned that over the years,they don't like to be touched.
Brooooooooooooooo...... Where the hell were you last year when I destroyed my tomatoe plants!?!?! Now, it's me and you buddy... We're gonna DOMINATE this year!! Thank you.
Lol. Yes sir. This is the year!
Lmbo;) suspect I’ll have a better crop this year than any other;) Thanks so much for all the information. I just need to check out about the aspirin spray and where to spray it???
The tomato mafia 😮 😄
LETS GO RYAN I'M WITH YOU AND KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!
😂😊
When you pinch out your plant's put those into a pot to shoot and you will have an exact match of the tomato your growing and It also staggers your planting to avoid gluts of produce.
Thank you!😊
Do you mean that we should plant the suckers or do you mean the flowers?
@@lisahelton3297 the parts that you cut off from the "armpits" in the video
In general, a tomato stem can make a whole new plant if you're lucky, but the flower will never be able to grow into a whole plant
Plant the suckers - might help to let stems sit in water til roots emerge then plant in soil😊
What do you use the need oil for
Yours is one of the few videos I have seen where the narrator is able to bring out whatever he is saying right into the understanding of the watcher. Respect you. Anand
20 years growing tomatoes and my watering trick is using large Tim Horton cans for each plant at plating time , open both ends of the can plant tomatoes plants 6" in the ground making sure half the can is out of the ground so when you water your plants they will take a liter of water in that can just for each plants. My plants are watered every two day during dry times and they will grow more than you ever seen
I bet you have helps keep pests off of then too
Plastic coffee cans?
Great tip ❤ thank you!!
Metal or plastic coffee can. I’m assuming metal?
Brain this is exceptional as I am sure you know from some of the comments. I was looking for something for my wife and this is the one. I have been gardening over 60 years and you taught me some things! What a blessing you are!
Brain is close 😀
Helpful
Brian, I’ve been watching videos for several years on growing tomatoes, and this one is THE BEST one I’ve seen. Thank you for the way you present the information. And thank you for sharing your knowledge and your experience. I will be following you from now on and I’ll be reviewing any other video you have shared. Thank you again.
Strings tend to damage and cut the fragile tomatoes stems, specially in very windy areas like mine. So I cut old used bed cotton sheets into strips and use it to bow tie the stem to the stakes, and it is a very safe method to adjust/undoo and to take it off at the end of the season 😬✌️
That's something I'll try since I live in windy-throughout-the-year west Texas...thank you!
Panty hose works! cut into stretchy circles
@@Texan_Patriot if you have old panty hose lying around that's what I use. Just cut them to the proper length they are more resilient to stretching a little and they are very gentle and they don't disintegrate so you can use them decade after decade after decade
Florist tape works well too
I use the ties from hay in my garden to tie things up. They are thick enough they don't damage fragile stems.
iam 78 years old and love growing plants and i learn more from ur veids
Hey Brian, a massive THANK YOU, my friend! We used this video as a guide and our tomatoes were absolutely epic this year. We planted mostly grape varieties since our kids love taking them to school as snacks, and we started growing SO MUCH FRUIT that the branches were starting to kink and needed support. We're talking 16-22 tomatoes per branch on average. Our yellow heirloom tomatoes had double branches (in a Y formation), though my guess is that's how they grow normally (first year for those). We used seeds saved over from tomatoes bought at the store (Angel Sweet and a couple heirloom varieties), but our fruit looks way more "muscular", almost athletic, compared to what you get at the store. Flavour and texture didn't disappoint either - all around excellent crop. Again, thanks for your top notch videos - your knowledge and presentation style are absolute fire!
That's awesome! Thank you for letting me know!😃
Reading this got me so hyped up for this season, thanks.
@@darkness4382 omg, your right, me too. I can hardly wait. Happy gardening!
Tomatoes are fruits not veggies
Thanks for discouraging the rat poison
Not only do I pick off my suckers, i cut all leaves that touch the ground to give them good air flow, that really makes a difference
I always cut off all the leaves 1 foot from the ground so when I water tomatoes using garden hose, they don't get splash back (water on leaves that grow higher up). Furthermore, instead of the stuff you put underneath the plant (when planting them), simply bury a nettle which contains a lot of potassium so the plant will feed on it as roots grow. Also, if I plant/grow tomatoes too late and they don't turn red by rainy season (autumn), I collect them while they're green and keep them in dark place at home (cupboard) and they mature (turn red throughout) in about 3-4 weeks. Kris from Ireland
What's a nettle??
@@sammiedog4 see en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_plants_known_as_nettle
I have heard that you can pick the green tomatoes and wrap each tomato in a piece of newspaper place them in a box in a closet and they will last a very long time.
Krzysztof M, this year try fried green tomatoes. Many recipes. Personal favorite, slice green tomatoes a 1/2 inch thick or less. Dip in flour. Dip in beaten salty egg and a little milk. Dip in Maseca which is fine milled white cornmeal. Fry in oil and butter until light brown. Serve with mayonnaise. My tomatoes are most bountiful and green when the snows come. Thank-you for the tip.
Fried green tomatoes are a favorite!
I’ve grown for years and learned from you today. You did a great job of organizing and presenting your class. Well done!
Thank you so much!
Amen! Great job. From Nova Scotia
Thank you very much
Interesting! I was taught by my father and other elders of our community to strip tomato plants of their bottom leaves up to the first fruits. This helps enormously with air flow which helps against disease and pests. The bottom leaves are the first to die anyway when the plant gets older and has already produced ripe tomatoes. Great video! I was wondering if one of those tips would be an ultraviolet flashlight! NICE! All of these tips are perfect and the best tips you could possibly come up with. Thank you for sharing your wisdom! Bless you!
S
Thank you for not having music I can actually clearly hear what you’re saying....I have learned a lot!!
I've been gardening for 34 years and last year was the first time I had end rot. Good to know why. Also, I never have a lack of tomatoes but will try your methods cause they make so much sense. I'm a little scared how much more I'll get. My neighbors, friends, family and enemies will love me. Thanks for the great advise.
The trees where I live have fast rot. Few gardens in 2020 had what looked like blight but was caused by nuclear detonations in march of 2020.
I used to have lackluster results from my garden... and now thanks to many of your tips... great results! Thank you for the tips!!
I just learned more about gardening tomatoes than I’ve ever known. What a great video thank you so much!
Love the tomato info. Thanks. 😊 Just one suggestion on covering tomatoes or any plants, trees or shrubs to keep the birds out - please use tulle fabric instead of bird netting which can trap some birds (like hummingbirds) and they could die. Besides, tulle fabric is cheaper than bird netting and can be found at most fabric shops and on line stores like “The Tulle Shop” (Emerald, 54 inch Bolt X 40 Yards for $4.99) and other discount shops and some specialty stores like Etsy ($0.99 per yard). The little holes in the tulle are small enough not to catch and trap most birds including little hummingbirds unlike ‘bird netting’. We want to discourage birds from steeling our fruit, not kill birds. Thanks. 🙂
Yes! I am growing in raised kiddie pools, hook bungee cords around it to keep the tule secure. Leave them there , pull the tule out to sun, harvest, feed&water etc, then tuck it back it❤😊
The black light and aspirin are great tips!
The way you present and teach is just phenomenal! I have a brain lesion in the base of my brain and I have a really hard time understanding things, but the way you do it is just amazing and I don't have to listen to the video 100 times to "get it"! Thanks a bunch for all of your hard work and these amazing videos! 🤗💜
Wow. That means so much. Thank you ❤
@@NextLevelGardening no, thank YOU.😁💘
@@NextLevelGardening not to mention, can we take a minute to honor you for your genius invention of your tomato trellis!!👏
100% agreed. DOMINATION
Yes u r right he talk like a pro. Well done guys
After watching numerous videos on growing tomatoes, I stumbled upon this one, And, by far, the most informative and easiest to understand of all! It answered many questions I have about tomato fruit production, not just beautiful plants with limited fruit production!
This must be THE BEST video on Tomatoes.
Great voice, great content, great script. no politics :D
Relleker Fw sad that we have to compliment on the lack of politics in US videos by now.
@@jhwheuer and most importatn not selling or asking to buy something :)
Trump 2020
Hi. We love your videos here in Iran 🇮🇷. We use your videos for many of our students here in Tehran university. We love you and thank you so much for sharing your videos. You are awesome. With lots of love from here in Iran 🇮🇷 to you in USA 🇺🇸. By the way happy bday to your country. Best wishes
Wow! Thank you so much! I love hearing that. You made my day!
That is so cool your watching from Iran. Hello. Your country has saffron. Could you make a video to show us how to grow that here. Or any thing that you grow that is unique. Thank you.
that's dope
Good luck over there be safe
I am not surprised, I thought you must be very well educated in horticulture. You should visit Iran, they would be thrilled.
Thank you for this video!! I grew tomatoes with my boys when they were little. We were kinda successful, but between my two young boys, the birds, and the rats, I only got to enjoy a few tomatoes myself. I can't wait to start using your techniques to grow enough
tomatoes for ALL of us!!!
If you do you will!
This was an amazing video for someone like myself that really doesn’t know much at all about gardening but likes to try. Thank you for so much great information!
I have always had problems with growing tomatoes and now I know why. The clearest set of instructions I have heard yet and I bought some today to plant tomorrow. I know where to come if I forget what to do lol. New sub NZ.
Straight on the topic without wasting time.👌
I save egg shells all winter and mix with my compost in the soil. I plant in pots on a patio. I have not had the shells attract pests. I also save the water from hard boiled eggs, add egg peels. wait a few days and water tomatoes with that. It has eliminated blossom end rot for me. Thanks for the great video. I found it by accident but have subscribed.
I grind up egg and nut shells and sprinkle them around my seedlings stops slugs and snails..
My sister is an avid gardener and have a lovely backyard to grow all the items she wishes to grow. I on the other hand live in apartment and although i have an ideal weather system in which to grow things, i do not do that much. She suggested that i watch your video, mostly because i was bombarding her with tons of questions about different planting techniques etc. I did not know about the two kinds of tomato plants. I really enjoyed your video, so informative and i learned so much!! Have a happy day!
Great video, very informative. I am new to your channel and I am enjoying watching your videos. I just wanted to add to your list here. I plant all of my tomatoes and pepper plants with aspirin and Epsom salts in the hole lightly sprinkled with soil before putting the plants in. I only water the first couple weeks until they get established and then don’t water the rest of the season. All of my plants are mulched to retain moisture but have not had any problems with BER, mildew, or blight since I started doing these things. Now we do get rain throughout our growing season so some people might have to water. Another great idea is to integrate the plants amongst your beans as they are a natural source of nitrogen. 😊 thank you for sharing your videos 🇨🇦🇨🇦
I have been growing tomatoes for years and had a problem with mice and voles, so i kept all the loose fur from my dogs and spread it around the base of the plants, no more problem. Hope it helps. Thank you for your great videos. Chris from Canada
That sounds like a good idea 👍
My dogs pee on my containers that house my tomato 🍅 plants and the rats could not care less, they come under the fence from my next door neighbors nightly and have taken bites from my GREEN tomatoes even. Rats are much much smarter than mice when it comes to traps as well
Chris, I heard this from a friend recently. I initially thought he was kidding me , now I know he was sincere about it. Appreciate this.
My next door neighbors rats come under the fence at night and chomp on my GREEN tomatoes. I have 6 dogs constantly in that dog run area. Should I concentrate their fur? I comb them daily
Cat fur probably works even better on rats.
I feel like a hit a little gold mine this afternoon by finding your channel. You explain well and you're so easy to listen to! New subscriber!!!! Thx
Just getting started with my adventure into growing various Fruits and I can honestly say, there’s absolutely so much to learn that I never knew about. I’ve had problems with diseases ruining and killing my plants and trees because of the extremely wet climate in which I live. It’s my own fault because I ignorantly assumed that I could dig a hole and plant something and it will grow. 😂😂 Unfortunately, I had to lose several hundred dollars in saplings especially before I decided to research, which brought me here.
I’ve learned some valuable information during your videos and for that, a Big Thank You. 😊😊
I'm just getting started and I've been binging RUclips videos on growing tomatoes. I just wanted to let you know I've learned more from your video than the other six videos I watched...combined. Tons of great information. Thanks for making awesome educational videos.
Thank you!
Really comprehensive video. Regarding stubborn cases of BER. Folks may want to test their soil. The cause that I have found no where in You Tube videos or gardening resources is having very alkaline soil. I found it researching North American soil types and large scale agricultural issues. The salts compete with calcium for uptake and calcium loses. No amount of proper watering, Epsom salts or calcium will help. However, adding aluminum sulphate to the soil (test every year) works wonders. Once I applied this approach, I went from having virtually everything with BER to having only a plant or two with a few problem fruit. So, test soil, turn in aluminum sulphate about 3 weeks before planting and then side dress about 1/2 c per plant about 3 weeks after planting. Keep testing soil.
Thank you Brian for all the tips!! I have a cherry tomato plant that came up volunteer from my compost in a Desert Xeroscape and it must be Indeterminant - this is its third year of producing huge clusters of cherry tomatoes. It is in a semi-protected area and freezes back and I prune it in the spring. Now there are five or six more plants growing around it, very heat tolerant. I love its spirit so much I tore out the Xeroscape and coverted it to raised beds-- cucumbers, zucchini ect. I'm in Tucson, AZ but at 4000 ft so I have 4 or 5 freezes a winter. I save a couple of cherry tomatoes, dry them out and every season plant half of one (I'm lazy) in my main garden and in 4 weeks they are up and growing in March. I will try Rock Phosphate. Thanks again, subscribed!
More sun isn't necessarily better; it depends on your climate. A lot of tomatoes do better with some shade if it's really hot and humid.
In Umbria, Italy this year there was TOO MUCH SUN! My tomatoes suffered terribly and stopped producing for weeks. I rigged some shade cloths but the damage was done and here i am in September playing catch up😔 they ARE delicious though because they sat on the plants for so long!
Hands down the most informative video on tomato gardening from beginning to end. I have been growing tomatoes for about 12 years and am always looking for new tips and I now have the aspirin tip! Thank you for the time you took to make this thourough enough to keep us interested but succinct and to the point without wandering. No weird music and no talking about yourself for 10 minutes. One tip I did not hear you mention but could be helpful to new tomato growers. Pinching off a few of the small fruits in order to develop a larger sized fruit. Great video, I am hitting subscribe.
I have a special spiral notebook on all the videos you make, so I can refer and remember your special tips! Thank you very much. This retired teacher is happy to keep learning!
I'm doing the same thing! I have to...my memory is terrible...lol
I do the same. Wish he would write a book!!!
This is one of the first video's I've watched until the end, and not because of the end tip. Well done, kept moving with interesting info.
This year I tried to replant the sucker branches directly into other places of the garden. And that actually works really well :)
they wilt for 1-2 weeks a bit, bit if you water them regularely they catch up really easily and grow very fast.
Yo Bro. You is the Tomato Whisperer. You nailed every issue I ever had growing tomatoes.
Awesome! Thank you!
What a wonderful video, thank you so much, I learned a few new tips. I have been growing tomatoes for years, and long ago someone told me to plant basil in with the tomatoes to stop hornworms. I have done this for years and have had no hornworms since. Doesn't take a lot of basil plants, just a few. The moth that lays the hornworm eggs does not like basil so they move on.
That's great, I've got a basil plant growing next to my tomatoes.
Yes Basil, and then you can make pesto.
I have an even less expensive alternative to landscape staples. Wire hangers are a dime a dozen. Everybody has a surplus, especially if you get your laundry done at the cleaners. Simply cut the hook off & the bottom bar in half & you have a 2 landscape staples.
Hi Linda
I have even less expensivre solution lol
Hello beautiful 👋
@Linda P Great idea!
@@heatherk8931 Hey how're you doing
I got sig huge bags of chicken manure from a local farmer. It had a lot of saw dust in it but I tilled is into my garden before I did any planting. I gotta say my garden looks great. My tomatoes are really taken off. I’m gonna try all his ideas next year. I’m very excited. My dad use to lay the plant down side ways when he planted them. They would bend and shoot to the sky and I’d say this is why. I had no idea about pruning and planting deep. This guy is on point.
It is also possible to use suckers which have not been removed from a plant in time and have grown very long. When you cut them off you can dip them directly into a deep light potting soil mixture. Preferably you would need to cut off the top of the sucker and only leave a few leaves on the stem for better rooting. I have successfully duplicated many plants with this method.
I do this with tap water until it roots are exposed for several inches and transplant to soil
Someone said that he is using the "Suckers" to produce clone of the original plant. In fact the result is even stronger and healthier than the original...
@valconstantinescu8484 yeah any plant you grow by taking a cutting or shoot off a mother plant it will be genetically identical to the mother plant, so a clone with all the same features.
Whereas growing from seed the plants flowers are often fertilized by pollen frim a different male plant and so the plant grown from those seeds will have a mix of genetics from both and thus mixes of features that can be more random and not controlled well by the grower.
Thus say if someone's trying to preserve and replicate certain strain of plants with desireable features they'll often grow them bu cuttings/cloning.
If you didn't know that already anyway. ))
I've learnt more in just a few minutes thank I had from years of growing and reading. Excellent presentation skills, clear concise presentation. Thank you.
It's always better to hear someone actually talking about things than reading in a book, or reading from the internet. And it's also so much faster. I enjoy it alot better. 👍☺️
I have gardened for years and i learned more in this video than I ever knew. Thank you !
Pp
0p u
Love your videos. I wanted to say that rather than bunch of little plastic pieces, you can also just tie a bowline knot around the plant. Thanks for sharing all of this great information. I'm trying to improve my gardening a little each year!
Watched TONS of vids on tomatoes and your voice is mesmerizing. Lol. Plus, I absolutely appreciate the pace by which you speak. I love listening to your voice and your crystal clear instructions. Thank you sooooo much!!!
Well thank you! Ive always hated my voice. Editing all of these videos Ive kind of gotten used to it now lol. Thank you for the other kind comments as well!
THIS is a fantastic channel‼️ Even though I’m viewed by many of my friends & family to be “all-knowing” when it comes to gardening - Ha Ha, I know I’ll NEVER know everything & that one person never can. BUT, I DO BELIEVE that wise people will always seek to expand their knowledge & move forward with lifelong learning, listening to the perspectives of others. Anyway, you’ve TOTALLY BLOWN ME AWAY with your abundant knowledge, tips, AND experience‼️THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO SO WELL‼️‼️‼️ I guess I’m still in the honeymoon phase, having just discovered this channel within the last week or so, BUT WHAT A GREAT DISCOVERY IT HAS BEEN, INDEED❗️
Great video. I really appreciate the different support strategies, pruning tips and reminders of preventative maintenance for disease. I helped my grandpa with his huge gardens when I was very young and pretty much forgot most of what he taught. Watching this video brought back so much and I learned more from this one video than I have watching ten others. This year I decided to start growing mainly so my four kids know just in case or in case they want to have it just be part of their lives. I appreciate the time and effort you put into your work. Thank you so much.
I have learned so much from you. You have such a wonderful way of explaining things and it’s just the highlight of my evening to watch your gardening videos and to learn the things that I’ve always wanted to know to correct the mistakes I’ve been making and it’s just wonderful that you’re willing to do this. You’re such a blessing.
If you don't want to buy and mess with netting, queen size panty hose are $1 in the dollar stores. Cut the legs into small sections, tie off one end of each,and slip over the fruit. The fruit doesn't need sunlight. It only needs air. This will mask the red color from the birds, as well as guard the fruits from any who find them. Easy to slip on and off, too. I use larger sections for groups of cherry tomatoes. This trick was shared with me from an old granny grower in Dallas, TX.
Thank you for this, I'm going to see if this works with squirrels
Thanks! I did this last year didn't lose ONE!
@@poeticpoems1234 do you have squirrels?
@@JB-hn6qw
Do I?? 6 huge pines that tower over my tiny apmt and are only 7ft from my door. I grow in two huge pots and didnt know they could ruin my tomatoes and peppers because of THIS comment in the video I followed. Didnt lose not a one. No bug holes either. One more thing...the Lowe's sold ugly green nylon hose already cut for a buckand once they were on the tomatoes were even camouflaged so my neighbors didnt pick them walking by my beautiful flourish plants😄 Oh, yes plenty squrriels running around them all day
@@poeticpoems1234 excellent! Ty, the little turds take one bite, drink a cells worth of water, then toss it, and grab another, very frustrating
I live in USDA zone 7 and grow my tomatoes in containers and keep them inside all winter. I’ve been eating fresh tomatoes all winter.
Exactly, growing indoors is light years better than outdoors. You wouldn’t raise your family outdoors 24/7 why would you raise your flowerbed out there? People are so weird. Also people who think pets/animals like living outdoors over a nice home, as if humans do?
@@MobileAura I 100% would raise my family outdoors. Their is nothing better for the body than fresh air and sunshine.
@@matthewhunter6421 growing indoors will need lot of energy to make tomatoes taste same as outdoor. I grow tiny tim indoor and outdoor. Indoor behind window its basicily taste less. Outside tomatoes are super sweet
nice, I live in zone 2/3 and I was skiing while you were eating tomatoes - I hope you enjoyed them. because I had a lot of fun
Thank you! I want to start growing cherry tomatoes on my windowsill, but we only receive 2 hours of direct sunlight each day. Could I still grow the tomatoes under this condition? I am starting with the heirloom seeds from home depot. Do you think they are truly heirloom? Also my windowsill is only 30 in wide, so I would only be able to plant two at a time to give them space? How long will it take to grow and while I receive lots of cherry tomatoes with just two plants. Thanks so much! This is my first time Farming :)
For the tomato worms, I have put my ashes from my wood stove. For the last 30 years I have not had any tomato worms. You video was excellent I learned a lot. Richard
Will it work if i burn old leaves ftom other plants to sprinkle?
How do u apply it? And how often?
Thank you!!
I'm not even 30 years old yet. Imagine gardening for that long...
And for rats get cats!! I have 4 cats, never seen a rat on my property 😂
I feel like this is the kind of stuff when you sell produce, people will say-I'll only buy from you, your tomatoes taste so much better! It's the extra knowledge and care-thank you!
Thanks for the great video, very informative. I've seen long videos that are 80% useless because people are more interested in hearing themselves talk. Yours is very educational and no bullcrap or wasting time. Going to share for sure.
Thank you so much!
u got that right, and try to be clever, funny and entertaining. ugh so tired of being turned into a you tube "audience" by aspiring influencers. ugh!
I live in northern Wisconsin and our growing season is quite short so I’m always open to growing tips. To assure that water gets to the roots, I cut off the bottom of plastic water bottles and bury them upside down right next to my plants with only the open bottom sticking out. I can then fill the buried bottle with water each time I water my plants and the moisture goes right to the roots. My harvest has been very successful using this watering method.
Awesome tip 👍🏻
I also live in Northern Wisconsin and I am a new gardener and canner. Please feel free to send me lots of info
such a great hint, I have done this when going on vacation for indoor plants. However here in FL I would be concerned about standing water of any kind as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
@@ooohlaa13 The bottles will drain.
I do something similar. If you bury the plant as deep as he suggests it is hard to get water to the root ball if you don't.
I've grown tomatoes a few times over the decades and there's always an impressive bumper crop. An incredibly forgiving fruit. Honestly, know nothing more than that. Thanks, I learned a lot. Subscribed.
Good ideas. We just put a stake in beside tomato plant and use scraps of material to loosely tie it to stake. Tomatoes are so fun and easy to grow.
I am growing tomatoes for the first time this year and 3 months in(southern CA) I am using an old clothes line to run my twine lines up to anchor!
My Italian dad would lay the plants down in a trench with just the top above the soil to establish the root system. Just found you and subscribed. Great informative videos!!!
If u bury the plant really deep same thing.
Yes we do the same thing.
My first time in Carbon county Utah the nursery guy showed me that trick of laying about 6 inches of the plant stripped of leaves horizontally in a trench. I had trouble doing that w/o breaking the stem. I think I did ok that year although at 7K feet of elevation it was a short growing season. I had some coal that had been in the bed and the tomatoes had a green taste to them, but it was fun and I had more success the next time. We have raised beds now with our own compost pile. Struggled with leaf spot and mold this time, but probably splashed water on them and added insult by covering them with a white cloche spraying it with water because of the heat. They are pulling out of it now. Also had a tomato worm last year that was attacked by those parasitic wasps. That was so cool seeing how diversity works in an organic garden.
Thank you! Will do it your way because I don't have good soil. On the top, we're adding dirt and composting, but deeper, we have a yellow clay.
My husband does it that way too .
Nicely done! I've been building organic landscapes in WA for over 25 years. Removed my back lawn when covid hit in '20 and have had a large food garden ever since. That allowed me to practice what I've preached to my clients over the years when it came to their vegetable gardens. Therefore, I'm relatively new to creating crops, but I have had huge success using the same information you laid out here. Great video!
I will refer to this video frequently. I've grown tomatoes for many years & have seen a few of the problems you mentions. Some years I have had so many tomatoes I got tired of canning them. Sometimes they are so sweet & other times not so sweet. Thank you for such good information, it filled in a lot of blanks.
Hey Brian, you are definitely one of my very favorite teachers of all things gardening! your combination of knowledge, experience and honesty about challenges you’ve faced, all make you such a wonderful “resource” for so many people. you make it interesting and fun and i’ve learned (learning that is) so much from you. Thank you for so generously teaching us!
Thank you! That means alot!
@@NextLevelGardening i’ll be praying for ongoing health and well-being for you and your family, and for continued successes with your gardens and inspiring homestead. Couldn’t be a better time to be more and more producing one’s own food! i’m just doing a small vegetable garden for the first time and your videos have helped tremendously. Thanks again friend.
@@NextLevelGardening Hi, did you really just call tomatoes a vegetable in the beginning of your video?? 🤦 It's a fruit! Botanically as well as nutritionally.
Thank you for teaching us
ùed❤er È 🎉 “””(IÈO😊😅😮😢❤u error😢
‘
à
Don't forget the part you pinch off can also be rooted ( either in water or damp earth). And you have another plant for FREE.
I save tomato cuttings every fall so i don't have to plant tomato seeds in the spring when it's cold and have to worry about slow growth cuz it's too cold OR damping off and other problems with seedlings
Nice tip!
Erik Charles it will helpful if you let us know in detail how to save the cuttings.
@@abdulwaiz put them in water with phosphorus root growth medium, let them start rooting then plant in pot, etc
Erik Charles ok thank you.
I had a cherry tomato plant that had self seeded itself in my garden last year. That one plant got probably 7-10 feet around, it was massive
Heheh wow!
Cherry tomatoes are the original tomatoes that all others come from. They grew wild on hillsides and spread out many feet!
I plant and side dress with vermicompost (worm compost). I used to use compost from redworms, but these days it's a by product of white worms (in coconut coir) that I culture for tropical fish. The resulting tomatoes are amazing! 🙂
When my grandmother planted tomatoes, she would strip off the lower leaves like you do, but she would lay them horizontally along the ground, cover the entire stem with soil and leave only the top leaves of the stalk exposed. Works well also for increased root production!
This would work better for untilled hard ground!
@@travdaddy-wh4wp thank you!! that's what I have, ground that hasn't been gardened in for 30 years
@@essie6112 Might I recommend looking into 'Electro Culture gardening' for your conditions? Take care!
Takes up too much ground space. Planting deep is far better.
Holy cow, this is one of the most useful videos I've seen, you really cover all the bases and it's so well structured! I decided to try and grow heirloom Costoluto Genovese tomatoes this year and they can be finicky, I am SO glad I watched this while they're still seedlings! Thank you!
How are they doing???
@@AshesInsane They are GREAT! I have so much fruit I'm having to create new supports for the branches, they are just starting to ripen :)
I've decided to start tomato farming, I'm planning to acquire an acre of land and I will soon be asking you for tips on how to do it here in Uganda..... Thx for sharing your knowledge
Im now retired but when I got interested in gardening in high-school, my great Uncle taught me how to make tomato cages from concrete reenforcement wire. It has 6" square holes and looks like heavy duty wire fencing. The cages are ab about 2 1/2' in diameter and secured by simply cutting out the vertical wire on oneside and using the exposed horizontal wires, with pliers to the opposite side, forming the 2 1/2' diameter of the cage. Then cut off the bottom horizonal wire exposing the numerous vertical wires that are used to stabalize the cage when pushed into the ground. The reenforcement wire is 6' wide that leaves a 5 1/2' cage when the bottom exposed wires are pushed into the ground.
You can plant your tomatoes 2 rows wide with the cages close to touching and secure the double row of cages together with hog rings.
This is incredibly stable and requires no stakes or anything else to secure it.
Im still using the cages i made about 40 years ago although some are bent up and the bottom wires of some have finally rusted away.
Pl make a video on those cages
Loved the video. I learned a lot of helpful things about controlling my tomato plants. Thank you! Did you know that if you plant basil around your tomatoes plants, it will keep the hornworms away? They hate basil. I've never had a hornworm problem.
Oh, I'm going to have to remember that one...
I have one 5 gallon bucket for my tiny apartment patio that I'm going to attempt to grow a single tomato plant in. Do you know whether I could plant a tiny amount of basil in the same bucket? Or would a small pot nearby work? There is so much I don't know. I already ruined one seedling, and I was prepared to give up, but this video explained a few things that probably killed it so I know to change how I proceed next time. But I have never grown tomatoes before, and I'm pretty lost.
@@cheriehiles9748 and marigolds.
@@cheriehiles9748 basil will become a huge bush and compete with your tomato. Better to put in a different pot.
@@cheriehiles9748 u certainly can I did and keep it trained back b sure to cut off all flowers to discourage lanky growth.
Instead of a wood structure to run the strings, I went with 3 double shepherds hooks for 6 plants. Works and looks great! BTW, your videos helped realize I was doing everything wrong growing tomatoes.
Great idea to use shepherd hooks! Thanks
Brilliant idea! I have an HOA which would’ve had an issue with wooden trellises so I was looking for alternatives when I came across your post. Terrific idea! Thanks!
I have been growing tomatoes on and off for years with varying success so I was very happy to come across your channel ... we are about to plant tomatoes again and will definitely use your tips...thank you for sharing your experience I have just subscribed to your channel and look forward to seeing more of your great videos.
Thank you for your comprehensive guide. I will soon expand my kitchen garden to include tomatoes.
Following up.
Did his tips help you in your success of growing healthy tomatoe plants !
I first watched this about three years ago and it transformed my tomato life!!! A great video of fully applicable ideas.