9 Tomato Growing Tips (That Actually Work)

[@epicgardening]

Espoma is on the store...FINALLY! bit.ly/3ChiIwU

[@artistlovepeace]

Grew my first baby tomatoes last year. I'm hooked. Now I'm doing heirlooms to save the seeds for next year. @epicgardening is THE PLACE for great GARDENING lectures, demonstrations and truthful gardening hacks and product recommendations.

[@flobbergassy]

Love Espoma. I use several of their products on everything from tomatoes to blueberries.

[@zmavrick]

I have been gardening for 50 years and never watered or fertilized tomato plants (except watering in transplants). I do mulch well with whatever I can get my hands on that year, and the years I was in hotter parts of the country I planted in locations with shaded afternoon sun. A few years ago (a drought year with 15 inches) I drove my neighbor crazy as he was soaking his every 2 days and mine were actually doing better. I believe that the better root system can help against cold weather as I have occasionally had plants survive light frosts. The down side is any time it rains they split quite a bit, so I pick any fruit starting to ripen before it rains to ripen inside.

[@nerdkraftgnosis]

Never watered at all? What's the average rainfall there?

[@zmavrick]

@@nerdkraftgnosis 32 inches (812 mm) and drought years can get down to 17 inches (432 mm)

[@zmavrick]

@@nerdkraftgnosis One advantage is our humidity runs 76 to 96%. Just have to work to keep vermiculum wilt at bay.

[@rodneybode9721]

K9

[@Fallujarhead]

Interesting

[@bjwashndry]

LOVE that you mentioned that philosophy in viticulture of “stressing the plant out” a little bit… it’s kind of weird, but if the plant senses it might not make it, it will put all its energy into producing fruit that will hopefully sustain the species. I guess it works. Plants have us trained

[@jamesball5743]

Bro science

[@AlainRamnauth]

Farming for 20 years. Unless you have a ton of specific fertilizers in the soil then that's real silly advice.

[@gooperbuttalk]

@@AlainRamnauth tell that to the scientists studying the effects then

[@melbau6415]

We used to use the stress out method on our marijuana plants. It worked well.

[@katiediane]

Thanks for all the hacks! I’d love to learn more about fermenting the seeds, though. It wasn’t explained exactly how to do it. Maybe a video from where Jacque left off to show what to do next?

[@stevenschnepp576]

Put the pulp in a glass of water. Wait until the pulp floats. Should take a couple of days. Collect the seeds from the bottom.

[@deee5520]

Years ago in California I always had a garden. The man across the street from us had a HUGE tree with enormous leaves. I would collect all the fallen leaves I could and dig them into the soil. I know it sounds like I’m telling a tall tale but….I had the biggest and best tomatoes I’ve ever seen. Not only were they huge but so sweet and delicious. Never bought fertilizer just used those pesky leaves. 😊. Of course California is a great place to grow anything. I was a great gardener in the “old” days. Miss it.

[@epicgardening]

Nope - that makes TOTAL sense! Leaves are a fantastic source of nutrients

[@lcglazer]

can someone explain how I could buy a bag full of fertilizer when the NPK is only 3-4-6? I mean, if I'm paying $10-20 a bag full of stuff, and I want less N, why not 3-8-12, or 6-8-12? 3-4-6 sounds so little, what else is in this big bag of dust? For non-gardeners, bigger number's make it sound worth the money. I mean obviously I don't know what I'm talking about. Can you explain?

[@donaldduck830]

@@lcglazer Don't buy a bag of fertilizer like that at all, it is a waste of money. You can mix your own fertilizer yourself: For less N in the NPK mix, put some wood ash in. Either from your heating or from a charcoal barbeque or whereever. I get ash from a neighbor for free and it is essentially a zero N, very high K fertilizer and excellent for all kinds of fruit. Just be certain that the ash is "clean", meaning that there are no pollutants mixed in and only from untreated wood. Else you can poison yourself with Dioxins and similar stuff.

[@lcglazer]

@@donaldduck830 interesting, I have a weber smokey mountain. in the ashtray is mostly charcoal briquet ash, some wood ash. no drippings because there's a bowl in between the grill and the fire underneath to catch. is that considered clean?

[@donaldduck830]

@@lcglazer Yes, that is excellent. If fat drops into the fire and burns at suboptimal temperatures you might get problematic stuff, but when it does not, the ash is excellent fertilizer. The element Potassium (K) comes from pot-ash and is concentrated in, well, the ash you got. So, don't use too much and I like mixing it with other stuff, depending on the plants I got.

[@jeannamcgregor9967]

If you plan on canning your tomatoes, having a lot ripen at once is the goal. I highly recommend learning to can; it's incredibly satisfying, not to mention delicious!

[@epicgardening]

Totally!

[@Muljinn]

You can also freeze them to make sauce with. This is more helpful when you get fewer tomatoes at a time.

[@richardvaughn168]

@@Muljinn Freezing is much easier and they keep well. It's awesome to grab a bag in January to make a pasta dish. Scald, peel, quarter, bag, freeze, thaw, cook eat.

[@OffGridInvestor]

@@richardvaughn168 say you don't have a ton of power for a freezer... trust me, canning is a BRILLIANT invention. I have a bunch of backup food like that. My sister has even more than I do.

[@OffGridInvestor]

Canning is GREAT! I had half the gear and my sister recently got me into it.

[@leilaniponcedeleon7374]

I have never grown tomatoes but this makes me want to grow them 😋

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

If you end up with way more tomatoes than you can eat, consider getting a canning setup (mason jars, a big ol' pot, and some tools). You'll need some citric acid to get the correct pH for canning, but this will help ensure you have tomato sauce or tomato chunks all year round. Remember, the best store-bought tomatoes actually come in cans because those are harvested when they're fully ripe. You can also freeze them, but you'll want to prep them into sauce first. I don't know if frozen sliced tomatoes are any good. One of the first tomato tips I learned was from a local expert being interviewed by the local NPR member station, and it's the deep planting tip. He would just cut off all but the top leaves of a seedling, bury that sucker way way deep, and go from there. When I did that, I started getting my first tomatoes.

[@braptdl1483]

I core the tomatos and freeze them whole. Use in cooked dishes, very easy to skin and can be grated to give puree.

[@loriki8766]

I got a cheap, space saving dehydrator and dehydrated all mine. My grandson eats them like chips. They're delicious in pasta and sauces and stews.

[@natetalbert4289]

Fermenting tomatoes is also great

[@mamafug8464]

This is my favorite of your videos so far. As a newbie gardener, I understood everything you said. Thanks for keeping it simple, and not assuming we know more than we do!

[@sstills951]

This year was one of my best tomato seasons. I used 10-10-10 and a big metal barrel of wood ash that I got from somebody that used a wood stove all winter. Early in the season, I cut off the lower branches but there was a quick growth spurt and all of the plants grew into monsters in a matter of days. I decided to withhold pruning and still have hundreds of tomatoes. The biggest problem is I am forced to share my huge lower tomatoes with the many chipmunks that live in the yard and Hank the woodchuck that lives under the shed.

[@tessfaust3094]

I have TOMATO ENVY! I an so happy for you. So many have complained that it's been a bad tomato year. With that many tomatoes, be thankful and let Chip and Dale enjoy a few...ONLY a few. LOL!

[@HATINTHEKAT]

Maybe you could make some sort of barrier to keep the squirrels off? For my parents fruit trees I used thick ish plastic sheeting and made a sort of upside down around the neck cone for like dogs and put them on the trunks of the fruit trees and it really solved the problem with squirrels and mice scurrying up the trunk to eat the fruit, I made mini ones for her tomatoes and stuff too, and made them so they can be adjusted when needed to raise them or accommodate a thicker trunk/vine when they grow. Hope this helps

[@ra0333]

Regarding using the wood ash, can I simply use the ash from my fireplace? How much? Any general suggestions? I’d love to reuse some of that ash if possible.

[@epicgardening]

That's INCREDIBLE. Well done this season!

[@brichter4669]

I think because the NPK portions were equal, the N wasn't stronger than the PK. An equal NPK is good. What brand of fertilizer did you use?

[@vanessaadams9145]

Never had an issue with my tomatoes not ripening fast enough but this season has been a mess! Thank you for that I have been gardening for 3 years and had not heard about topping the plants. I literally have 4 weeks to last frost and a bunch of massive green tomatoes lol so I just paused the video and went out to top them all hahaha carry on now

[@katrinagarland5219]

I love Jacques garden tips BUT I am not sure the procedure of fermenting seeds as he explained it. I was left going "What am I supposed to do after I squeeze the tomatoes". Please have him elaborate on this. I really want to know how to do. Thanks much!

[@stilllearning1160]

We do it the same way. Ferment the juice/seed mix and allow the mold to grow on the mix in the jar. We do this over several weeks easily, then wash them off in say, a tea strainer and dry them on a wax paper on a tray till well dry (can take days). Once dry, put into your storage envelope etc.

[@jeangraze8031]

I did not garden this year but I have 2 beds of volunteer tomatoes. I get about a handful or two of tomatoes everyday. No fertilizer, no watering or pruning. I have a volunteer tomato that's probably a cross between sungold (only small tomato I had last year) and black krim taste and coloring, slightly sweeter. Holy cow was it good! Probably best tasting tomato I've ever had.

[@FloraM44]

Save those seeds! 😆

[@patrick7639]

Free tomatoes always taste better

[@rozsmith6850]

I tossed so many volunteer plants last year, I decided to limit my plant buying this year, and cultivate the "surprises!"

[@GeorgeGoshadze]

These tips are a game-changer for my tomato garden! 🍅 Can't believe I've been making some of these mistakes for years. Thanks for the helpful advice, now I'm excited to see my tomato plants thrive this season!

[@Donna_G]

Our soil up here is primarily sandy soil. When I put soil in my community garden bed, I use bagged mixes. It can be expensive; but, nothing grows in the native soil other than the native plants, like sagebrush, wild violets, and if I go further east, I can find cacti. Native grasses also grow pretty good. They are especially drought tolerant. I have tried cloning my tomato plants; but, the cuttings all died. But, if I do not stake my plants and let them sprawl, they will sort of clone themselves. I was just looking at the seed packets for the different tomato varieties and they all take about 80 days to mature. Of course, there is the volunteer plant that is growing in the bed. It has two tiny green tomatoes. I have one tomato plant that is growing in a fabric pot next to my garden bed that his one tiny green tomato on it. Since our first frost can come at the end of September to the first week in October, I don't think that I will have to worry about having too many tomatoes. I do like to dehydrate ripe tomatoes, though. They get crispy like potato chips and I can eat them just like that or I can crumble them up and put them in soup or stew. Dehydrated ripe tomatoes have the same flavor as sun-dried tomatoes.

[@rhianabrooke]

Gonna be starting my tomatoes this week for a fall harvest. So perfect timing on the video! Thanks!

[@WilsonsWanderings]

What zone are you in!? 😮🤣

[@myurbangarden7695]

Same here 8b here. Too hot and drought has stopped my tomatoes from growing. We can get some cherry tomatoes and EARLY GIRLS before the holiday frost

[@rhianabrooke]

10a? Or b

[@rhianabrooke]

@@WilsonsWanderings I'm in west central florida.

[@WilsonsWanderings]

@@rhianabrooke explains why you can still sow tomatoes. 🤣🤣 I’m in 8b, so I only get one chance to sow tommies.

[@angelaslatzer9263]

Great video and tips! The stress tip at the end is actually what we do with our lawn to keep it drought tolerant in high mountain desert Boise, Idaho. The more we water the shallower the roots are which results in a more fragile lawn. The less frequent but deeper watering makes the roots dig deeper and they are much stronger and more efficient. We have a super lush lawn on far less water and it ends up being able to handle stress better. Totally going to try this with my to-mats! ❤️

[@renestewart604]

Thank you. Can’t wait for our growing season (southern hemisphere - South Africa)

[@jimmccarville5152]

As always your info is here on your site is indefensible and love the fact I also live here in San Diego and following your tips and tricks have definitely helped my gardening techniques become more proficient. The only thing I didn't fully get was the fermentation of the seeds. After putting them in the Mason jar with the tomato pulp do I vacuum seal the jar or freez it or put it in a dark spot and I'm assuming I need to put the lid on so they don't dry out. I didn't feel there was enough info to run with this. Being it was stated they can last for many years this way I wanted to make sure I'm doing it right. Thanks and look forward to the next video.

[@dillonknight199]

I assume you just let it sit in the jar loosely covered until it gets bubbly and the seeds no longer have the gooey coating.

[@jimmccarville5152]

@@dillonknight199 that makes sense but there's a little more to that as if you go back about 3 years he has an episode with one of the San Diego Seed company operators. And yes you let them sit in a well ventilated space like most ferment foods. If you've ever made Sourdough Bread you know what I'm saying. But I do appreciate you guiding me in that direction.

[@epicgardening]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/noK0lYWXa7B0maM

[@nickadams2361]

A lot of times I get these huge healthy tomato plants that grow right out of the compost after being in there for years

[@myurbangarden7695]

Same with cucumbers for me

[@silverskyranch]

I've actually never heard of 'dry farming', yet that's kinda what I unintentionally do with my plants. I'm in Texas, where we have heavy clay soil, and heavy winter/spring rains, but dry summers. My tomatoes do amazing in the spring, but get very stressed in summer due to heat & drought. I give them just enough water to keep them alive in the hot summer, and little to no fertilizer, but then once late summer/fall rains hit, I re-apply the fertilizer, and end up with a 2nd crop of tomatoes in November! Right now I have a literal wall of tomato and pepper plants that are producing like crazy.

[@MooreVizions]

Hey Kevin, what I like to do with my TOO MANY tomatoes is clean and store them in the freezer in ziplock bag. When I'm ready to make a sauce I pull out the bag, let them thaw completely and the skin slides right off the flesh (easy peasy). Then I proceed with making my sauce. This freezing method at their ripe stage can make the sauce give a slightly sweeter profile, depending on the variety of the tomat. This works Great for my San Marzano and Romas. Good Luck!

[@nordicpink]

Great tip!

[@tessfaust3094]

First, I want to let you know how much I'm enjoying these tip videos. They're to the point, informative, and fast! I'm going to try a couple of these hacks for end of season growing. I'll let you know what I did, and if it worked for me.

[@epicgardening]

Glad to hear this :)

[@tinali9200]

I Use the heck out of N for the first 8 weeks of tomatoesbeing in the ground. Then July 1st ish completely cut off the N and switch over to heavy P-K. The result is a huge plant by the time July hits and then enormous amounts of blooms and fruiting once I ramp up the PK in July-end of season.

[@PegsGarden]

Just started another round of cherry tomato seeds a few weeks ago here in West Central Florida, zone 9b, Fall is the best time for cucumbers and tomatoes, less pest pressure 🍅🍅🍅🍅🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

[@antoniobragah8305]

This is one of the best videos I have ever seen on YT like ever, very nice and bodied info presentations.

[@baronthiessen7073]

There's only two thing that money can't can't buy, that's true love and home grown tomatoes!

[@Nikki-mx5my]

Great tips, thank you! Tomatoes are a totally new crop for me. I think you and Jacques mentioned earlier this season thinking purple tomatoes are overrated. Respectfully, I gotta disagree. 😂 While waiting for my own tomatoes to ripen, I bought some from my local farm stand. I am not sure what they were, my friend and I think they were maybe Paul Robeson or Black Krim. They made a banging scratch made sauce, I’ll tell you!😊

[@elisabetk2595]

Black tomatoes of various sorts are my favorites - especially Black Krim. They do benefit from some water/heat stress, and being in Texas, that part's easy. Not the biggest producers, but in "bang for your buck" terms they rock.

[@OffGridInvestor]

They're acid free, unlike many of the red ones. Some people can't handle the acid. With some my tounge would sting. My fathers family wasn't the healthiest and his FACE WOULD SWELL UP as a kid with acidic tomatoes so he just couldn't eat them.

[@bethmurray5794]

Great video - please explain more about fermenting seeds - what do you do with the jar of tomato juice and seeds? Thanks, guys!

[@growingoutthebox]

The dry farming sounds interesting considering the past 2 summers. I’m trying two fruit trees similarly with 3 inches of compost and vermiculite about a foot below the root mass. That’s for the name of the technique. Very helpful.

[@saal0]

Ive had tomatoes come up everywhere this year. Turns out the seeds survived the “almost done” compost. I found one clump of about 40 seedlings that all sprouted from a not quite broken down cherry tomato 😅

[@skreebop]

Getting rootstock varietals is gardening on easy mode. They are about three times as expensive as a regular nursery tomato plant but they require so little effort to get results. I planted only from seed this year and while I am getting tomatoes, they've been slow to ripen and a lot more prone to blight and mold.

[@Tie-dyeGarden_dragon]

There are varieties bred to be disease resistant. Baker Creek Seeds has 4 disease resistant varieties listed now. That's the wonderful thing about gardening. There are so many varieties to choose from, especially in seed form, that if one wasn't so great you just try another.

[@maceyvaughan3498]

Jaques' garden is looking beautiful! You two have definitely inspired my first year growing from seed in the garden ❤️

[@loriki8766]

You don't have to use a sucker that small. Twice this season, I've accidently broken huge branches off my tomato plants. I plucked all the tomatoes off them. Put them in water for a few days till I seen roots and then back to the garden they went. They are producing as many tomatoes as the other plants.

[@epicgardening]

You're right! This was an example

[@Inexactbeetle]

So cute all the different gardeners in your video 😊 thank you all so much!!❤

[@carralumsden8853]

Tomatis, we call them that also. Beautiful, watching people my age younger and older jumping into permaculture. It is truly calming and really really nice when you've grown something from seed to harvest. Thank you for some new tips. Peace

[@gor3gurl464]

This is perfect I’ve been wanting to learn more about tomatoes 🍅 😊

[@praywithpio6028]

I like the new teamed-up presentation.

[@lj2miller]

My dudes, this video gave me some motivation to give tomatoes a go this year. I usually dont bother. But you taught me a lot. I managed to clone my tomatoes! 3 from a purchased seedling. I've also grown some sungold from seed. Very expensive to source sungold seeds here in Australia. 1 pack contains 5x seeds! I'm really thrilled with my efforts. Thanks for teaching me 😄 my other venture is beans now. I'm hoping you have some info on beans

[@Chattyman2]

the smell of tomato plants is the smell of summer for me!

[@sewfashionable8398]

ive been trying to grow my tomatoes for 3 months now. i just have leaves. I've been following your channel learning how to fertilize, mulch, and trying all the hacks to get them to blossom. i will be trying these too. thanks for the info.

[@elisabetk2595]

Depending on where you live, it might just be too hot. Sometimes though all it takes is a good thunderstorm to drop the temps enough to bloom again. I've found that keeping the soil cool is more important than the air temp - mulch heavily.

[@joeyjojojunior1794]

4:57 San Diego Seed Company seeds. Niiiiice!

[@brichter4669]

Please...do a video on dwarf tomatoes!!! I have been doing a ton of research on dwarf tomato varieties and created a spreadsheet with the information. I decided next year, I am going to grow dwarf tomatoes only. Shorter plants, less maintenance and same size tomatoes as the big plants. I have a small backyard and can't do an in-ground garden, so I use a couple of GreenStalk vertical planters and some grow bags. I live in zone 8b, TX. My garden was a bust this year due to the 100°+ temps since May. Last fall/winter crop failed, this spring/summer crop failed, so I am a little burned out gardening and will wait until next spring to garden again. I need to amend my soil next spring anyway before I start over.

[@cgabby98]

I'd love to hear more about dwarf indeterminate.... Never heard of these before this and I prefer dwarf due to my space. I'm new at this but have grown dwarf toms both years

[@epicgardening]

We will!

[@huertomipequeñoeden9425]

Hey bro i'''ve been fallowing You For a while..."dry farming" is one thing that tooked few years for me to try but it Was so cool and now My favorite. Hope You speak some spanish cause I will make a video of it here in México today evening so that u can SEE how I do it..with some tips that I implemented to make it work for reals.

[@davidniemi6553]

Nice balance of short-season and long-season hacks. I'm in a forest in 7a which for tomatoes is equivalent to much further north -- if I start suckers in early june they do not have enough time to produce before frost. So the diverse climate views are quite helpful.

[@littlefootranch4410]

Awesome video as always guys!! All the gardens are looking absolutely beautiful!

[@marciacunningham5877]

I tried saving a potted tomato over winter. I cut it off just above the soil and kept the temperature above freezing. The next spring it came back like gangbusters! I wonder how long a tomato plant can live if you continue this. Michael

[@kittiew260]

For green tomatoes Ball has an awesome recipe for green tomato salsa Verde. I am never upset getting green tomatoes. Yes the hack banana or apple works but try out green tomato salsa. Yes please more reviews on dwarf tomatos. I grew 5 varieties this season really enjoying the production and stature.

[@Tie-dyeGarden_dragon]

I planted dwarf tomatoes that I started from seed. I up-potted twice before planting out, and with each replanting I buried about 1/3 of the stem. I've only watered them twice all summer and they're thriving. I live in Oklahoma, where we had temps over 100 for at least two weeks straight and almost no rain.

[@terrivance8750]

Kevin, I would LOVE to see a video on Dwarf tomatoes. I'm limited on where I have full sun so am growing a couple Dwarves this year. Even so, I'm still a bit confused over the differences & advantages/disadvantages between determinate & indeterminate when it comes to Dwarf tomatoes. Thank you in advance for your help. 😊

[@epicgardening]

Will definitely do !

[@Sousyned]

Perfect timing, I’m just starting my tomato seeds ready for spring (Australian 😂)

[@generalsmedleybutler340]

You can use a thick layer of wood chips while dry farming to limit surface evaporation to nearly zero.

[@elisabetk2595]

In a dry climate, heavy mulch is the key to healthy plants and good production. Dry soil is dead soil.

[@mayledea6139]

Epic Gardening you are amazing. You have inspired me to grow sooo many things! I’m grateful for your knowledge and you sharing it. Thank you very much and keep it up!! - from Tehachapi CA.

[@slim3cr]

Hello Eric I really enjoy all the informative how you Garden. I need help with how to place the right plant the right spot etc. Your new gardening designs are beautiful. You have anyone you could recommend to fly to Hawaii and help me lay out my Garden?

[@naturalflow157]

Amazing video :) Truly is soothing, relaxing, and educating. I have learnt a lot from giving this a chance, and I am so glad. Thank you so much for taking the time to create this video with us, :) It really is special and inspiring to get into my own gardening as a way to battle and get better at handling the stressful life I got myself into. Finding the way to the roots of ourselves. Thank you again and wishing you the best :)

[@enatp6448]

Great reminder of some tried-and-true and also some new ones I hadn't heard before. Thanks!

[@-opus]

The fermenting of the seeds seems like an interesting idea, guess I will have to go to another channel to see that though 🤔

[@rad1calreal15t]

Wow!! The natural soil where I live is mostly clay. Thanks for mentioning viticulture! I have great spots where I could try this. I'll let you know how it goes. Just got new seeds from Botanical Interests! So excited for this Spring season as I have a new little greenhouse set up now and now my seedlings are looking much much happier.

[@wildzenventures]

Some really good tips! Been following this channel for a while and my garden has never looked better 😋

[@epicgardening]

Glad to hear this!

[@helenamcginty4920]

Have ripened green tomatoes in paper bags in darl warm cupboards with an apple for years. Can guarantee it works. Puree the ripe ones and either bottle or freeze the puree. Winter treats.

[@lukegibson2838]

You really need to grow granadilla (passion fruit)!!! 🤤

[@leonacollet4051]

I have some questions regarding the fermentation of the tomato seeds, etc in the jar. I was wondering, do you put the lid on the jar? Where do you put the jar during fermentation? And, for how long do you ferment the seeds?

[@scottyscott9965]

Those are my questions as well. Along with does salt need to be added like making krout.

[@epicgardening]

Cover it with a mesh of some kind to keep flies out, and leave in a room temp place for about a week

[@loriki8766]

To save seeds without wasting tomatoes, I cut my tomatoes I'm serving and then dump the juice and seeds from the cutting board to a small cup - like a cleaned out yogurt container. I put a paper towel or cloth over the top and secure with a rubber band. Note whatever is on top has to allow it to "breathe". You can leave it open if you like. After 2-5 days mold will grow on top. Dump the seeds through a strainer and clean them well in room temp water. I dry them with a paper towel or cloth and let them air dry for a few hours before putting them in a little seed bag for the next year. My favorite time to do this is when I'm dehydrating tomatoes bc so much juice and seeds are left behind and this way nothing is wasted.

[@carolann1906]

All 6 of my tomatoes are coming on strong. They are all planted in 2 Birdie beds.😊. I am picking daily and canning up salsa and also diced tomatoes with garlic and basil.

[@doge_fish4820]

What I do for fertiziling tomatoes is before fruit : coffee grounds fruiting : mostly potash Usually the coffee added enough nitrogen into the soil to last while fruiting but mixing potash and coffee is probably better.

[@helenamcginty4920]

In uk in our greenhouses we always pinched out side shoots and stopped the plants at 5 ft. Each plant was supported by tomato string (hemp I think) looped and tied loosely round lower stem and secured to thick wire running above the beds the length of the house. Tomato stems and string wound round each other as plants grow. This meant plants were not overburdened by leaves and plants had more circulating air. Important in damp climates.

[@freshprince130]

Ive harvested green tomatoes in November and made fruit jams with them. Fantastic way to make mock strawberry, peach,apple jelly using green tomatoes instead of the actual fruit.

[@joannaellingson9403]

Before my last frost I harvest all my green tomatoes and make fried green tomatoes, green tomato pie, and green salsa. All are so good and a great way to say goodbye to garden fresh tomatoes until next year!

[@cavedwellersound]

This was very helpful, thanks!

[@pedwards287]

I grew up on a farm. My father always planted tomatoes deep and so have I. I saw a video this week and regrettably cannot find the link again. Anyway, a guy actually comparatively tested different ways of growing tomatoes and he came to the conclusion that planting deep instead draws energy from the plant during the time that it is creating new roots. He got the best growth and more fruit from plants that he started in a deep pot so that they developed deep roots naturally before transplanting them at the same soil depth as they were in the pot. I'm not entirely convinced by one video and have decades of planting tomatoes deep for the extra roots, although I will do some experimenting on my own this year.

[@samiam159007]

The topping off hack was worth the whole video! Thanks!

[@briggs2012]

I never worry too much about having my harvest ripen all at once because if I'm not going to get around to making a big batch of sauce or soup, those tomatoes will be just fine in a ziploc bag in the freezer. Obviously later on they'll be not so good on salads anymore once thawed but they'll still be great for cooking with.

[@shedoos]

And great for canning! The skins slip right off when they thaw!

[@pinag01]

Goodness! Italian born and raised raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada weather. Tomatoes are our staple and that's a small stash compared to what we are normally used to ;) Too bad we can't post pics. My first year at new location so no tomatoes but heck of a lot of Basil. Cannot do without Basil! Oh and parsley......basil and parsley.

[@coletventer3044]

Thank you for greate videos, please help..what do my soil need, when my veggies turn soft and yellowish?

[@WilsonsWanderings]

What about seaweed fertiliser? Is that good for when the tomato plant is fruiting?

[@dalegaa4094]

I was wondering the same thing.

[@epicgardening]

Seaweed is quite nice!

[@USG1211]

* Always amazing information. I learn so much from you guys. Thank you for everything you do.*

[@helenamcginty4920]

Those huge tomatoes are common in the veg shops where I live. Together with the cucumbers that glut at the same time they are good for gazpacho. I love this tasty cold soup. But live alone so only 2 makes me enough soup forca few days. 😂

[@SusanPeterson-b4t]

* Always amazing information. I learn so much from you guys. Thank you for everything you do.*

[@Raeuber_Plotzenhotz]

I have also found that flavour develops best when you water less. Where I live (Southern Germany) just watering during transplant is enough. The tomatoes grow very deep roots so they practically water themselves. In pots ir in the greenhouse however I water when the leaves are already limp in the morning. Limp leaves during noon are completely normal, they get rigid as soon as the heat of the day starts wearing off.

[@GeorgeSoldo]

Great tips, thank you! Tomatoes are a totally new crop for me. I think you and Jacques mentioned earlier this season thinking purple tomatoes are overrated. Respectfully, I gotta disagree. While waiting for my own tomatoes to ripen, I bought some from my local farm stand. I am not sure what they were, my friend and I think they were maybe Paul Robeson or Black Krim. They made a banging scratch made sauce, I’ll tell you!

[@dudeusmaximus6793]

A hack I learned a few years back - had only one plant of a variety I started got snapped of right above the root accidentally at transplant time. Put it in a quart of water about 2/3 full, and added a half cup of dirt every day till it was solid, and kept it in the sun. Retransplanted it in about a week and it had completely rooted out.

[@mimirose4012]

Thanks for the tip on stagger planting the tomatoes. I'm going to try it next year!

[@ArcadeAndrew.]

I think the dry farming hack is also really great for creating new drought tolerant disease resistant varieties of all plants: If you sacrafice one or two growing seasons, of mass production, but manage to get one or two fruits each year of successive plants and save the seeds, genetically the next generation of plant will need less water because it managed to survive without water.

[@brianforrest6047]

I can see this information working for my peppers that I am growing. Thanks Eric!!

[@standbyme6395]

Pinch crop top bend bury...tomatoes are a beautifu learning tool that you can abuse and propagate easily...never stop learning ✌️❤️💪

[@brimalvin]

Loving these tips! Especially the dry farming aspect. California remains in a drought, and dry farming is the way of the future. I’m not quite ready to do that either, but definitely want to head towards that direction.

[@thegardenscientist]

Thanks for the tips! I'm looking forward for my tomato season this Spring and Summer in South Africa !

[@loriwood2482]

I love watching your videos. I learn so much.

[@Monkeyninja87]

Can you make plant food with bones and eggshells and or dehydrated fruit scraps....also thinking of using the ash from my fire pit..... would love a feedback and help

[@vanessaadams9145]

I always always ferment my tomato seeds, stinky job but love it

[@gwenmangelson]

Great Hacks! thanks! I have been using the Dick Raymond tomato planting method since 1981 and it works like a charm!!!

[@rossmcleod7983]

What’s Fahrenheit? As someone who has grown tomatoes for over 50 years, I learnt something here, thankyou.

[@ExploreAroundUsOfficial]

You should do a dry farm va wet farm same species side by side taste test at the end.

[@Bowie_E]

This year is my first successful year growing pretty much anything edible. Last year was my first unsuccessful attempt. I have green, small tomatoes on their way to growing up right now, but my plants are big huge crazy bushes. Guess I needed to prune a bit better

[@epicgardening]

Well done this year!

[@Daystarblessings]

Thank you very much for sharing your tips. I will apply for my gardening. I am trying some vegetables on my very tiny garden. I hope for a good harvest

[@whathandleUtalkabt]

Loving the tips from all 3 of you educational. Thank you ⚘️ ⚘️⚘️

[@corinneconnellan8589]

Tip 1 makes sense. The one that has beans with it had so many more leaves, and many less tomatoes than the one without!

[@patriciancube394]

Nice hacks. I will definitely be trying a couple of these this year. Thank you for sharing.

[@siempreseagull2]

I dehydrate tomatoes and blend it into powder for use in everything from soups to smoothies

[@Thrash230723]

Love your videos! Quick, got he point, and very educational!

[@pennylaur7687]

On a fixed income. There's NO money to buy all these fertilizers. Would be nice to hear more on what to compost to provide which nutrients.

[@epicgardening]

More composting content coming!

[@martinklawinski2933]

If you only grow a few plants for your family and friends it's easy to get your fertilizers. Kitchen scraps: Greens contain a lot if K, bones, meat, fish is very rich in P and N, stinging nettle that is easy top collect is high in N. No need to buy that if you can't affort the fertilizers. My grandfather used a "dry toilett", more or less a bucket with dirt, and used his own feces to fertilize his plants (after hot composting).

[@tsonja]

This post stuck out to me...I hope you have been able to pen down homemade fertilizer that goes easy on the pockets.

[@Heirsignnnn]

Hi! A year later but I toss any and all vegetables and fruits into a black growing container. I also add brown paper towels and dried up tree leaves. To help speed things up, you can add a bit of soil into the compost bin. I let it sit in the bucket for some time and then I go and turn the soil which just means I mix it up and try to get the bottom part of the bucket to the top and the top soil to the bottom. I do this until all the food I’ve added has seemed to decompose. Once I think its been decomposed enough, I used a strainer to separate the bigger chunks from my soil. I let the separated soil which is now my ready compost, sit in a diff container for a while before I add it to my plants and flowers that I grow. I would say its nutritious compost because anytime I throw seeds into the compost bin, the seeds start growing. A black growing container isn’t more than $5 max and we’ll you already buy fruits and vegetables so that’s “free” besides buying a bag of soil I would say its pretty affordable to be able to do it yourself if you’d like to try. I do this on my small balcony so you don’t need much space and it doesn’t smell at all

[@chxze8648]

Tomatoes LOVE calcium so crushed egg shells hemp

[@lolitadumrique1514]

Wow beautiful tomatoes