Travis, If you're dead set on pruning as heavily as you are on your indeterminates you will have to use shade cloth to prevent what's happening to your plants. The reason your determinate plants look so much better is because they still have all their foliage that is providing shade to the soil at the roots of the plant. I would bet if you stuck a thermometer in the soil at the base of the plants at the heat of the day, Your determinate base will be 10-15 degrees cooler than your indeterminate plants. Tomatoes in the heat have to have a way to perspire and without the foliage they can't and just like humans who stop sweating in the heat they begin having a heat stroke and die..
That was my thought too. Such bare soil between all the plants that looks 'picture perfect' but I wanted to yell 'get a thermometer!' to compare and mulch it. Bare soil in full sun can get 130degF and it kills soil biology and worms, covered/shaded soil might be 80/90degF that is still hot but more livable. Make sure the mulch used does not have residual chemicals on it. I'm using rye I grew in place.
Or just mulch the soil. Last year I planted some pumpkins, they were doing great! I planted another type a few weeks later. It was sooo hot despite me keeping them watered, they young ones were wilting. I figured out it was just because the sun was hitting the soil. The older pumpkin plants had more foliage keeping the soil cool. So I mulched them and they were happy and took off after that!
Thank you! I've been preaching this to my "expert" gardening friends for years! It's amazing how much more they know after 3-4 years of gardening than those of us who've been doing it for half a century.
I had the same issue with my indeterminate tomatoes when the heat came in, but 40% shade net, a thick layer of straw mulch and good amount of peat moss in the planting hole made a huge difference for me. So I highly recommend it. (Even just the shade net and straw mulch will help).
Travis you should get shirts or hats made with that saying, Check Yourself before You Wreck Yourself! I LOVE that saying! I think I'm gonna get some old barn wood and paint that saying onto the wood for a sign to hang up at my homestead. And thanks for the info on seed producers like Sakata and Simonis, that was interesting.
Your gardening videos are not only fun to watch but they're also extremely helpful! You are by far the best out there for gardening information. By far the best!!
I love how you get your point across about these RUclips trends out there. I love it. 👍🤠 You may want to get you some of them little cooper ELECTROCULTIRE antennas for them indeterminate tomatoes, according to some of these trends out there they will make anything grow. 🤦♂🤣🤣🤣🤣
I've done the stranded support, heavy pruning, paper mulch, and grafting to get my favorite indeterminate heirlooms and still had the issues you have. It was when I started putting them in extra large cages sporadically placed throughout the garden, letting them sprawl their hearts out, not pruning them unless the lawnmower did it, did I get more heirloom tomatoes than I can use...they hate being managed.
Travis, I'm like you. Determinate varieties with good heat tolerance genetics are the way to go. In prior years, I also planted a mix of types. And in the hot GA summers (often without rain) I also had issues with a good number of the plants. First improvement was drip irrigation which is a game changer. Yes, I'm on county water and have to pay for every drop, but pay I do because it works wonders. This year I headed your prior advice and planted 95% determinate varieties bread for our southeastern heat and humidity. The only indeterminate ones I planted are Sun Gold and Sweet Aperitif, which are both cherry tomato types. It has proven to be a wise choice so year. I'm also planning on cutting some suckers in a week or two so I can start rooting my 2nd planting of those determinate 'maters for a early fall crop. I've got Red Snapper, Bella Rosa, "Hossinator", Jamestown, Dixie Red varieties along with Carolina Gold and Yellow Boy, orange and yellow varieties. I have considered 30% shade cloth, but have not yet gone that route. I think a better selection of heat tolerant varieties is the solution, so I tried that first and so far, it's working.
I watched this and discussed it with the spouse. We have been growing heirloom and indeterminate tomatoes for 20+ years. We use a shallow raised bed (about a foot) and cages. We do not prune. ZONE 7b. We start harvesting first of July until the first freeze. That upright method might be good for greenhouses but will cook the plants in the Southern sun.
Man, you ain't lying. I have to remind myself every season about this time.. "Its going to be dry, things are going to die. But in the end, worth what you spend." I'm a poet.
Yes I second that. I trimmed a few of mine back 1 year and the trimmed ones did awful. The untouched ones grew out of the top of the 5’ cages by 2 or 3 feet and had triple the tomatoes. I know it’s cooler here in Ohio but my trimmer ones that year looked just like Travis’.
With black beauty, you wait until the very bottom / blossom end is red/reddish. I love that variety. Feel like it's probably the tastiest variety I've tried last few years.
I have watched a ton of your videos. The fact that you are not afraid to share the bad and ugly is more encouraging than always having 100% success. It provokes me to study the causes more than I ever have. Before, I would just pull a bad plant and say, "Oh well," but after watching some of your videos, I look at all the things that i can prevent and control. Your videos have also caused me to start taking notes on how certain varieties act in different parts of my garden and keep up with growing characteristics. Thank you for providing good content that's real.
I know one year I had the same issue. A good buddy of mine told me he did too a few years back and said a guy from LSU told him if he was trimming the suckers that he was probably spreading the disease with his clippers. It didn’t happen to the plants we did not trim. The man told him to put some alcohol wipes in his pocket or bring a tub of Clorox wipes when he’s going to prune and wipe the blades between each plant. Neither of us has had a problem since. Most people don’t want to go through that but we’ve seem to have rid that issue. I don’t know buddy but it’s a suggestion.
There are loads of ways to spread tomato disease and haphazard pruning is an effective one. I prune with an old utility knife and when finished with one plant, drop the blade end into a small jar with about an inch of 10% household bleach before pruning the next. Typically, I'll only prune the older, bottom leaves and let the suckers form additional blossom sites and shade to ward off sun scald.
Amazing video, thank you. I've been growing indeterminant heirloom tomatoes for 15+ years and started trying out determinant varieties in the last couple of years and have had the exact same experience. Will definitely be growing more determinants going forward, as well as being far more selective about which indeterminant heirloom varieties to grow. Thank you for showing me that I'm not crazy!
I never questioned being one of your subscribers, but when you said "...check yoself before you reck yoself.." I knew I was in the RIGHT place!! 😂😂😂 My tomatoes are getting spots on the leaves, anything I can do?
I just stumbled upon your channel today. Thanks for sharing the good and bad. I have had the same problem with my determinate and indeterminate beef steak tomatoes. It is spotty. One tomato looks fine, and down the row, two or more look bleak. I asked a gardener about this, and he said, we have been having abnormal weather. We have had a lot of rain here in Kansas of late...experiment is key!! 😊
Don't single stem the indeterminate plants. I know a lot of youtubers do but they don't live in the south. Grow them exactly like you do your determinate, weave and all but with a little over head watering daily, you'll have better luck. Heavy pruning doesn't work in the south imo. Even just cage them and typing them at the height you want will be better on the plants
TRAV!!!! ❤ Thank you again for sharing... And properly informing and shutting up the conspiracy theorists. My garden is my happy place and if something isn't working and bringing me joy!!!!, I nix it. Shade cloths might work but if it's not your comfort level...don't do it. In your garden dialog at least you can say, "I've grown..." You seem to be having success with so many of your other plants... And whatever the issue is, airborne or soil, you'll get it... A Tiempo. ❤
I started planting my indeterminate tomatoes in part sun insteadof full, water daily, spray with asprin weekly, and let 3 suckers grow to further shade fruit. They are now 7 ft tall and setting lots of fruit.
I love your videos, and how you share candidly all outcomes. Good and bad. I have so many garden fails, because I treat each year like a big science experiment. Through it all, I'm constantly learning. And those marigolds look great!!!❤
I love your channel, what can I say? I have learned so much, love that you share the good and the bad and that you speak your mind! I am in SW VA so it is a little different here growing wise, but your advise is always spot on. My Turkey Creek tomato is doing great, can't wait to see end results.
Thank you so much Travis for turning us onto the Roadster and Red Snapper tomatoes and explaining why most of us southern growers should be growing determinate varieties. I've never had success growing a large tomato here in Jacksonville, FL, but wow, I think my wife is mad at me for how many we got (she had to learn how to can them). We grew 6 of each variety, and I stopped counting once we hit 100 huge tomatoes. I just yanked the plants out today as they're toast with the heat and excess rain, but I couldn't be happier. Obviously mine went in the ground a good bit before yours did, we harvested for a good 35 days or so. I should mention we too used the Florida weave, and I got me some NatureSafe 8-5-5. I used Jute twine since it is biodegradable, and it does seem to vary in support depending on if its wet or dry, but I found if I ran them tight I didn't have any issues with it, and since these produced so fast, I didn't have any line breakage (like I've had with stringing up indeterminates vertically) as they break down pretty quick.
I FEEL YOUR PAIN!! I've had a few issues with some of my plants, too! I love the way that your kids want to be involved, I wish I had some extra help. ALSO, I'm glad that you stick to the garden and not the politics! That's why I've stayed with your channel, and a few others. I've had to skip some videos because that's NOT why I'm here!! I WANT TO LEARN how to use different methods and how to try to prosper a little more. I have to do this by myself and I have a few health issues, so I'm up for trying NEW and IMPROVED ideas! Keep it coming TRAV, you're doing great!!
Thanks for showing the rough lookin maters . Makes me realize that sometimes no matter what you do some plants just dont do well especially in Southern heat and humidity and no rain for weeks at a time.
I used shade cloth a few years ago and it helped cool the growing area a ton, but I also figured out after about a month it increased disease pressure because of much higher humidity. If the wind was blowing it wasn't so bad but on stiller days it was like walking into a sauna sometimes.
I agree with what others have said, the bare soil is heating up too much and causing environmental stress issues and that is why you are seeing the leaved curly from stress of getting over heated. That with also some blossom end rot, showing signs of not getting enough water. Your other tomatoes foliage is protecting the soil from heating up and not causing stress on the determinate tomatoes.
I grew some Cherokee purple variety very early. They survived the late freeze in coastal La and then the extreme heat and drought and were my best producers this year over all others. I let them grow foliage to shade the tomatoes and that helps.
Usually I'm singing the blues with my maters by now. We've had a cooler year here in Tucson. Only been over 100 once. Mostly been low 90's. I purchased a huge shade tarp. I believe it's the key for me. So far my indeterminate maters are producing more. My determinate maters are loaded with fruit so that may change.
Travis, watching your videos got me to try hybrid tomatoes this season. I have fought the heirloom tomatoe battle for years to finally "take a break" from gardening. I started last season carrying on the fight, but this year, I planted red snapper tomatoes, and mine look a lot like yours LOADED! Thanks for all you do.
You should mulch those plants, and possibly use shade cloth. They're getting too hot during the day, and the ground looks fairly dry as well. That's why they look better in the mornings. You have them pruned to a single leader, which isn't uncommon or a bad thing, but you have to keep in mind that the plant can't cool itself as effectively with all that foliage missing. Mulching also helps prevent splitting, because it can help the soil retain moisture for the plants.
I’m in Ga. and mostly grow indeterminate tomatoes. I think your plants are farther apart & it looks like you don’t have any mulch which would keep moisture. And planting them a little closer & keeping at least 2 or 3 suckers to keep them bushier provides shade to themselves.
Have you thought about using a 40% shade cloth on your indeterminant plants? Could help by providing some afternoon shade. Also, a main variable between your determinant and your indeterminant is your pruning style. I’d maybe try just using a big tomato cage or just Florida weaving them instead of single stemming them to have the extra foliage to shade itself and soak up the extra sun.
Add some water. tomatoes like cool weather not heat. They dont grow well in hot weather. Shade them and water into the roots might help those poor plants. I have 2 in partial shade there doing good
it is hard to florida weave indeterminate. I tried that one year, and had to go back and add a post to each plant because the weave didn't support the height of the plant. The determinate are bushy plants with thicker stalks, which helps hold up the plant as compared to the indeterminate which keeps growing all season. I have had some indeterminate that reached 6.5-7ft tall.
@@SandW6384 in normal growing conditions. But even when single stemmed, in the heat, his plants are dying back before they reach the top of the trellis
@@jcs1291 That is understandable, where I am in southern NJ, when I grew indeterminate they never really got like that and I was using sprinklers, this was before I used drip tape, it gets hot and humid some days 90+ or even for a couple weeks straight. I have seen that on die back when it is the beginning of Sept at the end of their growing season. Even when my tomatoes need some water they don't look like death. It might be a combination of things which caused the plant stress, insects, soil fungus, and the heat. Once the plant gets stressed the heat just seals the deal on them.
I have done well in trying varieties you recommend. I didn’t want any hybrids in my garden at all before watching your channel, but now I’m very thankful for the ones I’m growing.
I'm a noob at gardening Oklahoma down the road from Leon.. I just leave t posts in all the time. Got measured out cloth and zip ties.. I put 40% shade cloth up when it hits 85F it definitely helps my indeterminate tomatoes. Your garden still looks great you got mad skills man.
Have tomatoes in raised beds in greenhouse and they are going crazy with shade cloth. Also have tomatoes in mineral tubs outside. Last year not so good,but put up a shade cloth this year and so far what a difference. They are tall,green and loaded. 7b Virginia
I am in Albany so just a few miles from you. I have about 40 indeterminate in the ground. No determinate. Some are struggling but most are OK as long as I keep up with the BT to keep the worms at bay. I handle my tomatoes a bit differently however. I have a conduit pole tent over my tomatoes with clear plastic. This is 10' off the ground at the low point so as to enable good air circulation. I use this to prevent all rain from hitting my tomatoes and it does provide somewhat of a shade barrier, but not much. I find it is absolutely critical to keep the leaves dry here in south GA and this tent does a great job. I mulch the ground with pine straw and water each plant by hand with a wand so as to control my water every 3 days and keep the water off the leaves. I have lost 3 plants total. 2 more look to be struggling. We planted our plants in the ground the first of March and have been eating tomatoes for nearly a month now. Next year I will be adding a line of determinate however.
Your introduction was a trip 😂😂. " Bad to my health to see things like this " Geez tomatoes are tomatoes and I usually experiment one different kind . If I like so be it . If not ... i ain't about to entertain . All my indeterminate did very well this year. Also I don't prune mine at all specially being in southeast Texas the heat would fried them in minutes. 😅
Love your longer format vids Trav! Thanks for all the helpful hints!! I know I wd struggle w/decision, but I say pull em up and succession plant somethin' else. My Texas heat must be kinda like what youre dealin with?
It's similar, but the humidity is what hurts us here. When I was in college, we had an intern from south Texas come work at the golf course with us on the maintenance crew. He was sucking wind pretty quick just because it's hard to breathe in the humidity. He said it was a different kind of hot than Texas. lol
Thanks to you I am growing the Toringina tomatoes this year and have already harvested a pound of fruit with lots more to come. My second best tomato this year is the Juliet and Big Dena coming in third. I live in the desert where it gets hot and dry and have struggled with growing tomatoes in general. We don't have the humidity that you do but I have more success when I don't prune very much and let the plants shade themselves.
This is the first year I have ever been successful growing tomatoes in Louisiana because I used 40% shade cloth from the beginning. My plants look great, not stressed and very little disease compared to past years. I’m growing Cherokee Purple, Celebrity, Arkansas Traveler, Brandywine Pink, Juliette cherry, Romas, and Sun Gold cherry.
The shade cloth is suspended above from corner poles and not touching the tops of the plants but very close. This allows some direct sun during the day as the sun moves across the sky. During the hottest parts of the day they are all shaded. @@treasuresabound0062
We leave on a lot of leaves on our indeterminates plus more suckers the more tomatoes. Trying Roma's this year. 90F to 45 the next day. Beautiful but very few tomatoes and blooms on Romas
I always look forward to your videos! I share your heartbreak over seeing plants putter out, the struggle is real. Currently awaiting my ‘mater plants to get going in zone 5b ;)
I'm in South Ga and I only trim the bottom leaves when starting out. Then I put grass clippings around my tomatoes. They do really well. I cut out some of the suckers and some I leave on the plant. My tomatoes are doing great and are holding up to the heat. I water them early morning and in early afternoon ever day. Maybe try not trimming them so harshly next year and see if that helps. Don't give up!
I've had the same thing happen with this type of trellising a couple of years ago. When the winds came, they beat up the tomatoes against the string, and I lost a few. They started to look just like yours, and I ended pulling them out before they completely died. I have since abandoned this trellising method.
Using cattle panels get shade cloth over it should do the trick, might try that. Currently using my cattle panels as a hoop coop might cover with netting so my chickens don't eat it.
Hi Travis , My husband just put up shade cloth over our Plots . God bless you Also congratulations on hitting the 50,000 New friends/ subscribers You are doing Great . Mrs josette Tharp Montgomery County, Texas
I live in Southern California where it gets 115 degrees. The best indeterminate variety I've tried is Early Treat hybrid from burpee. It gives golf ball sized fruit in pretty good clusters and lasts into the winter for me.
I garden in Oklahoma. It's hot but not nearly as humid as you. I seem to be able to grow determinates and indeterminates about the same. 2 years ago my determinates were a little better and last year my indeterminates were better. This year so far both are doing extremely well with lots of vigor. We shall see. My go to, that I know is going to do well, is the boring Roma. It is my constant
( 9:00 ) Reveals tree shade is covering more of the determinant group longer in the heat than the baked set. Get one of the inexpensive turkey thermometers to test the soil all around the garden and yard in the middle of the day. Worms only live in the top five inches of the soil because that's where all the rest of the critters hang out. Hard sunlight can cook everything if not careful then the biology has to start at the beginning.
Travis I am having a hard time with blossom end rot and I keep thinking out drip irrigation isn’t dripping at every opening. Only 2 varieties have that problem. I put Epsom salts in the soil when I planted. ? ? ? ?😒
Blossom end rot is a calcium deficiency. The plant is not able to uptake the calcium even if it's already present in the soil. Epsom Salt is Magnesium sulfate which does nothing for calcium intake. If there is plenty of calcium in the soil (soil test) then more frequent regular watering is your best solution.
First year of trying gardening. I am in Indiana so my zone is different so I just look up what you say and see when to apply it here. Lol. I don’t really expect a lot of success with it being my first year but even one home grown tomato will make me so happy! Thank you for your wonderful videos!
I live in central ga… and mine are indeterminate… and Ive kept the leaf branches trimmed off pretty high…so airflow is good and marigolds by all of them .., I grew in co trainers …. Last yr I had hornworms in a raised bed so learned my Lesson with thAt 😊
I use to be caught up in the organic non gmo stuff for a long time but realized the seed doesn't matter to me as long as it grows well. I typically buy conventional seeds and then grow them as organically as possible.
From your experience, did you discover that the gmo plants are more apt to not have the same good healthy immune system as others of the same variety, non gmo.
@@r.louiseworley-parsley4208 I grew up in a farming community and remember extremely well when Monsanto (and the government) came in with their "new and improved (GMO) seeds" FORCING farmers to use their product. I know that GMO seeds, generally speaking, are not available to the public, only farmers. Seed companies use it for a marketing ploy which is irritating and confusing to people. I try to educate my friends the story behind GMO seeds and why they are not available to the general public and for some reason they can't wrap their brains around the difference and why they are unavailable. I am saving my breath and stopped beating that dead horse.
Some what happy to see a master sharing some of my same tomato ailments I am having this year. My San Marzano and even Hossinator are just in the toilet this year, I thought it was a water thing but I do not know.
They changed the recipe. It was listed on the bag but nobody was told. BTW. I don't agree with those that extend the laying season for the hens using lighting. The girls need a rest.
Our chickens eat very little chicken food and mostly cover crops, and they take a break in the winter too. The bagged chicken food is definitely not responsible.
@@LazyDogFarm same it makes me crazy with all these people saying “they changed the ingredients on chicken food” well that all fine and good but I make and ferment my own food and they still stopped laying. Funny enough in the spring when all these videos were coming out and everyone changed foods they started laying again…and I am thinking…they started laying again because it’s now spring! I can’t with these people.
Good job Travis we appreciate you taking the time to go over what you have going on in your garden. I kinda have the same situation I got the bright idea I was going to replace my Bela Rosa tomatoes this year with Shelby tomatoes and so far this has been a mistake. The Bela Rosa always hit the ground running and produced well now with the Shel y not so much, they just started growing a little but are taking their sweet time and it's driving me crazy lol. Keep up the good work, look forward to your next video.
I made an interesting observation today. I have not pruned ANY of my indeterminate tomatoes this year (except sucker pinching at immediate onset of the sucker) after the initial planting back in late March/early April. Last week, for the first time all year, I removed some low diseased leaves on 2 indeterminate plants. Today, both plants are dying of wilt disease. I pruned them on different days last week and the pruners were washed/dried in between. I noticed you are heavily pruning/single stemming your indeterminates, meanwhile you're just letting your determinates grow. I'm wondering if the humid air this time of year colonizes wilt viruses and bacteria where we live, so any time we prune our tomatoes, we give those pathogens an entry point into the stem, leading to wilt. Next year, try not pruning your indeterminate tomatoes at all. Just let them bush out like crazy. That's what I'm doing in my straw bales, not pruning a thing, and I've never had tomatoes so healthy this late in the year. After having horrible wilt all throughout my indeterminate tomatoes last year, which I pruned and managed very well, and now witnessing this, I'm believing it's the pruning that kills the plants. Next year, aside from the initial removal of the lowest leaves at planting during late winter/early spring when the air is still bone dry, I'm not pruning a thing and seeing what happens!
I have considered that hypothesis in the past as well -- that pruning opens a wound for disease entry. I think that's very valid. I'm definitely scaling back on indeterminates next year, and will probably go back to cages and just let them bush out.
@@LazyDogFarm I think next year I will run a trial in two beds where some indeterminates are pruned and others I do nothing. Based on what I've witnessed the past 2 years, I would bet if you go to cages and don't prune them, you'll get more leaf spot and blight, but less or no wilt. At least leaf spot and early blight can be managed.
@@TheMillennialGardener I think you're right. We used to do cages on all the indeterminates until we tried this hanging trellis last year. They still have problems in the cages, but maybe not as many as they do on the hanging trellis.
I am sticking with determinate up here in Ontario, Canada. After the same fate of my indeterminate tomatoes and cucumbers last year, I am paying more attention to just the one type of tomato. And as well, the cucumbers will hopefully be better off this year. As far as the weave, I am going with cotton. This way I can can just toss it all into the compost pile. But we'll see. Thanks for all your effort in doing these experiments. We all appreciate it.
Travis, it looks like you're staring hard at 50 thousand subscribers. Congratulations, and carry on. I note that many more viewers are commenting on this vlog and on the comments of others. It could be that the subject is tomatoes where folk are more opinionated than with other crops. Feisty bunch. Nobody has mentioned the electric toothbrush technique for tomato pollination. Useful for growers like me that have few native pollinators and is a hack that I rely on every season with good results.
Perhaps you could look into grafting on to a hardy rootstock... Get one that is resistant to Fusarium, verticulim, nematodes and especially bacterial wilt. Im going to experiment with RST- 105-04-T this fall here in Florida. Bacterial wilt and nematodes hit me hard so this is what Im trying.
Maybe it Florida sun and they need a shade cloth… if your doing this the first time try it a second time with shade cloth if it doesn’t it again . I’d stop trying.. r place them in your yard where there is more shade area.. or inside a green house back porch.. I love seeing your garden you and your family do a great job.
What's most likely going on is the determinate varieties have been bred to be disease resistant, while heirlooms are known to not be super resistant to much. It might be worth it to save seed from the heirloom varieties that survive and produce well, to create a resistant strain.
Hey Trav, don’t give up on the indeterminates. I’m a lot like you, for the past half dozen years I’ve been the tomato guru around here. Everything was golden. This season, I don’t know what it is, the weather is great, and the tomatoes are just lackluster. It will get better. I see a Domingo in your future. Let me know if you need seeds!
I agree with the others recommending shade cloth. I'm in Colorado, and I'm doing some toms under 30% shade and some in full sun. So far I'm liking the shade cloth because it also protects from the June hail season.
Black Beauty is one of my all time favorite! Black on the sunny side and RIPE when the bottom is reddish. If its green on the bottom, it is not ripe. Outstanding flavor! Im in Ohio and my heirloom tomatoes almost always do well!
Harvest black beauty when the bottom turns a dark red. The fruits turn purple where the sun hits them so you can see the true color by looking at a spot where the sun doesn't hit it. If you just wait till it turns purple you would pick it and it would still be green.
I use jute for FL weave; it lasts one season only but works well for me. I think the #1 problem with the system people would encounter is skimping on the t-posts. I skimped on the posts first season using the system and all was great until later in the season and the heavy plants just pulled it all down.
You know more than I but I agree with the people who put shade cloth over their tomatoes. It’s too hot here to not cover them in the heat of summer as I did last year and had to tear out a bunch of good plants that just stopped flowering in the heat.
Of my 48 plants I’ve only lost 1 so far and it had some sort of wilt that just killed it. Everything else is doing great but the next week here in S TX is going to be at or over 100F. I put up shade cloth over the entire garden hoping that’ll help us get at least through June.
Hey Travis, in the past few years, the only tomato plants are grown or heirloom except the sun gold last year. My garden didn’t grow worth a hoot route nematodes this year. I planted your mustard as you suggested I also planted some of your red snapper plants, my heirloom, and those red snappers are looking awesome mustard must have gotten rid of the root nematodes thank you and my zucchini
I think you need to search for Heat Tolerant indeterminate varieties. That means less variety as far as colors but it will work better especially if you are growing those that set in hot weather.
My second year doing the weave. First year i used cotton because im all natural. But in this case i agree synthetic is the way to go. Currently using nylon and its a world of difference. Thanks travis and family.
Hey Matt - a biodegradable option that works well and doesn’t stretch is sisal or jute twine. I’ve used it in my garden for years and it is perfect for the weave. I also use it to lash my bamboo tripod tomato cages together.
A lot of BER on your tomatoes. They've either had too much, or not enough water is what it looks like. I'm guessing not enough by looking at your plants. Determinate plants will produce no matter what. But, the indeterminates need more water than Determinates, because they are (usually) much bigger plants. Not only that, they *like* moist soil. Crank your water spout up and see if they perk up. All of my indeterminate plants look amazing, and I'm in central MS. Been at or above 90 here for three weeks. I was told I Could not grow indeterminates in our awful heat. But, I've been doing it for four years. What I learned the first summer was that these plants like a lot more water than one inch a week. I water mine every other day. And once a week I water them very deeply. Some plants are nearing 9 feet tall, some are sitting about 6 feet. But, they are all huge. Your garden looks amazing, btw! Thanks for sharing your trials with us. Makes me feel less mental knowing we all have the same problems. Lol Nothing worse than babying a plant for 6 months, only to lose it to our heat.
They're made by an Amish company in PA I believe. Here's an Amazon link: amzn.to/3PhwMwM They're pricey because it costs so much to ship them, but they'll last a lifetime.
Another great video! Your garden looks awesome. I highly encourage you to use some sort of shading for those sensitive tomatoes. You'll be glad you did. From my experience and other literature I read through the years, not only are (some) tomato plants sensitive to the heat and humidity, too much light also hinders their performance. In our scorching summer we have in this part of the world, I grow tomatoes in cooled greenhouses. Although the temperature in the greenhouse is fine, tomatoes don't do well unless we reduce the amount of sunlight via shading. Try Estiva indeterminate tomatoes from Johnny seeds. They outperformed all other varieties in our hot climate, and the fruit quality and taste are superb.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Travis, If you're dead set on pruning as heavily as you are on your indeterminates you will have to use shade cloth to prevent what's happening to your plants. The reason your determinate plants look so much better is because they still have all their foliage that is providing shade to the soil at the roots of the plant. I would bet if you stuck a thermometer in the soil at the base of the plants at the heat of the day, Your determinate base will be 10-15 degrees cooler than your indeterminate plants. Tomatoes in the heat have to have a way to perspire and without the foliage they can't and just like humans who stop sweating in the heat they begin having a heat stroke and die..
That was my thought too. Such bare soil between all the plants that looks 'picture perfect' but I wanted to yell 'get a thermometer!' to compare and mulch it. Bare soil in full sun can get 130degF and it kills soil biology and worms, covered/shaded soil might be 80/90degF that is still hot but more livable. Make sure the mulch used does not have residual chemicals on it. I'm using rye I grew in place.
I hate all the conspiracy theories. Big pharma, big AG, big energy…..may be a tiny truth in some of it but us consumers benefit in many ways
Or just mulch the soil. Last year I planted some pumpkins, they were doing great! I planted another type a few weeks later. It was sooo hot despite me keeping them watered, they young ones were wilting. I figured out it was just because the sun was hitting the soil. The older pumpkin plants had more foliage keeping the soil cool. So I mulched them and they were happy and took off after that!
THANK YOU
Thank you! I've been preaching this to my "expert" gardening friends for years! It's amazing how much more they know after 3-4 years of gardening than those of us who've been doing it for half a century.
I had the same issue with my indeterminate tomatoes when the heat came in, but 40% shade net, a thick layer of straw mulch and good amount of peat moss in the planting hole made a huge difference for me. So I highly recommend it. (Even just the shade net and straw mulch will help).
Clipping off to many leafs specially when it’s hot can do it, doesn’t have the leafs to cool down quick enough
@@JustinMentionedIt Agreed, that's definitely a no-no in hot climates. The plants do better if they have more leaves and branches.
A 40% shade cloth does wonders here in GA during the hot summer.
Travis you should get shirts or hats made with that saying, Check Yourself before You Wreck Yourself! I LOVE that saying! I think I'm gonna get some old barn wood and paint that saying onto the wood for a sign to hang up at my homestead. And thanks for the info on seed producers like Sakata and Simonis, that was interesting.
Your gardening videos are not only fun to watch but they're also extremely helpful! You are by far the best out there for gardening information. By far the best!!
100% agree- my go to for all the info I need!
AGREED!!❤
Travis your the G.O.A. T for gardening information
Really enjoy your videos and the information you share. I’d like to visit your place and tour your gardens sometime.
O0l
I love how you get your point across about these RUclips trends out there. I love it. 👍🤠 You may want to get you some of them little cooper ELECTROCULTIRE antennas for them indeterminate tomatoes, according to some of these trends out there they will make anything grow. 🤦♂🤣🤣🤣🤣
I've done the stranded support, heavy pruning, paper mulch, and grafting to get my favorite indeterminate heirlooms and still had the issues you have. It was when I started putting them in extra large cages sporadically placed throughout the garden, letting them sprawl their hearts out, not pruning them unless the lawnmower did it, did I get more heirloom tomatoes than I can use...they hate being managed.
This was THE LAST PLACE I expected an Ice cube quote, but it fits! Preach brother!!!
Travis, I'm like you. Determinate varieties with good heat tolerance genetics are the way to go. In prior years, I also planted a mix of types. And in the hot GA summers (often without rain) I also had issues with a good number of the plants. First improvement was drip irrigation which is a game changer. Yes, I'm on county water and have to pay for every drop, but pay I do because it works wonders. This year I headed your prior advice and planted 95% determinate varieties bread for our southeastern heat and humidity. The only indeterminate ones I planted are Sun Gold and Sweet Aperitif, which are both cherry tomato types. It has proven to be a wise choice so year. I'm also planning on cutting some suckers in a week or two so I can start rooting my 2nd planting of those determinate 'maters for a early fall crop. I've got Red Snapper, Bella Rosa, "Hossinator", Jamestown, Dixie Red varieties along with Carolina Gold and Yellow Boy, orange and yellow varieties. I have considered 30% shade cloth, but have not yet gone that route. I think a better selection of heat tolerant varieties is the solution, so I tried that first and so far, it's working.
I watched this and discussed it with the spouse. We have been growing heirloom and indeterminate tomatoes for 20+ years. We use a shallow raised bed (about a foot) and cages. We do not prune. ZONE 7b. We start harvesting first of July until the first freeze. That upright method might be good for greenhouses but will cook the plants in the Southern sun.
What method do you use? The law down method ?
Trav, ...maybe ...I'm just spit balling here...
Plant them in beds or containers. Get them out of the rows and don't prune. (?) ❤
Man, you ain't lying. I have to remind myself every season about this time.. "Its going to be dry, things are going to die. But in the end, worth what you spend." I'm a poet.
I can just imagine how it plays on your mind..
I'm sure crazy weather doesn't help..
Good luck..
A Canadian fan.. ❤
Where did you get those sturdy square tomato cages from? Thanks!
I just posted that same question. I hope he answers it soon.
Amazon has them: amzn.to/447936V
Next year you should do 3 runners on your indeterminents. Use the extra foliage to shade the plants from your strong sun.
Yes I second that. I trimmed a few of mine back 1 year and the trimmed ones did awful. The untouched ones grew out of the top of the 5’ cages by 2 or 3 feet and had triple the tomatoes. I know it’s cooler here in Ohio but my trimmer ones that year looked just like Travis’.
With black beauty, you wait until the very bottom / blossom end is red/reddish. I love that variety. Feel like it's probably the tastiest variety I've tried last few years.
I have watched a ton of your videos. The fact that you are not afraid to share the bad and ugly is more encouraging than always having 100% success. It provokes me to study the causes more than I ever have. Before, I would just pull a bad plant and say, "Oh well," but after watching some of your videos, I look at all the things that i can prevent and control. Your videos have also caused me to start taking notes on how certain varieties act in different parts of my garden and keep up with growing characteristics. Thank you for providing good content that's real.
I know one year I had the same issue. A good buddy of mine told me he did too a few years back and said a guy from LSU told him if he was trimming the suckers that he was probably spreading the disease with his clippers. It didn’t happen to the plants we did not trim. The man told him to put some alcohol wipes in his pocket or bring a tub of Clorox wipes when he’s going to prune and wipe the blades between each plant. Neither of us has had a problem since. Most people don’t want to go through that but we’ve seem to have rid that issue. I don’t know buddy but it’s a suggestion.
There are loads of ways to spread tomato disease and haphazard pruning is an effective one. I prune with an old utility knife and when finished with one plant, drop the blade end into a small jar with about an inch of 10% household bleach before pruning the next. Typically, I'll only prune the older, bottom leaves and let the suckers form additional blossom sites and shade to ward off sun scald.
Unless you're also sanitizing your hands between plants you can still spread disease. The open wounds from pruning wick disease into the plants.
Amazing video, thank you. I've been growing indeterminant heirloom tomatoes for 15+ years and started trying out determinant varieties in the last couple of years and have had the exact same experience. Will definitely be growing more determinants going forward, as well as being far more selective about which indeterminant heirloom varieties to grow. Thank you for showing me that I'm not crazy!
I never questioned being one of your subscribers, but when you said "...check yoself before you reck yoself.." I knew I was in the RIGHT place!! 😂😂😂 My tomatoes are getting spots on the leaves, anything I can do?
If it's viral, no. If it's fungal, you could try spraying them with liquid copper to see if it gets better.
I just stumbled upon your channel today. Thanks for sharing the good and bad. I have had the same problem with my determinate and indeterminate beef steak tomatoes. It is spotty. One tomato looks fine, and down the row, two or more look bleak. I asked a gardener about this, and he said, we have been having abnormal weather. We have had a lot of rain here in Kansas of late...experiment is key!! 😊
Don't single stem the indeterminate plants. I know a lot of youtubers do but they don't live in the south. Grow them exactly like you do your determinate, weave and all but with a little over head watering daily, you'll have better luck. Heavy pruning doesn't work in the south imo. Even just cage them and typing them at the height you want will be better on the plants
I do this, my plants usually hit 8ft.😊
TRAV!!!! ❤
Thank you again for sharing... And properly informing and shutting up the conspiracy theorists.
My garden is my happy place and if something isn't working and bringing me joy!!!!, I nix it. Shade cloths might work but if it's not your comfort level...don't do it.
In your garden dialog at least you can say, "I've grown..." You seem to be having success with so many of your other plants...
And whatever the issue is, airborne or soil, you'll get it... A Tiempo. ❤
I started planting my indeterminate tomatoes in part sun insteadof full, water daily, spray with asprin weekly, and let 3 suckers grow to further shade fruit. They are now 7 ft tall and setting lots of fruit.
What does spraying with aspirin do?
@Kay Doubles Haha
I love your videos, and how you share candidly all outcomes. Good and bad. I have so many garden fails, because I treat each year like a big science experiment. Through it all, I'm constantly learning. And those marigolds look great!!!❤
I love your channel, what can I say? I have learned so much, love that you share the good and the bad and that you speak your mind! I am in SW VA so it is a little different here growing wise, but your advise is always spot on. My Turkey Creek tomato is doing great, can't wait to see end results.
Thank you so much Travis for turning us onto the Roadster and Red Snapper tomatoes and explaining why most of us southern growers should be growing determinate varieties. I've never had success growing a large tomato here in Jacksonville, FL, but wow, I think my wife is mad at me for how many we got (she had to learn how to can them). We grew 6 of each variety, and I stopped counting once we hit 100 huge tomatoes. I just yanked the plants out today as they're toast with the heat and excess rain, but I couldn't be happier. Obviously mine went in the ground a good bit before yours did, we harvested for a good 35 days or so. I should mention we too used the Florida weave, and I got me some NatureSafe 8-5-5. I used Jute twine since it is biodegradable, and it does seem to vary in support depending on if its wet or dry, but I found if I ran them tight I didn't have any issues with it, and since these produced so fast, I didn't have any line breakage (like I've had with stringing up indeterminates vertically) as they break down pretty quick.
Glad to hear they performed well for you!
I FEEL YOUR PAIN!! I've had a few issues with some of my plants, too! I love the way that your kids want to be involved, I wish I had some extra help. ALSO, I'm glad that you stick to the garden and not the politics! That's why I've stayed with your channel, and a few others. I've had to skip some videos because that's NOT why I'm here!!
I WANT TO LEARN how to use different methods and how to try to prosper a little more. I have to do this by myself and I have a few health issues, so I'm up for trying NEW and IMPROVED ideas! Keep it coming TRAV, you're doing great!!
Thanks for showing the rough lookin maters . Makes me realize that sometimes no matter what you do some plants just dont do well especially in Southern heat and humidity and no rain for weeks at a time.
I used shade cloth a few years ago and it helped cool the growing area a ton, but I also figured out after about a month it increased disease pressure because of much higher humidity. If the wind was blowing it wasn't so bad but on stiller days it was like walking into a sauna sometimes.
I agree with what others have said, the bare soil is heating up too much and causing environmental stress issues and that is why you are seeing the leaved curly from stress of getting over heated. That with also some blossom end rot, showing signs of not getting enough water. Your other tomatoes foliage is protecting the soil from heating up and not causing stress on the determinate tomatoes.
I grew some Cherokee purple variety very early. They survived the late freeze in coastal La and then the extreme heat and drought and were my best producers this year over all others. I let them grow foliage to shade the tomatoes and that helps.
Usually I'm singing the blues with my maters by now. We've had a cooler year here in Tucson. Only been over 100 once. Mostly been low 90's. I purchased a huge shade tarp. I believe it's the key for me. So far my indeterminate maters are producing more. My determinate maters are loaded with fruit so that may change.
Travis, watching your videos got me to try hybrid tomatoes this season. I have fought the heirloom tomatoe battle for years to finally "take a break" from gardening. I started last season carrying on the fight, but this year, I planted red snapper tomatoes, and mine look a lot like yours LOADED! Thanks for all you do.
You should mulch those plants, and possibly use shade cloth. They're getting too hot during the day, and the ground looks fairly dry as well. That's why they look better in the mornings. You have them pruned to a single leader, which isn't uncommon or a bad thing, but you have to keep in mind that the plant can't cool itself as effectively with all that foliage missing. Mulching also helps prevent splitting, because it can help the soil retain moisture for the plants.
When you showed all those Roadster clusters, I swear I could smell them 😆
There is nothing quite like the smell of healthy tomato plants.
Black Krim has a really nice exotic smell to it.
I’m in Ga. and mostly grow indeterminate tomatoes. I think your plants are farther apart & it looks like you don’t have any mulch which would keep moisture. And planting them a little closer & keeping at least 2 or 3 suckers to keep them bushier provides shade to themselves.
Have you thought about using a 40% shade cloth on your indeterminant plants? Could help by providing some afternoon shade. Also, a main variable between your determinant and your indeterminant is your pruning style. I’d maybe try just using a big tomato cage or just Florida weaving them instead of single stemming them to have the extra foliage to shade itself and soak up the extra sun.
Add some water. tomatoes like cool weather not heat. They dont grow well in hot weather. Shade them and water into the roots might help those poor plants. I have 2 in partial shade there doing good
it is hard to florida weave indeterminate. I tried that one year, and had to go back and add a post to each plant because the weave didn't support the height of the plant. The determinate are bushy plants with thicker stalks, which helps hold up the plant as compared to the indeterminate which keeps growing all season. I have had some indeterminate that reached 6.5-7ft tall.
@@SandW6384 My indeterminates are already 6 ft tall and still have 3-4 more months of growing season
@@SandW6384 in normal growing conditions. But even when single stemmed, in the heat, his plants are dying back before they reach the top of the trellis
@@jcs1291 That is understandable, where I am in southern NJ, when I grew indeterminate they never really got like that and I was using sprinklers, this was before I used drip tape, it gets hot and humid some days 90+ or even for a couple weeks straight. I have seen that on die back when it is the beginning of Sept at the end of their growing season. Even when my tomatoes need some water they don't look like death. It might be a combination of things which caused the plant stress, insects, soil fungus, and the heat. Once the plant gets stressed the heat just seals the deal on them.
I have done well in trying varieties you recommend. I didn’t want any hybrids in my garden at all before watching your channel, but now I’m very thankful for the ones I’m growing.
I'm a noob at gardening Oklahoma down the road from Leon.. I just leave t posts in all the time. Got measured out cloth and zip ties.. I put 40% shade cloth up when it hits 85F it definitely helps my indeterminate tomatoes. Your garden still looks great you got mad skills man.
Yep, my heirlooms are on their way out, my hybrids are still looking strong. Garden is looking good!
I shaded my tomatoes a few years ago and it helped tremendously. I also heavily mulched them
From morrocco 🇲🇦
Great job bro
Amazing work
You're the best 👍👌🌹
Have tomatoes in raised beds in greenhouse and they are going crazy with shade cloth. Also have tomatoes in mineral tubs outside. Last year not so good,but put up a shade cloth this year and so far what a difference. They are tall,green and loaded. 7b Virginia
I am in Albany so just a few miles from you. I have about 40 indeterminate in the ground. No determinate. Some are struggling but most are OK as long as I keep up with the BT to keep the worms at bay. I handle my tomatoes a bit differently however. I have a conduit pole tent over my tomatoes with clear plastic. This is 10' off the ground at the low point so as to enable good air circulation. I use this to prevent all rain from hitting my tomatoes and it does provide somewhat of a shade barrier, but not much. I find it is absolutely critical to keep the leaves dry here in south GA and this tent does a great job. I mulch the ground with pine straw and water each plant by hand with a wand so as to control my water every 3 days and keep the water off the leaves. I have lost 3 plants total. 2 more look to be struggling. We planted our plants in the ground the first of March and have been eating tomatoes for nearly a month now. Next year I will be adding a line of determinate however.
Your introduction was a trip 😂😂. " Bad to my health to see things like this "
Geez tomatoes are tomatoes and I usually experiment one different kind . If I like so be it . If not ... i ain't about to entertain . All my indeterminate did very well this year. Also I don't prune mine at all specially being in southeast Texas the heat would fried them in minutes. 😅
Love your longer format vids Trav! Thanks for all the helpful hints!! I know I wd struggle w/decision, but I say pull em up and succession plant somethin' else. My Texas heat must be kinda like what youre dealin with?
It's similar, but the humidity is what hurts us here. When I was in college, we had an intern from south Texas come work at the golf course with us on the maintenance crew. He was sucking wind pretty quick just because it's hard to breathe in the humidity. He said it was a different kind of hot than Texas. lol
Same happening with my Roma tomatoes. I bought from Bonnie plants at feed store. I had volunteer that did better last year!
Thanks to you I am growing the Toringina tomatoes this year and have already harvested a pound of fruit with lots more to come. My second best tomato this year is the Juliet and Big Dena coming in third. I live in the desert where it gets hot and dry and have struggled with growing tomatoes in general. We don't have the humidity that you do but I have more success when I don't prune very much and let the plants shade themselves.
This is the first year I have ever been successful growing tomatoes in Louisiana because I used 40% shade cloth from the beginning. My plants look great, not stressed and very little disease compared to past years. I’m growing Cherokee Purple, Celebrity, Arkansas Traveler, Brandywine Pink, Juliette cherry, Romas, and Sun Gold cherry.
Are your tomato plants completely covered with the shade cloth?
The shade cloth is suspended above from corner poles and not touching the tops of the plants but very close. This allows some direct sun during the day as the sun moves across the sky. During the hottest parts of the day they are all shaded. @@treasuresabound0062
Hey Travis, Enjoy your show. Keep up the great work. I miss you at the Row by Row garden show. Been watching you and your Dad for years. Enjoy
Do you think if you pruned the indeterminates less and let them get bushier it might protect them from the sun a little more?
We leave on a lot of leaves on our indeterminates plus more suckers the more tomatoes. Trying Roma's this year. 90F to 45 the next day. Beautiful but very few tomatoes and blooms on Romas
I always look forward to your videos! I share your heartbreak over seeing plants putter out, the struggle is real. Currently awaiting my ‘mater plants to get going in zone 5b ;)
I'm in South Ga and I only trim the bottom leaves when starting out. Then I put grass clippings around my tomatoes. They do really well. I cut out some of the suckers and some I leave on the plant. My tomatoes are doing great and are holding up to the heat. I water them early morning and in early afternoon ever day. Maybe try not trimming them so harshly next year and see if that helps. Don't give up!
I laughed at the entry of your video for I have had the same experience. Your knowledge is appreciated as always.
Omgoodness. Thank you Travis. Your videos are so informative. People just love to run their mouths. Keep the videos coming. 👍
I've had the same thing happen with this type of trellising a couple of years ago. When the winds came, they beat up the tomatoes against the string, and I lost a few. They started to look just like yours, and I ended pulling them out before they completely died. I have since abandoned this trellising method.
What you said at the end, facts!!! Thanks for keeping it real!!!
You should try growing the heirloom in a tunnel or use shade cloth.
Using cattle panels get shade cloth over it should do the trick, might try that. Currently using my cattle panels as a hoop coop might cover with netting so my chickens don't eat it.
Travis try grafting your heirlooms. Its a bit of work but might help your growing conditions. Definitely game changing if you get a solid rootstock.
Hi Travis ,
My husband just put up shade cloth over our Plots .
God bless you
Also congratulations on hitting the 50,000
New friends/ subscribers
You are doing Great .
Mrs josette Tharp
Montgomery County, Texas
Thanks Josette!
I live in Southern California where it gets 115 degrees. The best indeterminate variety I've tried is Early Treat hybrid from burpee. It gives golf ball sized fruit in pretty good clusters and lasts into the winter for me.
I love the end of the video thanks for that.
HAVE you ever planned any Oxheart tomatoes
Have not tried that variety.
I garden in Oklahoma. It's hot but not nearly as humid as you. I seem to be able to grow determinates and indeterminates about the same. 2 years ago my determinates were a little better and last year my indeterminates were better. This year so far both are doing extremely well with lots of vigor. We shall see. My go to, that I know is going to do well, is the boring Roma. It is my constant
have you tried using a light coloured mulch like straw to protect the soil from the sun?
Used pine straw last year, but didn't really seem to help.
( 9:00 ) Reveals tree shade is covering more of the determinant group longer in the heat than the baked set. Get one of the inexpensive turkey thermometers to test the soil all around the garden and yard in the middle of the day. Worms only live in the top five inches of the soil because that's where all the rest of the critters hang out. Hard sunlight can cook everything if not careful then the biology has to start at the beginning.
I think the weather is our main culprit this season as well as a few past seasons and a little worried about future weather
Good spacing in between rows! Looks great! ❤
Travis I am having a hard time with blossom end rot and I keep thinking out drip irrigation isn’t dripping at every opening. Only 2 varieties have that problem. I put Epsom salts in the soil when I planted. ? ? ? ?😒
Blossom end rot is a calcium deficiency. The plant is not able to uptake the calcium even if it's already present in the soil. Epsom Salt is Magnesium sulfate which does nothing for calcium intake. If there is plenty of calcium in the soil (soil test) then more frequent regular watering is your best solution.
I have had tomato plants do that. I pull it up & check it out. A lot of the time I find a worm in the middle of the stem or some kind of root rot.
First year of trying gardening. I am in Indiana so my zone is different so I just look up what you say and see when to apply it here. Lol. I don’t really expect a lot of success with it being my first year but even one home grown tomato will make me so happy! Thank you for your wonderful videos!
I live in central ga… and mine are indeterminate… and Ive kept the leaf branches trimmed off pretty high…so airflow is good and marigolds by all of them .., I grew in co trainers …. Last yr I had hornworms in a raised bed so learned my
Lesson with thAt 😊
I use to be caught up in the organic non gmo stuff for a long time but realized the seed doesn't matter to me as long as it grows well. I typically buy conventional seeds and then grow them as organically as possible.
From your experience, did you discover that the gmo plants are more apt to not have the same good healthy immune system as others of the same variety, non gmo.
GMO seeds are not available to home gardeners. Hybrids are not GMO.
@@r.louiseworley-parsley4208 I grew up in a farming community and remember extremely well when Monsanto (and the government) came in with their "new and improved (GMO) seeds" FORCING farmers to use their product. I know that GMO seeds, generally speaking, are not available to the public, only farmers. Seed companies use it for a marketing ploy which is irritating and confusing to people. I try to educate my friends the story behind GMO seeds and why they are not available to the general public and for some reason they can't wrap their brains around the difference and why they are unavailable. I am saving my breath and stopped beating that dead horse.
@@happybeehoney3461 well they’re actually available as a bag of feed corn, just not legal to plant lol
Some what happy to see a master sharing some of my same tomato ailments I am having this year. My San Marzano and even Hossinator are just in the toilet this year, I thought it was a water thing but I do not know.
Love it! I feel the same way about everyone smack talking chicken feed companies because their birds slow down laying in the winter. New sub here!
They changed the recipe. It was listed on the bag but nobody was told. BTW. I don't agree with those that extend the laying season for the hens using lighting. The girls need a rest.
Our chickens eat very little chicken food and mostly cover crops, and they take a break in the winter too. The bagged chicken food is definitely not responsible.
@@LazyDogFarm same it makes me crazy with all these people saying “they changed the ingredients on chicken food” well that all fine and good but I make and ferment my own food and they still stopped laying. Funny enough in the spring when all these videos were coming out and everyone changed foods they started laying again…and I am thinking…they started laying again because it’s now spring! I can’t with these people.
Good job Travis we appreciate you taking the time to go over what you have going on in your garden. I kinda have the same situation I got the bright idea I was going to replace my Bela Rosa tomatoes this year with Shelby tomatoes and so far this has been a mistake. The Bela Rosa always hit the ground running and produced well now with the Shel y not so much, they just started growing a little but are taking their sweet time and it's driving me crazy lol. Keep up the good work, look forward to your next video.
Good to know. I’d heard good stuff about Shelby and considered a fall planting of them over Bella’s- may reconsider.
I made an interesting observation today. I have not pruned ANY of my indeterminate tomatoes this year (except sucker pinching at immediate onset of the sucker) after the initial planting back in late March/early April. Last week, for the first time all year, I removed some low diseased leaves on 2 indeterminate plants. Today, both plants are dying of wilt disease. I pruned them on different days last week and the pruners were washed/dried in between. I noticed you are heavily pruning/single stemming your indeterminates, meanwhile you're just letting your determinates grow. I'm wondering if the humid air this time of year colonizes wilt viruses and bacteria where we live, so any time we prune our tomatoes, we give those pathogens an entry point into the stem, leading to wilt. Next year, try not pruning your indeterminate tomatoes at all. Just let them bush out like crazy. That's what I'm doing in my straw bales, not pruning a thing, and I've never had tomatoes so healthy this late in the year.
After having horrible wilt all throughout my indeterminate tomatoes last year, which I pruned and managed very well, and now witnessing this, I'm believing it's the pruning that kills the plants. Next year, aside from the initial removal of the lowest leaves at planting during late winter/early spring when the air is still bone dry, I'm not pruning a thing and seeing what happens!
I have considered that hypothesis in the past as well -- that pruning opens a wound for disease entry. I think that's very valid. I'm definitely scaling back on indeterminates next year, and will probably go back to cages and just let them bush out.
@@LazyDogFarm I think next year I will run a trial in two beds where some indeterminates are pruned and others I do nothing. Based on what I've witnessed the past 2 years, I would bet if you go to cages and don't prune them, you'll get more leaf spot and blight, but less or no wilt. At least leaf spot and early blight can be managed.
@@TheMillennialGardener I think you're right. We used to do cages on all the indeterminates until we tried this hanging trellis last year. They still have problems in the cages, but maybe not as many as they do on the hanging trellis.
I am sticking with determinate up here in Ontario, Canada. After the same fate of my indeterminate tomatoes and cucumbers last year, I am paying more attention to just the one type of tomato. And as well, the cucumbers will hopefully be better off this year.
As far as the weave, I am going with cotton. This way I can can just toss it all into the compost pile. But we'll see.
Thanks for all your effort in doing these experiments. We all appreciate it.
Travis, it looks like you're staring hard at 50 thousand subscribers. Congratulations, and carry on. I note that many more viewers are commenting on this vlog and on the comments of others. It could be that the subject is tomatoes where folk are more opinionated than with other crops. Feisty bunch. Nobody has mentioned the electric toothbrush technique for tomato pollination. Useful for growers like me that have few native pollinators and is a hack that I rely on every season with good results.
Perhaps you could look into grafting on to a hardy rootstock... Get one that is resistant to Fusarium, verticulim, nematodes and especially bacterial wilt. Im going to experiment with RST- 105-04-T this fall here in Florida. Bacterial wilt and nematodes hit me hard so this is what Im trying.
Maybe it Florida sun and they need a shade cloth… if your doing this the first time try it a second time with shade cloth if it doesn’t it again . I’d stop trying.. r place them in your yard where there is more shade area.. or inside a green house back porch..
I love seeing your garden you and your family do a great job.
Thanks for that! I only grow determinate tomatoes in my garden. Sorry about those indeterminate plants, very frustrating!
What's most likely going on is the determinate varieties have been bred to be disease resistant, while heirlooms are known to not be super resistant to much. It might be worth it to save seed from the heirloom varieties that survive and produce well, to create a resistant strain.
Great job. Keep growing!
Hey Trav, don’t give up on the indeterminates. I’m a lot like you, for the past half dozen years I’ve been the tomato guru around here. Everything was golden. This season, I don’t know what it is, the weather is great, and the tomatoes are just lackluster. It will get better. I see a Domingo in your future. Let me know if you need seeds!
I'm not trusting all brands of compost. We did not have enough DIY this year so we purchased one brand we tried last year with success.
Is there any reason why you're not using mulch? I feel like a nice mulch layer would help the tomatoes significantly.
I agree with the others recommending shade cloth. I'm in Colorado, and I'm doing some toms under 30% shade and some in full sun. So far I'm liking the shade cloth because it also protects from the June hail season.
Black Beauty is one of my all time favorite! Black on the sunny side and RIPE when the bottom is reddish. If its green on the bottom, it is not ripe. Outstanding flavor! Im in Ohio and my heirloom tomatoes almost always do well!
Harvest black beauty when the bottom turns a dark red. The fruits turn purple where the sun hits them so you can see the true color by looking at a spot where the sun doesn't hit it. If you just wait till it turns purple you would pick it and it would still be green.
I use jute for FL weave; it lasts one season only but works well for me. I think the #1 problem with the system people would encounter is skimping on the t-posts. I skimped on the posts first season using the system and all was great until later in the season and the heavy plants just pulled it all down.
You know more than I but I agree with the people who put shade cloth over their tomatoes. It’s too hot here to not cover them in the heat of summer as I did last year and had to tear out a bunch of good plants that just stopped flowering in the heat.
Of my 48 plants I’ve only lost 1 so far and it had some sort of wilt that just killed it. Everything else is doing great but the next week here in S TX is going to be at or over 100F. I put up shade cloth over the entire garden hoping that’ll help us get at least through June.
Hey Travis, in the past few years, the only tomato plants are grown or heirloom except the sun gold last year. My garden didn’t grow worth a hoot route nematodes this year. I planted your mustard as you suggested I also planted some of your red snapper plants, my heirloom, and those red snappers are looking awesome mustard must have gotten rid of the root nematodes thank you and my zucchini
North Eastern Kentucky we're having few super hot days and really cool days. We are usually pretty hot at this time
I think you need to search for Heat Tolerant indeterminate varieties. That means less variety as far as colors but it will work better especially if you are growing those that set in hot weather.
My second year doing the weave. First year i used cotton because im all natural. But in this case i agree synthetic is the way to go. Currently using nylon and its a world of difference. Thanks travis and family.
Hey Matt - a biodegradable option that works well and doesn’t stretch is sisal or jute twine. I’ve used it in my garden for years and it is perfect for the weave. I also use it to lash my bamboo tripod tomato cages together.
@@timfetner8029 good advice ill try it thank you my friend
A lot of BER on your tomatoes. They've either had too much, or not enough water is what it looks like. I'm guessing not enough by looking at your plants. Determinate plants will produce no matter what. But, the indeterminates need more water than Determinates, because they are (usually) much bigger plants. Not only that, they *like* moist soil.
Crank your water spout up and see if they perk up. All of my indeterminate plants look amazing, and I'm in central MS. Been at or above 90 here for three weeks. I was told I Could not grow indeterminates in our awful heat. But, I've been doing it for four years. What I learned the first summer was that these plants like a lot more water than one inch a week. I water mine every other day. And once a week I water them very deeply. Some plants are nearing 9 feet tall, some are sitting about 6 feet. But, they are all huge.
Your garden looks amazing, btw! Thanks for sharing your trials with us. Makes me feel less mental knowing we all have the same problems. Lol Nothing worse than babying a plant for 6 months, only to lose it to our heat.
Hey Travis, can you give me some information on those tomatoe cages?
They're made by an Amish company in PA I believe. Here's an Amazon link: amzn.to/3PhwMwM
They're pricey because it costs so much to ship them, but they'll last a lifetime.
amzn.to/3PhwMwM
Another great video! Your garden looks awesome. I highly encourage you to use some sort of shading for those sensitive tomatoes. You'll be glad you did. From my experience and other literature I read through the years, not only are (some) tomato plants sensitive to the heat and humidity, too much light also hinders their performance. In our scorching summer we have in this part of the world, I grow tomatoes in cooled greenhouses. Although the temperature in the greenhouse is fine, tomatoes don't do well unless we reduce the amount of sunlight via shading. Try Estiva indeterminate tomatoes from Johnny seeds. They outperformed all other varieties in our hot climate, and the fruit quality and taste are superb.