I planted 5 different tomato varieties for the first time last week with the help of your videos. I planted them in feta cheese containers and made the drainage holes with a heated screw. The varieties are Bosman, Raspberry Giant, Pokusa, Sun Gold and Mascot. They germinated in only 4 days without a heating mat.
I love that you plant in just basic solo cups. It really helps a beginning seed starter. Feel comfortable and confident enough to go ahead and give it a try even if their budget is somewhat small.
Brian, I'm glad that you got the Pink Princess tomato seeds that I sent to you! EVERYONE that comes to my garden and tries it says WOW! Have a great growing season and keep up the great videos! I really admire all that you're doing. We still have some time to continue planning here in the cold northeast (NH zone 5b/6A). Ciao! Peter
@@hyacinthABC yes they are cherry tomatoes. I get mine every year from Fedco in Maine. Ciao! P.S. - I have zero financial interest; just passing along an incredible variety!
I'm trying to grow tomatoes from seeds. Last year mine did not produce. I put them in a greenhouse and transplanted them to the garden but they didn't get many tomatoes. Help
Brian.. I'm almost 70 and for the last 4-5 yrs I have been growing (mostly in pots), tomatoes and peppers. Several yrs ago I tried gr beans, cucumbers & several other just to experiment. It was a little too much for me with walk around issues. But thank goodness for your video's. I go back to them yr after yr and I thank you for your detail. ... Glenda
Perfect timing! Today is my seed starting day 🥳 I'm trying some yellow tomatoes for the first time since they're supposed to be lower acid. Sunray and Powers.
I live in west central MN. I buy most of my tomato seeds from Tomato Growers in FL. I love different varieties. Over the years, I have found that big beef hybrid, first prize VFFNT hybrid, chef’s choice hybrid (both red and orange) and lemon boy do great. I tried Kellogg’s breakfast from Baker Creek last summer and will grow again this summer. I only grow about 3 plants from each variety because of room. For cherry tomatoes, I stick to sun gold hybrid and sweet million FNT hybrid. I usually get a free pkg of seed so will be trying black plum, indeterminate. I grow my seeds in red solo cups but am going to try some in homemade paper cups this year as a trial. Thanks for another great show.
I’m doing tomatoes for the first time this year and your videos have made the process very accessible. I’m also learning a lot of useful info from the comment section on your videos, which has to be the first time in the history of RUclips that’s happened!
I love Kelloggs Breakfast: my daughter can't handle the acidity of most tomatoes, but yellow tomatoes are lower acid and don't hurt her stomach. I can these into sauce just like any other tomato.
I have always had trouble germinating Eggplant, so I tried this method last week (based on last years video) and in 5/6 days I had germination! Tomatoes are not a problem and my favorite is "Chapman" for red and Aunt Gerties Gold or "Yellow Brandywine Platfoot Strain" for yellow/orange. Both are available at Tomato Growers Supply Company (I have no affiliation with them just love their seeds and service). Thank you Brian for such an outstanding channel from a long time viewer! (Thank you for ditching that beard LOL)
Just rewatched this video to make sure I do it right. My Jetstar and Bella rosa tomato seeds have germinated as of this morning and I will remove the dome. Sungold seeds ordered and on the way! Looking forward to a great tomato season! Thanks for all the great tips!
Classic Beefsteak and Dad's Sunset are favorites thus far. This year, for cherry tomatoes, I am growing Large Red Cherry, Black Cherry, Sun Gold, Super Sweet 100, and Sunset Bumble Bee. For large tomatoes, I am growing Martino Roma, Thronburn's Terra-Cotta, Grand Marshall, Celebrity, Arkansas Traveler, Bonny Best, and Dad's Sunset. I am growing a lot of peppers, some in a GreenStalk tower, most in raised beds, Corona di Toro, Orange Lunchbox, Banana, Leysa, Rewia, Ozark Giant, Yellow Monster, Big Red, California Wonder, Cubanelle, Habanada, Lipstick, Hungarian Yellow Wax, Jimmy Nardello, and Etiuda."
I have tried several methods of planting my tomato seeds, including those little mesh bags. The Solo cup method is my favorite and the one I will stick with.
NW New Mexico and I adore Early Girls. They are perfect for our climate. I grow about 7 varieties, got EG are my favorite. No eggplant, but living in NM, I grow a lot of green Chile!
I'm going the opposite direction from you this year and planting heirlooms, which I've never done before. I may regret it, but I've heard so many raves about the flavor I couldn't resist. Going with Kellogg's Breakfast, Pink Brandywine, Rose and Black Krim, all of which have already sprouted and are growing true leaves. I hope they produce enough to make it worth my effort, but our summers (and often even our springs) are hot and humid here in Texas 8A. Next year, I plan to try some of the tomatoes from the Dwarf tomato project since they don't grow as large and sprawling as the indeterminates do. Always glad to see another planting video, especially tomatoes. Good job, Brian!
Thanks for all the info. I have found a super easy way to put holes in the cup. I use my craft hot glue gun! I have a mini one that I took the glue stick out let it heat up and just pressed it against the plastic. No fumes to deal with, just perfect holes.
650 ml yogourt pot are a good way to reuse plastic. About good source of information, there are many ways to achieve success, but having your technic and experience with making it as simple as possible this is what a good gardening youtuber is all about. Very nice video Brian as simple as it gets, yet with a few optional addon. thank you!
I grew eggplant for the first time last year. I started white Casper eggplants in my Aerogarden in April and had fruit all summer. They tasted kinda mushroomy and delicious. I'll definitely grow them again.
I’m in So CA, Zone 10A I start my seeds first week of January. My go-to tomatoes are as follows. Celebrity, Roma, Better Boy, Opalka, Italian Heirloom, Lg. Cherry, Various Dwarfs, Amish Paste, Marglobe, Brandywine Purple, Carmello and Kellogg Breakfast
Thank you. You can then repeat the same process again by planting the seedlings "too deep". I was also told by a tomato farmer to trow a egg shell and a banana skin into the hole before planting.
I like the soldering iron idea. It should be about 1/8" diameter, and the soldering gun one's don't work. You can get one at Walmart for $5-$10 and maybe online too. Anything you make is strengthened by melting the plastic and there is no sharpness. I would make 3 or 4 holes in the bottom of the growth pot or one larger one. I use the soldering iron to make mini greenhouses from clear milk bottles and planters from white milk bottles. There is a fume when you do this, so ventilation would be good. I have a lung disorder, so if the fumes were bad, you would not see this message. I think the cups are a great idea, too, but I wouldn't buy them, I would only repurpose one's you've used. After all, you can (and I have) used cottage cheese, Italian beef, and other plastic containers as planters, too. Good work, Brian. I would love living and growing things in the San Diego area. May the Lord continue blessing you and yours.
I might try this method instead.I had a great harvest last year but this year i have taken a massive loss. Almost 70% of what I've planted from seeds in my jiffy pods start growing then gets to 2-3 inches then droops and withers away. Since i dont have room for a garden in ground ive been using grow bags. I just found your videos today so im excited and going to go through them to see if i can find something that helps
I am on my second year of saving my seeds from the summer before and growing inside in red solo cups. 😍. I grow beef steak, Roma, San Mariano and heirloom. This year I bought the Kelloggs Breakfast and they have sprouted! Thank you for all of your tips!
My favourite tomato is the yellow cherry variety “Sungold”. Just the right acidity coupled with sweetness. For Aubergines I live in a quite cold region on the side of a hill in the U.K. and have difficulty getting the fruit to maturity. I have had better maturity and yields with a dwarf variety called “Pinstripe”, purple striped with lilac.
@@JohnThomas-nf1lv I have a Robinsons greenhouse John but I back onto trees and open fields and the trees over the years have started to cast shade on my greenhouse - everything grows well but takes longer to mature and ripen so I try to start things early indoors on a grow light unit.
Came back to this video a year later because it's just great and easy to follow! I grew tomatoes for the first time last year from seeds following this and I had a great harvest. Even made tomato sauce! Eggplants grew as well but unfortunately a beaver got to them before us 😂
Brian, hot tip of the month. When you set your rat trap use a small zip tie to hold down Parmesan cheese. Way better for a Organic style garden that any poisons as you know. Thanks for all your help , Grizz
Thanks for the video. I have the first sets of leaves out in the cups, took the dome off and now the questions are: 1. How often to water? Yes, they are my first own tomatoes :) 2. Once the first true leaves will be out I'll start fertilizer every 2 weeks half strength like you suggested. 3. When can I put the cups outside? I am starting late in the season but here in SoCal should be fine. It's very hot outside and lots of sun - is it safe to put the trays outside already? 4. I will then transfer the plants to the ground. Do you have a video on that process by any chance? Thank you.
I'm planting San Marzano tomatoes for the first time and have the seeds now (New Hampshire zone 6a). Today is March 1st so I have until about April 1st or later until I germinate them. I like the 1/2 filling of the cup first, smart idea that I'll do as well. I always plant them deep but that gives a leg up on root development before they even go in ground.🌱👍🏻 Here it's typical to wait until the end of May believe it or not to plant cold tender crops. A freak 20° cold snap May 18th last year killed off all my tomatoes and peppers I raised from seed, even though I put them under five gallon buckets with blankets. For the sake of two weeks I lost everything! Now I wait until May 27th to plant tomatoes and peppers, hard to do when you get days in the mid to high 70's.
Thank you so much! 100 tomato plants germinating and I’m so thankful for all your help here. Ordered all the products you listed and I’m ready to make some major tomato’s this year! Salsa, tomato sandwiches, sauce, salad, can’t wait!
@@abidakhanbegum6886 I orders the neptunes harvest crab and lobster fertilizer, neptunes harvest kelp meal, down to earth rock phosphate and lastly neptunes harvest tomato veg 2-4-2
I am in Gilbert La. 8 a zone. I have had good luck with all of the ones you called out at the start of this video. But Arkansas traveler, better boy ,sweet million ,and sweet 100, a couple of others you had on your list.
I've grown Sungolds for a bunch of years, but last year I tried Sunsugar, and they're my new favorite. Pretty much the same flavor profile, but virtually no skin splitting, which has always been the problem with my Sungolds. Problem solved with no downsides!
I have watched your grow light video over and over again since you posted the last one. I finally bit the bullet and ordered a Viperspectra light!!! It should be here by Thursday and I am so excited❤ i’m tired of putting my seedling outside every morning and bringing them in every night. Now I can at least get them going with confidence even when I am away for a few days! Thanks for all your tips😊
I just placed six tomato plants in the ground , like I do EVERY February because we always get that one week of warm weather where I rush out and buy tomatoes. And Like EVERY year, as soon as I put them in the ground, we have a cold snap. Seriously, they keep forecasting SNOW!! . Ha. I've been covering them with plastic containers, so far , so good. I have eggplant seeds I need to start, the standard Black Beauty and and a long Japanese style variety, I will give your method a try. :)
New to your channel today. I have been feeling overwhelmed with all the gardening information out there. My used to be “green thumb” has been struggling the last three years. We are in Oregon and the weather has really changed. The last two summers we have had 90 + degrees for a large portion of the growing season. Last summer it rained constantly til mid growing season, so everything was late or didn’t have time to mature. I appreciate your back to the beginning video on tomatoes to help give me some confidence back! Like “My Two Cents” I am wondering if you are starting the tomatoes in Seed Starting Mix OR Potting Soil. Thank you for your reply in advance!
I love this channel for teaching me how to grow tomatoes. MY tomatoes are thriving..yet to have harvest day but I'm greateful. Please do similar videos with lettuce, peppers and other vegtables. Thanks.
I gut beefeater tomatoes bought at store I had empty soil pot dropped them in and 42 sprouts. Looking to divide them. Thank you for the info. 1ST TIME seeder lol
Thanks Brian for this very helpful video. We sowed 6 tomato and 2 egg plant seed, everything germinated within 6 days. If I plant them in a pot vs a raised bed, what size pot should I use? Thank you!
I've been watching your videos for a couple years now and one thing I've never seen you do is grafting. I ordered some grafting rootstock tomato seeds to experiment with this year. I think it would make for some interesting video ideas for you. Good luck BW. 👍🏻
The next step after this is going into the ground. Question: I grow Heirloom tomatoes and as we know the disease resistance is little or nothing. When we plant our tomatoes we plant them deep to increase root structure/surface area. I've read where it is acceptable to either leave the branches on that will be under ground level or cut them off. I'm thinking that cutting the branches off and immediately planting them allows an excellent entry point (at the fresh cut) for soil-borne diseases. Your thoughts please. Thanks
The red cups from Costco have divots in them for your fingers to grab the cup easier but it also helps with blocking the roots from swirling around the cup.
Can definitely attest to this, I was using a clear container with no drain holes to transport soil from the garage to the house, forgot about it in there for like 2 days and mold is already growing in there!
I use clear cups to monitor the root growth and inspect for fungus gnat larvae, BUT I then set those clear cups into a white paper cup as a sleeve. Best of both worlds. Be sure to drill drain holes. I remove the plastic cup to water from the bottom and return it to the paper cup sleeve after it has drained off the excess water from the soaking.
Thank you! I’m an amateur who grows flowers from seed; I bought better boy plants last summer that were great! Gonna try to plant their seeds in February!!
I have about 10 varieties I’m growing for tomatoes 😅 and 2 eggplant, the traditional black beauty and listada di gandia. Both did very well for me last year.
I've already got some tomatoes started in solo cups for the season, thanks to your previous tomato seedling videos, they're looking great! I'm growing 10 different varieties this year (I also have ADHD & I got excited about all the yummy tomatoes), including Roma & San Marzano for sauces, and Sungold which did super well in my greenhouse last year.
I really appreciate your videos. Last year we decided to grow tomatoes, but it was around the middle of the season, so we just bought the plants. This year I want to grow them from seeds ourselves.
Hi you no I had ask someone that question about the see through cups but I never got an answer but I thought it would be better to sow them in a different one thanks for your info 👍
You really are better off using a thicker plastic pot. Most people don't reuse plastic cups and just throw them away every year. Nursery pots will last years in the sun!
I planted more garlic and carrots in a raised bed after church today now I need to start a few other vegetables we like, I used your solo cup idea last year but i needed 2 packs i think, we did 75 tomato plants ( don't think we need that many this year). when the soil get warm enough I am going to plant 1/2 acre of pumpkins to feed the animals this fall AND I like pumpkin pie
already started 31 types of peppers, favorite is pumpkin jalapeno. also 6 eggplants. fav is rosa bianca. starting tomatos in 2 weeks with basils and tomatillos
I like the solo cup starter, I will try it. In the past my tomato plants usually tall and leggy which I liked cause I could plant deeply to get a lot of root development.
Thank you, man. I really appreciate your advice. That said, I'm not sure if you have a video like the one I'm about to request, but can you do an extensive ELI5 video on cherry and regular tomatoes, cukes, and corn? I tend to have endless questions much like a small child (I'm 31 😅). What works, doesn't work, how does it work, time scale, photos of development, watering, etc. I'm aware of many of these things, but I'd like to get a cohesive response from someone like you. Maybe you've got a playlist that covers these things... I'll go do some searching. I think my main problem might be soft-heartedness and trepidation. I don't want to fail myself nor the plants! Lol anyways, thanks again.
I can not believe after 80k views, this only has 6k likes!!! Come on people this information is gold. Hit the like button for our friend who shared the quality information all beginner gardeners need. HIT THE LIKE FOR THAT, FRIENDS.
Hi Brian, you are my go to on my tomatoes. 1st year planting with solo cup. My question tho is last year I purchased the Neptune fertilizer .. and I still have quite a bit of it left. Is it still good to use. I kept it in a cool dark environment .. thanks and really enjoy your site. Duane
Hello Brian I just sent a question below about size of pot to use and then watched a video right after LOL and you said 5 gallon minimum , happy to hear that bc I purchased 7 gallon cloth pots so I guess I'm good to go :)
awesome. There is a variety of grocery store cherry tomato I enjoy a lot, going to try to start some seeds from one of them in a cup i was going to throw away otherwise :)
I’ll use clear cups and it works just fine. Although I am starting to move away from cups in general, due to their tendency to fall over. It’s less than $20 for over one hundred 3 1/2 inch square pots, which are far more stable. I will continue reusing my cups until they fall apart, but I’ve also started experimenting with 3 1/2 inch nursery pots, which I honestly find it easier to clean and sanitize in bulk.
Let me say your super root plan works and another byproduct of it is you can cut your seed to transplant time down dramatically. I don’t even start my tomatoes until April!
ThankYou so much for sharing. I am new at growing my ultimate vegie diet and homestead. Any and all advise is greatly appreciated. I love your videos! Is it okay to start my seedlings inside my home on my kitchen counter?
This video confirms my desire to use solo cups for my 25000 tomato seeds nursery. Its a commervial venture and I wonder if there are any special advice to make it a huge success.
Enjoy your videos so much, and things I never knew bout gardening, especially tomatoes, my question is I have a led light full spectrum from a 4 ft aquarium, can I use light to grow my seeds indoors. No longer have aquarium, but kept light. Happy gardening. Thanks. Mark…
In past years you mentioned fertilizing at two weeks with 50% strength. Is that when you add the soil? Also, how much fertilizer do you put into each plant?
Thanks so much for your valuable content. I also think soaking in water for a few hours does help facilitate germination. I started some tomato seeds I got from Johnny's Seeds 3 days ago (May 3, 2023) using this process and today is just 3 days later and a number of them are already up. That's barely 3 days! Although I live in a tropical African climate and the ambient temperature must have helped. Pls when does one start to expose the cups to sunlight? After germination or right after planting? I live in a tropical climate here in Africa so sunlight isn't a problem, although the temperature does climb into the mid 30s (Celsius)
When your plant no longer needs the dome, how often do you water the plant and do you still leave it in the tray? This will be my first time growing from seeds. I just don’t want to mess it up. I really enjoy your videos. Thanks.
saw a guy uses clear cups and puts the red solo cups over the clear one.... so its like having xray vision when you want it, thought it was a great idea!!
@@BlackJesus8463 A hybrid called Bellatrix will be my main crop - I had a single plant last year and it produced amazingly! So this year I plan on having at least ten plants. It is a Roma type of paste tomato. We also will have several cherry varieties. Happy gardening!
I planted 5 different tomato varieties for the first time last week with the help of your videos. I planted them in feta cheese containers and made the drainage holes with a heated screw. The varieties are Bosman, Raspberry Giant, Pokusa, Sun Gold and Mascot. They germinated in only 4 days without a heating mat.
I love that you plant in just basic solo cups. It really helps a beginning seed starter. Feel comfortable and confident enough to go ahead and give it a try even if their budget is somewhat small.
Brian, I'm glad that you got the Pink Princess tomato seeds that I sent to you! EVERYONE that comes to my garden and tries it says WOW! Have a great growing season and keep up the great videos! I really admire all that you're doing. We still have some time to continue planning here in the cold northeast (NH zone 5b/6A). Ciao! Peter
Thanks again!
Peter, are these cherry tomatoes? The only ones I see online called "Pink Princess" are cherries.
@@hyacinthABC yes they are cherry tomatoes. I get mine every year from Fedco in Maine. Ciao!
P.S. - I have zero financial interest; just passing along an incredible variety!
I'm trying to grow tomatoes from seeds. Last year mine did not produce. I put them in a greenhouse and transplanted them to the garden but they didn't get many tomatoes. Help
Brian.. I'm almost 70 and for the last 4-5 yrs I have been growing (mostly in pots), tomatoes and peppers. Several yrs ago I tried gr beans, cucumbers & several other just to experiment. It was a little too much for me with walk around issues. But thank goodness for your video's. I go back to them yr after yr and I thank you for your detail. ... Glenda
Hope your tomatoes are doing good!
I surely appreciate that you don't seem to get frustrated by the necessity of doing videos on subjects that you've already covered numerous times ❤
I love that I always learn from repeating videos. 😊
@@rosemarysemprez1265 Me, too! Repetition, baby!❤❤❤
I learned a lot, thank you!! I needed this so I could garden with my kids. They are so happy now!! Have a great growing season!!
So thankful to have watched this video before sowing tomatoes now in southern hemisphere. ❤
Perfect timing! Today is my seed starting day 🥳 I'm trying some yellow tomatoes for the first time since they're supposed to be lower acid. Sunray and Powers.
Also require less sun 🤘🏿
I grew some yellow sun sugar cherry tomatoes last year and they were so good I’m gonna grow at least a dozen this year
@@sabastianlove1286 Good to know! Thanks
I live in west central MN. I buy most of my tomato seeds from Tomato Growers in FL. I love different varieties. Over the years, I have found that big beef hybrid, first prize VFFNT hybrid, chef’s choice hybrid (both red and orange) and lemon boy do great. I tried Kellogg’s breakfast from Baker Creek last summer and will grow again this summer. I only grow about 3 plants from each variety because of room. For cherry tomatoes, I stick to sun gold hybrid and sweet million FNT hybrid. I usually get a free pkg of seed so will be trying black plum, indeterminate. I grow my seeds in red solo cups but am going to try some in homemade paper cups this year as a trial. Thanks for another great show.
I’m doing tomatoes for the first time this year and your videos have made the process very accessible. I’m also learning a lot of useful info from the comment section on your videos, which has to be the first time in the history of RUclips that’s happened!
How did they do 🍅? It's growing season again.
An Ice pick works great for small drain holes and you can put them in several locations to create even drainage.
Instead of a humidity dome I put sandwich baggies on each cup held on with a rubber band and that way I can remove them as each seed germinates.
Great idea!
Does it work well?
@@WilteredRose yes it does.
@@markblankenship3297 Great! Thank you so much
I love Kelloggs Breakfast: my daughter can't handle the acidity of most tomatoes, but yellow tomatoes are lower acid and don't hurt her stomach. I can these into sauce just like any other tomato.
I have always had trouble germinating Eggplant, so I tried this method last week (based on last years video) and in 5/6 days I had germination! Tomatoes are not a problem and my favorite is "Chapman" for red and Aunt Gerties Gold or "Yellow Brandywine Platfoot Strain" for yellow/orange. Both are available at Tomato Growers Supply Company (I have no affiliation with them just love their seeds and service).
Thank you Brian for such an outstanding channel from a long time viewer! (Thank you for ditching that beard LOL)
Just rewatched this video to make sure I do it right. My Jetstar and Bella rosa tomato seeds have germinated as of this morning and I will remove the dome. Sungold seeds ordered and on the way! Looking forward to a great tomato season! Thanks for all the great tips!
Classic Beefsteak and Dad's Sunset are favorites thus far. This year, for cherry tomatoes, I am growing Large Red Cherry, Black Cherry, Sun Gold, Super Sweet 100, and Sunset Bumble Bee. For large tomatoes, I am growing Martino Roma, Thronburn's Terra-Cotta, Grand Marshall, Celebrity, Arkansas Traveler, Bonny Best, and Dad's Sunset. I am growing a lot of peppers, some in a GreenStalk tower, most in raised beds, Corona di Toro, Orange Lunchbox, Banana, Leysa, Rewia, Ozark Giant, Yellow Monster, Big Red, California Wonder, Cubanelle, Habanada, Lipstick, Hungarian Yellow Wax, Jimmy Nardello, and Etiuda."
Always something new to learn! Supercharged Tomato plants!!!!
I have tried several methods of planting my tomato seeds, including those little mesh bags. The Solo cup method is my favorite and the one I will stick with.
I've been following this method for tomatoes but never knew you could do it for eggplants! Awesome!
NW New Mexico and I adore Early Girls. They are perfect for our climate. I grow about 7 varieties, got EG are my favorite. No eggplant, but living in NM, I grow a lot of green Chile!
I'm going the opposite direction from you this year and planting heirlooms, which I've never done before. I may regret it, but I've heard so many raves about the flavor I couldn't resist. Going with Kellogg's Breakfast, Pink Brandywine, Rose and Black Krim, all of which have already sprouted and are growing true leaves. I hope they produce enough to make it worth my effort, but our summers (and often even our springs) are hot and humid here in Texas 8A. Next year, I plan to try some of the tomatoes from the Dwarf tomato project since they don't grow as large and sprawling as the indeterminates do. Always glad to see another planting video, especially tomatoes. Good job, Brian!
Thanks for all the info. I have found a super easy way to put holes in the cup. I use my craft hot glue gun! I have a mini one that I took the glue stick out let it heat up and just pressed it against the plastic. No fumes to deal with, just perfect holes.
That's a good idea! I just used a pointy metal skewer and it was really easy to get through the Solo cup. I didn't think about my glue gun!
Thanks a million for that bit of excellent advice! I've been struggling with hole-making for years, but this will be perfect for me!
650 ml yogourt pot are a good way to reuse plastic. About good source of information, there are many ways to achieve success, but having your technic and experience with making it as simple as possible this is what a good gardening youtuber is all about. Very nice video Brian as simple as it gets, yet with a few optional addon. thank you!
I like that! You know most people gonna have leggy seedlings from starting indoors so plan ahead to bury them deep. 👌
I grew eggplant for the first time last year. I started white Casper eggplants in my Aerogarden in April and had fruit all summer. They tasted kinda mushroomy and delicious. I'll definitely grow them again.
I'm afraid of eggplant, only because I don't know what they taste like! I have some seed, so I will try them for sure with your taste review!❤
Makes me want to buy an aero garden. Always wanted one!
I’m in So CA, Zone 10A
I start my seeds first week of January.
My go-to tomatoes are as follows.
Celebrity, Roma, Better Boy, Opalka, Italian Heirloom, Lg. Cherry, Various Dwarfs, Amish Paste, Marglobe, Brandywine Purple, Carmello and Kellogg Breakfast
Excellent video, thanks for sharing, i will start my tomatoes plant as you explained.
Thank you. You can then repeat the same process again by planting the seedlings "too deep". I was also told by a tomato farmer to trow a egg shell and a banana skin into the hole before planting.
I like the soldering iron idea. It should be about 1/8" diameter, and the soldering gun one's don't work. You can get one at Walmart for $5-$10 and maybe online too. Anything you make is strengthened by melting the plastic and there is no sharpness. I would make 3 or 4 holes in the bottom of the growth pot or one larger one. I use the soldering iron to make mini greenhouses from clear milk bottles and planters from white milk bottles. There is a fume when you do this, so ventilation would be good. I have a lung disorder, so if the fumes were bad, you would not see this message. I think the cups are a great idea, too, but I wouldn't buy them, I would only repurpose one's you've used. After all, you can (and I have) used cottage cheese, Italian beef, and other plastic containers as planters, too. Good work, Brian. I would love living and growing things in the San Diego area. May the Lord continue blessing you and yours.
Woohoo! It's tomato seed sowing day! I'm so excited 😊
I might try this method instead.I had a great harvest last year but this year i have taken a massive loss. Almost 70% of what I've planted from seeds in my jiffy pods start growing then gets to 2-3 inches then droops and withers away. Since i dont have room for a garden in ground ive been using grow bags. I just found your videos today so im excited and going to go through them to see if i can find something that helps
I am on my second year of saving my seeds from the summer before and growing inside in red solo cups. 😍. I grow beef steak, Roma, San Mariano and heirloom. This year I bought the Kelloggs Breakfast and they have sprouted! Thank you for all of your tips!
My favourite tomato is the yellow cherry variety “Sungold”. Just the right acidity coupled with sweetness. For Aubergines I live in a quite cold region on the side of a hill in the U.K. and have difficulty getting the fruit to maturity. I have had better maturity and yields with a dwarf variety called “Pinstripe”, purple striped with lilac.
I love Sun Gold! Planted them 3 years in a row. They grow super well, too.
I'm going to be on the onlookout for anyone growing sunsugar in my neghbouhood. We swap seedlings in May.
You are a prime candidate for a small greenhouse.
@@JohnThomas-nf1lv I have a Robinsons greenhouse John but I back onto trees and open fields and the trees over the years have started to cast shade on my greenhouse - everything grows well but takes longer to mature and ripen so I try to start things early indoors on a grow light unit.
Came back to this video a year later because it's just great and easy to follow! I grew tomatoes for the first time last year from seeds following this and I had a great harvest. Even made tomato sauce! Eggplants grew as well but unfortunately a beaver got to them before us 😂
Brian, hot tip of the month. When you set your rat trap use a small zip tie to hold down Parmesan cheese. Way better for a Organic style garden that any poisons as you know. Thanks for all your help , Grizz
Thanks!
Thanks for the video. I have the first sets of leaves out in the cups, took the dome off and now the questions are:
1. How often to water? Yes, they are my first own tomatoes :)
2. Once the first true leaves will be out I'll start fertilizer every 2 weeks half strength like you suggested.
3. When can I put the cups outside? I am starting late in the season but here in SoCal should be fine. It's very hot outside and lots of sun - is it safe to put the trays outside already?
4. I will then transfer the plants to the ground. Do you have a video on that process by any chance?
Thank you.
I'm planting San Marzano tomatoes for the first time and have the seeds now (New Hampshire zone 6a). Today is March 1st so I have until about April 1st or later until I germinate them. I like the 1/2 filling of the cup first, smart idea that I'll do as well. I always plant them deep but that gives a leg up on root development before they even go in ground.🌱👍🏻 Here it's typical to wait until the end of May believe it or not to plant cold tender crops. A freak 20° cold snap May 18th last year killed off all my tomatoes and peppers I raised from seed, even though I put them under five gallon buckets with blankets. For the sake of two weeks I lost everything! Now I wait until May 27th to plant tomatoes and peppers, hard to do when you get days in the mid to high 70's.
Thank you so much! 100 tomato plants germinating and I’m so thankful for all your help here. Ordered all the products you listed and I’m ready to make some major tomato’s this year! Salsa, tomato sandwiches, sauce, salad, can’t wait!
Can you please share a list of products he mentioned in the video,
@@abidakhanbegum6886 I orders the neptunes harvest crab and lobster fertilizer, neptunes harvest kelp meal, down to earth rock phosphate and lastly neptunes harvest tomato veg 2-4-2
I am in Gilbert La. 8 a zone. I have had good luck with all of the ones you called out at the start of this video. But Arkansas traveler, better boy ,sweet million ,and sweet 100, a couple of others you had on your list.
I've grown Sungolds for a bunch of years, but last year I tried Sunsugar, and they're my new favorite. Pretty much the same flavor profile, but virtually no skin splitting, which has always been the problem with my Sungolds. Problem solved with no downsides!
I have watched your grow light video over and over again since you posted the last one. I finally bit the bullet and ordered a Viperspectra light!!! It should be here by Thursday and I am so excited❤ i’m tired of putting my seedling outside every morning and bringing them in every night. Now I can at least get them going with confidence even when I am away for a few days! Thanks for all your tips😊
You're gonna love it!
Thank you so much for the suggestion of squeezing out the soil. It is definitely made a difference in my growing. Thanks again.
Wish I could add a photo. This worked so good. Thank you. Planting them tomorrow
Looking forward to starting my tomatoes 🍅 and eggplant this weekend. My favorite tomato is Paul Roberson.
I just placed six tomato plants in the ground , like I do EVERY February because we always get that one week of warm weather where I rush out and buy tomatoes. And Like EVERY year, as soon as I put them in the ground, we have a cold snap. Seriously, they keep forecasting SNOW!! . Ha. I've been covering them with plastic containers, so far , so good. I have eggplant seeds I need to start, the standard Black Beauty and and a long Japanese style variety, I will give your method a try. :)
New to your channel today. I have been feeling overwhelmed with all the gardening information out there. My used to be “green thumb” has been struggling the last three years. We are in Oregon and the weather has really changed. The last two summers we have had 90 + degrees for a large portion of the growing season. Last summer it rained constantly til mid growing season, so everything was late or didn’t have time to mature. I appreciate your back to the beginning video on tomatoes to help give me some confidence back!
Like “My Two Cents” I am wondering if you are starting the tomatoes in Seed Starting Mix OR Potting Soil. Thank you for your reply in advance!
I love this channel for teaching me how to grow tomatoes. MY tomatoes are thriving..yet to have harvest day but I'm greateful. Please do similar videos with lettuce, peppers and other vegtables. Thanks.
Hate eggplant but love tomatoes! In my part of Ontario, I have to start them from seed at the beginning of April.
I gut beefeater tomatoes bought at store I had empty soil pot dropped them in and 42 sprouts. Looking to divide them. Thank you for the info. 1ST TIME seeder lol
Nice demo to show us how it is done. Thanks.
We get to start our tomatoes soon! Our favorites are the Black Cherry, Sweet million, Blue Cream Berry, and Yellow pear.
How to grow tomatoes from seeds is very useful. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Brian for this very helpful video. We sowed 6 tomato and 2 egg plant seed, everything germinated within 6 days. If I plant them in a pot vs a raised bed, what size pot should I use? Thank you!
I grow Brandywine heirloom tomatoes from seed, San Marzanos, and Sweet 100 cherry varieties. Thanks for the video!
I've been watching your videos for a couple years now and one thing I've never seen you do is grafting.
I ordered some grafting rootstock tomato seeds to experiment with this year. I think it would make for some interesting video ideas for you. Good luck BW. 👍🏻
The next step after this is going into the ground. Question: I grow Heirloom tomatoes and as we know the disease resistance is little or nothing. When we plant our tomatoes we plant them deep to increase root structure/surface area. I've read where it is acceptable to either leave the branches on that will be under ground level or cut them off. I'm thinking that cutting the branches off and immediately planting them allows an excellent entry point (at the fresh cut) for soil-borne diseases. Your thoughts please. Thanks
The red cups from Costco have divots in them for your fingers to grab the cup easier but it also helps with blocking the roots from swirling around the cup.
Great point!
Not only do the roots like it dark but a clear container will grow algae and mold.
I used clear solo cups without issues
Can definitely attest to this, I was using a clear container with no drain holes to transport soil from the garage to the house, forgot about it in there for like 2 days and mold is already growing in there!
Well this explains why my seeds haven’t grown 😭😭
I use clear cups to monitor the root growth and inspect for fungus gnat larvae, BUT I then set those clear cups into a white paper cup as a sleeve. Best of both worlds. Be sure to drill drain holes. I remove the plastic cup to water from the bottom and return it to the paper cup sleeve after it has drained off the excess water from the soaking.
grows on white too just use black
Gonna be growing some tomatoes under my grow lights at least starting under the lights. Thanks for the tips
Thank you! I’m an amateur who grows flowers from seed; I bought better boy plants last summer that were great! Gonna try to plant their seeds in February!!
Happy to fine your video.
I'm new to gardening. I just received my seeds and will plant them tomorrow. Zone 7a. 🍅
I have about 10 varieties I’m growing for tomatoes 😅 and 2 eggplant, the traditional black beauty and listada di gandia. Both did very well for me last year.
I love the Black Beauty! Very productive and I never had pest issues!
I've already got some tomatoes started in solo cups for the season, thanks to your previous tomato seedling videos, they're looking great! I'm growing 10 different varieties this year (I also have ADHD & I got excited about all the yummy tomatoes), including Roma & San Marzano for sauces, and Sungold which did super well in my greenhouse last year.
I really appreciate your videos. Last year we decided to grow tomatoes, but it was around the middle of the season, so we just bought the plants. This year I want to grow them from seeds ourselves.
First time we will be growing heirloom tomatoes. Great tips to consider
Hi you no I had ask someone that question about the see through cups but I never got an answer but I thought it would be better to sow them in a different one thanks for your info 👍
You really are better off using a thicker plastic pot. Most people don't reuse plastic cups and just throw them away every year. Nursery pots will last years in the sun!
Great video on how to grow tomatoes. I really like how you explained the staking process.
Thanks Brian. It’s a bit too early for me to start tomatoes but I’m going to pick up some red solo cups so I have them on hand. Thanks again.❄️💚🙃
I planted more garlic and carrots in a raised bed after church today now I need to start a few other vegetables we like, I used your solo cup idea last year but i needed 2 packs i think, we did 75 tomato plants ( don't think we need that many this year). when the soil get warm enough I am going to plant 1/2 acre of pumpkins to feed the animals this fall AND I like pumpkin pie
Everyone likes pumpkin pie.
already started 31 types of peppers, favorite is pumpkin jalapeno. also 6 eggplants. fav is rosa bianca. starting tomatos in 2 weeks with basils and tomatillos
@Giveaway-Only016 thank you, what did I win
I like the solo cup starter, I will try it. In the past my tomato plants usually tall and leggy which I liked cause I could plant deeply to get a lot of root development.
Thank you Brian! This is my first year growing tomatoes; loving your super-helpful, very enjoyable, videos. 🍅 🍾❤️
I use the soldering iron method. *Definitely* do this in a well ventilated area.
Great information 😊
Thank you, man. I really appreciate your advice. That said, I'm not sure if you have a video like the one I'm about to request, but can you do an extensive ELI5 video on cherry and regular tomatoes, cukes, and corn? I tend to have endless questions much like a small child (I'm 31 😅). What works, doesn't work, how does it work, time scale, photos of development, watering, etc. I'm aware of many of these things, but I'd like to get a cohesive response from someone like you. Maybe you've got a playlist that covers these things... I'll go do some searching. I think my main problem might be soft-heartedness and trepidation. I don't want to fail myself nor the plants! Lol anyways, thanks again.
I can not believe after 80k views, this only has 6k likes!!! Come on people this information is gold. Hit the like button for our friend who shared the quality information all beginner gardeners need. HIT THE LIKE FOR THAT, FRIENDS.
Love the information here . I would really like it if comments would give their grow zone so we can. Tell if it would work in our zone .I'm in 9A
Hi Brian, you are my go to on my tomatoes. 1st year planting with solo cup. My question tho is last year I purchased the Neptune fertilizer .. and I still have quite a bit of it left. Is it still good to use. I kept it in a cool dark environment .. thanks and really enjoy your site. Duane
Hello Brian I just sent a question below about size of pot to use and then watched a video right after LOL and you said 5 gallon minimum , happy to hear that bc I purchased 7 gallon cloth pots so I guess I'm good to go :)
awesome. There is a variety of grocery store cherry tomato I enjoy a lot, going to try to start some seeds from one of them in a cup i was going to throw away otherwise :)
I’ll use clear cups and it works just fine. Although I am starting to move away from cups in general, due to their tendency to fall over. It’s less than $20 for over one hundred 3 1/2 inch square pots, which are far more stable. I will continue reusing my cups until they fall apart, but I’ve also started experimenting with 3 1/2 inch nursery pots, which I honestly find it easier to clean and sanitize in bulk.
slim, where do you get your pots from please?
@@SedonaBeth amazon. I just get whatever is cheapest and reuse them until the fall apart.
@@DemonSliime thanks for taking the time to answer. Happy Gardening!
@@SedonaBeth No problem. I search something like “3.5 inch nursery pot square bulk” or something similar, and get whatevers cheapest and looks sturdy.
thank you is much! This helps a lot with my school project.
Good stuff. Didn't know about the egg plant needing heat like peppers.
Let me say your super root plan works and another byproduct of it is you can cut your seed to transplant time down dramatically. I don’t even start my tomatoes until April!
Good work all them
I grow tomatoes and love the Bonny Best variety.
Our favorite is the Yellow Pear.. a small cherry type.. Very Low Acidity, and grows like a Bush !
ThankYou so much for sharing. I am new at growing my ultimate vegie diet and homestead. Any and all advise is greatly appreciated. I love your videos! Is it okay to start my seedlings inside my home on my kitchen counter?
This video confirms my desire to use solo cups for my 25000 tomato seeds nursery. Its a commervial venture and I wonder if there are any special advice to make it a huge success.
Enjoy your videos so much, and things I never knew bout gardening, especially tomatoes, my question is I have a led light full spectrum from a 4 ft aquarium, can I use light to grow my seeds indoors. No longer have aquarium, but kept light. Happy gardening. Thanks. Mark…
I like using a Greek yougurt container with a wick in a solo cup. It makes a self watering seedling cup theat I only gave to water once a week.
In past years you mentioned fertilizing at two weeks with 50% strength. Is that when you add the soil? Also, how much fertilizer do you put into each plant?
Thanks so much for your valuable content.
I also think soaking in water for a few hours does help facilitate germination. I started some tomato seeds I got from Johnny's Seeds 3 days ago (May 3, 2023) using this process and today is just 3 days later and a number of them are already up. That's barely 3 days! Although I live in a tropical African climate and the ambient temperature must have helped.
Pls when does one start to expose the cups to sunlight? After germination or right after planting? I live in a tropical climate here in Africa so sunlight isn't a problem, although the temperature does climb into the mid 30s (Celsius)
When your plant no longer needs the dome, how often do you water the plant and do you still leave it in the tray? This will be my first time growing from seeds. I just don’t want to mess it up. I really enjoy your videos. Thanks.
As I’m watching tv I use an ice pick & punch holes in the bottom. Easy & fast. Just an idea. 😊
saw a guy uses clear cups and puts the red solo cups over the clear one.... so its like having xray vision when you want it, thought it was a great idea!!
I'm hoping for the best tomato crop ever, this season!
Which ones you growing?
@@BlackJesus8463 A hybrid called Bellatrix will be my main crop - I had a single plant last year and it produced amazingly! So this year I plan on having at least ten plants. It is a Roma type of paste tomato. We also will have several cherry varieties. Happy gardening!
@@kbjerke nice
@@BlackJesus8463 What are *you* planning to grow?
@@kbjerke Ima do peppers and cantaloupe! 😅😅
I would like to know how your experiment with different growing mediums for seed starting went.
Thanks for your idea