DON'T BUY THESE TOMATO PLANTS!

Are you a beginner gardener looking to grow tomatoes? In this video, we uncover why you shouldn't buy certain tomato plants from big-box stores. Learn which varieties are not ideal for your garden and why picking the right type is crucial for success. Don't miss out on this valuable gardening advice - and remember, don't buy these tomato plants!
CHAPTERS:
0:09: 🍅 Warning about certain tomato plants sold to beginner gardeners to fail.
2:18: 🍅 Challenges for beginner gardeners in selecting tomato plants at big box stores
4:41: 🍅 Beware of misleading plant sizes and disease resistance in tomato varieties.
6:59: 🍅 Maximizing tomato plant yield based on size and variety.
9:36: ⚠️ Importance of seeking guidance from specialized nurseries for better plant performance.
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[@MetallicSlihouette]

That Mater is going to have Wiplash!😅

[@esmysyield2023]

Right?! Lol 😂 I think Travis has some Italian in him. We talk with our hands. Lol

[@nolawarren3560]

You nailed that.

[@act4232]

It’s part of his hardening off technique to get the plants ready for the field

[@jhh8523]

😂

[@AllGoodSeeds]

😂

[@jacobclark1457]

What I do to extend the season on indeterminates is to take a cutting beginning to mid July and root them. Ready to go back in a few weeks and get a bumper crop at the end of the season. Generally I get more from the cuttings than I ever do the mother plant.

[@62bigblu]

Same. One of my lazy tricks for sure. Lol

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

That's very interesting 🤔 I think I will try that myself.

[@1stbadger700]

Me too. I started some in Nov and planted in Feb outside cuz Texas, and they already have big tomatoes on them.

[@GrowingwithGlenna]

GREAT ADVICE!!! My "sucker" starts were just stuck in sandy soil & wished well. They produced many tomatoes until the first frost. 🍅

[@jtharp9265]

​@1stbadger700 Thank you for that great idea , We live in Montgomery County, Texas, and I'm gonna do that this fall , I've got just little ones starting , that's a great idea and longer growing time. God bless you 🙏

[@cmchatton1680]

Thanks for doing this for newer gardners, Travis! Here in California, they do the same thing. At 4.98 per plant, I will Never buy tomatoes or peppers from a big box again, unless my whole crop gets wiped out early in the season. John McHatton

[@GrowingwithGlenna]

I start from seed in rockwool cubes, move to DWC hydroponic tanks with aeration and then to 25-gallon outdoor Kratky hydroponic tanks. Had to use a ladder to pick the crop! Do you ever start seeds this way?

[@ADHD_1958]

I'm 65 years old and know nothing about gardening. But I do know the powers that be do not have our best interests at heart. Therefore, I need to do better myself and grow some food.

[@GrowingwithGlenna]

WAY TO GO, future farmer!!! 🌿I grow crops all year round in hydroponics. Might be a good option! Good luck and #happyhydroponics

[@johnglad5]

Ptl, don't overdue it. Trust in the Lord

[@thekaylornator]

I start my own seeds, especially for tomatoes. My reason? I love variety and I love knowing what I'm growing. I have bought tomato starts from the "big blue box store" and usually end up disappointed because someone move a tag from one cup to another. So instead of what I thought was a "cherry" tomato ended up being a slicer or vice versa. Also, there is the cost factor. Thanks for the video.

[@th71-23]

tomato sandwiches are a summer staple for me every day! I need more than 2 or 3 on a plant for all my time money and effort.

[@joelrobertson71]

Big box orange is two minutes from the house. It's worth it to drive the extra fifteen to go to the local nursery. I start most of my own seeds because I need to get them planted early as possible. I started planting in February. In AZ, if you plant late, you'll get zero tomatoes. Shade cloth is also a must.

[@JimJWalker]

I am just north of Gainesville Florida. A friend gave me a bunch of Everglade Tomato seeds that were locally obtained. They were bright tan in color, unlike other tomato seeds I have seen. Holy Smoke! They germinated like crazy and even the ones I neglected are very strong. I can't kill them on purpose! Variety and location are SUPER important.

[@vickisavage8929]

For what it’s worth, they will also reseed themselves prolifically.

[@FC-cz6zd]

Can become a real problem. Taste amazing though!

[@genevabrown450]

I do it for the flavor,its so differnt from variety to variety, heirlooms suck to grow but what you get taste better than all the rest.

[@brianmartinez3138]

I was in that boat till I found you on that other channel and you saved me. I love your channel now very inspiring

[@bloodthorne26]

One of the worst things that I see at local big box stores is onions. They always offer the wrong type of onions for our growing area (long / short day)

[@swithers00]

Agree! And that goes for both the starts and the seeds. Heck, some of the seed packets don't even mention whether they are short, long or intermediate. So frustrating!

[@TheCrazeenana]

You also have to watch the fruit I was looking for blackberries and they were for up to zone 9 I’m in zone 10 b only certain varieties for that zone.😂

[@vickisavage8929]

Travis, some people who are starting out with a garden need to be told, “Green side up!” Thank you!

[@Boringcountrylife]

We visited friends who had planted some new crops for the first time and we had to point out that they had planted their asparagus upside down. Still a good laugh with them each spring.

[@GrowingwithGlenna]

Thanks for the laugh! Reminds me of the aggie joke my dad told me as a kid. 🤠

[@Daddyo_farms]

Another resource is your local school ag department. I know Tift county sells plants every year

[@marciawarden5021]

Beginners would love the determinates, I get so many tomatoes from mine.

[@SeriouslySo1]

I love the determinates too, they are great for canning and I plant them in waves so they don't hit all at once. But I grow my brandywine because, well, you just can't beat a brandywine for mater sammiches all summer long.

[@brycekirby1567]

All true but starting seeds is miserable unless you have the proper setup and knowledge IMO

[@jacobclark1457]

I live in Upstate SC and Rutgers is a determinate that grows real well in this area. Good production and good flavor.

[@tater357]

If it's a determinate variety plant, it's not a True Rutger Tomato. The original Rutger was an indeterminate beefsteak variety.

[@jacobclark1457]

@@tater357 Rutgers released both a determinate and indeterminate (they say it is semi-determinate). Not sure which was first. I have seen different sources saying either one was first. Either way, I grew the determinate one and it is a good tomato.

[@clinthutcheson2640]

Totally agree! So many give up when they see the prices. I share seeds with everyone I try to help them understand

[@rogerdavenport9618]

I'm going on 73, just finished putting out my 67th plant, have a few more to put out later, tomatoes are a lot of work and need lots of care, go to a nursery, and get a variety, you can get 6 plants where I live for 1.25, that's a deal, I transplant them for about 10 to 12 days into a larger cup to build a big root base, then put them in the garden, with a jug between them to water and feed, use the metal stakes to tie them up and watch them grow, I get lots of satisfaction from this and sharing the fruit with family and friends, my favorite is called a German Johnson, large fruit, sweet and makes good juice to can, I have about 7 different varieties, good growing and God bless.

[@dennisryan7500]

Stopped by our big box store Saturday and their price for a six pack of broccoli was $5.98. Thought that was kind of high. Single tomato plants were in the neighborhood of $5-6.00. and already had small blooms on them. That is a little early for zone 5B.

[@Hunter-yc4xi]

I live in 6b, and they're just getting bedding plants out. Warm weather plants that is.

[@jameshomer6295]

Travis, keep doing what your doing... You could add instruction videos to your blog area and put very basic information on there. You do a great job putting information out there for not only in ground gardeners but also backyard gardeners that only use raised beds and cloth bags. You have been a great source of information for me on your tomato videos and also your 10 tips for onions. All of your allium videos have inspired me to grow onions for the first time and also delve into perineal onion varieties. (Really love my evergreen shallots). I wouldnt change much on your regular KZbin videos they are a great source for intermediate level gardeners. As your channel grows more people like me do not have greenhouses and have to grow seeds indoors in the spring. You might make some videos on indoor set ups. PS, I don't have the room for corn or water melons, but I will be looking forward to more videos on sweet potatoes later in the spring for raised beds.😀

[@robertstanton1668]

Dude, you're half my age (literally). I've been gardening longer than you've been alive! BTW, my local feed and seed carries varieties appropriate for this area.

[@wendyfrench9599]

I always start my own seeds simply for the cost savings.

[@selecttravelvacations7472]

Choosing your own varieties in advance is nice too.

[@dwardodwardo643]

Don't dumb down your channel. Some of us followed you over from another channel. ;) Remind folks, and suckers, to learn...just because your big box store sells something comming out of a greenhouse dosen't mean it will live or thrive.

[@selecttravelvacations7472]

He should remind them that most Counties offer a basic Master Gardener’s Certification course. All basics are covered. It’s a good way to volunteer locally too while you learn and get your volunteer hours in for the certificate. I took one of these in my 20’s and it has served me for nearly 4 decades.

[@GypsyBrokenwings]

Yep...I remember learning that the hard way. Now I grow everything from seed. I even accidently grew some lime trees in a pot, lol! I'd forgotten I put lime seeds in the pot 3 years ago and last year was trying to figure out what they were. This year it's obvious,

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

Travis I don't consider myself a beginner nor a professional and I've been doing this since I was Abrams age and I'm 73. I still grow stuff that doesn't do great here (just like you) the heirloom indeterminate tomatoes for example, they taste so much better than hybrids I have to put in at least a Cherokee purple and a big beef for sandwiches and fresh eating. Giving them some shade helps them to survive longer in our area. I grow the hybrids for canning salsa's, sauces and plain tomatoes. Those beginners will learn as they succeed and fail, if they have the determination there's some very good sources of help out there. Asking questions about anything you aren't sure about is key and most people know at least one person that gardens with success.

[@venidamcdaniel1913]

Always look for two or three tomato plants in one pot. If go early you probably are in luck. Better boy. Is best bet for my area. And I do start one off parent plant to extend growing season. Haven’t decided in my indeterminate variety this year. I hav time in zone 6

[@ambergreen5531]

I am going to call those tomatoes Buggy Jumpers from here on out! 🤣

[@AirsoftM60]

I am 65 now and still cherish the fact that my grandad took the time to teach me to grow our own food at a very young age. We have our garden all planned out, Here in Maine I start planting the end of May. We also use Johnnys selected seeds along with plants from a local greenhouse. We plant roma tomatos, canning the crop to enjoy a tase of summer during the cold Maine winter. We have enjoyed your channel and picked up a few good hints from you!.

[@carriebrown4727]

Greetings from wichita kansas area. Last spring I started seeds for the first time. Love your videos, they have helped me a bunch. Last year's garden was a big success.

[@kansasgardener5844]

Do you grow determinate tomato plants? If not you should try them you won't be disappointed.

[@ronzo1363]

I live down by Clearwater. I grew determinate tomatoes last year, and they did great. This year I put in a drip system and shade cloth. It got way too hot last year.Good Luck !!!!

[@OhYeah-me1cg]

I'm surprised that none of those tomato plants didn't break swinging them around like that, 🤣🤣🤣

[@johnglad5]

I was laughing, thinking, what is happening. Why is he torturing me, lol. God bless and a green thumb.

[@rogerrathbun444]

I grew up on a farm and loved it. Gardening allows me to scratch that itch every year.

[@SelfSufficient912]

Very true😂! My roadsters are sprounting welll ! Hello from Guyton GA!

[@jenniferwalker9034]

I watched a couple who never grew anything grow indeterminate tomatoes. They researched and grew up to the second floor of the apartment building they lived in. I had so much enjoyment from their journey.

[@ahabthecrab]

🤣they are not in the deep south. I live in Florida and I might get 7-8 feet on a single stem of indeterminant cherry tomatoes. By July, the plant is toast🤷🏻‍♀️

[@jenniferwalker9034]

@@ahabthecrab they were here in Central Texas so...

[@jenniferwalker9034]

It was the only thing they were growing. They paid a lot of attention to these plants

[@ahabthecrab]

That is awesome❤️. I hope their success motivated them to continue gardening. I lived in PA and now FL so gardening in TX is completely foreign to me. Humidity may be a huge factor to consider. Southern gardening is nothing like northern gardening. Only last year did I come to realize I should be growing determinant tomatoes in FL. Never too old to learn something new👍🏼

[@susanbackus157]

It’s so much more fun to start your own varieties. Do your research people. Not only that, buying plants have gotten so expensive. Enjoy growing your own from seeds!

[@judyjohnson1012]

I never knew about determinate tomato plants until I saw your video recently. Our climate is much like yours in south Texas. I struggle to get a basketful of tomatoes each year. I’ve had a few years that were good, but that’s not usual. I started several years ago growing tomatoes & peppers from seed and now I grow everything from seed. My garden this year is so beautiful and I owe most of it to watching your videos for the last year or so. Thanks for everything you’ve taught me. Don’t dumb down your channel too much! Many of us have grown past that beginner stage.

[@kansasgardener5844]

You hit it out of the ballpark with this one! I blame the greenhouses that put these plants in stores.Burpee does it here, and it's a shame. Except for cherries, I grow determinate tomatoes here in KS. But to be 100% truthful, I only started growing them last season. Our growing season is short, and no one told me to grow determinate tomatoes. I could have saved years of frustration if i only knew. If you live in an area with a short growing season, you should be growing determinate tomatoes, and if you're not, you should give them a try. Great subject, Travis. Keep it up.

[@1stbadger700]

I got some Dixie Red seeds based on your video from last year and they are HUGE already and have good sized tomatoes on them. Thank you

[@waynespringer501]

Celebrity is actually classified as a "semi-determinate" as they only get about 5-6' tall and they set on the majority of their fruit at one time but will still get one here or there until frost. I still continue to believe you could grow indeterminates throughout the summer if you didn't prune so aggressively on them. As my climate isn't much cooler than yours in the summer and I've never lost a single indeterminate tomato plant.

[@rebeccabsomanybooks3558]

I know I had a great crop last year and was done by early July before disease set in. I love them.

[@jhh8523]

I like my Indeterminates and had great luck with them in MO, but all of them quit setting fruit once it gets to 90+ degrees here in S AR. Already hardening mine off and planning to get them in the ground this week in hopes of getting some fruit this year before summer gets too bad!

[@davidscarborough713]

Great video Travis. Your channel has taught me a great deal. Very appreciative. Please keep doing what you’re doing.

[@Windyhillfarm71]

Great video, I’m glad someone is telling new gardeners about these things.

[@Gkrissy]

It is true, buying tomatoes at the big box store is a waste of time because tomatoes grow so quickly. It’s funny I’m in GA and I grew that black prince variety successfully because I like purple tomatoes. 2 years ago I wasn’t successful in growing black prince but I like Cherokee purple and brandywine and cherry tomatoes. I like pushing the limit with gardening but I do grow sure thing varieties for this humid GA weather.

[@tidalcreekfarm]

I farmed in Maine for 23 years and then the mountains of Virginia for another ten. Now I live in Charleston SC and had to relearn most of my gardening to deal with the local conditions. When I go to the garden centers and see all the plants out and folks buying I really have to resist the urge to tell them that its already too late, that none of it is going to work, that they needed to get going back in February. Tomato pollen stops working at high temps and humidity. By mid May I will have to start hand pollinating or my blossoms turn black and die. By sometime in June I shut down production, except for peppers and eggplant, put everything into cover crop and wait for September to get things started for fall/ winter.

[@terrysavage2745]

I have had a garden several years. I have tried several types of tomatoes. I like the indeterminate because I like growing them all summer. I know that most tomatoes will not set fruit after the night time temperatures does not fall below 79 degrees. That happens around the first week in July. By the second week of July most tomatoes are done. I still like to try to keep them until frost kills them. If they have not ripped I can pick them. They will ripen in the house. Or you can make all kinds of things with green tomatoes. Like fried green tomatoes, green tomato pie, chow chow.

[@christianspain3015]

I am taking your advice as I am in same zone as you and doing determinates this year. Very excited to see what these red snappers do!

[@Papawcanner]

When cheap six packs disappeared I started growing with seeds . I’m an indeterminate human .

[@TheYellowrose21]

Started all my tomato and pepper plans from seed. I’m in N central TX. That way I get what I want. Gardening for years and learned smaller fruit varieties do better that BIG tomatoes.

[@MarthaGonzalez-jm3vn]

When I was growing up, my dad planted 2 long rows of tomatoes. He never staked them up, they just grew along on the ground. We always had lots of tomatoes. We lived in the foothills of NC. He just kept them water and fertilized. He used lime to control fungus.

[@MaralDuckworth]

Great information. Thank you!

[@frankbelt633]

Very good advice. The bugs and blight loved them. The kitchen table, not so much. I am now mostly growing hybrid, determinate types with an occasional Super Sweet 100 thrown in.

[@PlantObsessed]

I've been gardening since I was about your daughter's size and I will still occasionally get taken in by the big box store. Usually peppers but they are not appropriate for gardeners that want a can or put up a bunch. I 100% agree. Find your local family owned garden shop and you will be much farther ahead.

[@fernandoaguirre1527]

Outstanding information, thank you

[@carmenhester1992]

I have planted alot of indeterminates in the past and they do require alot of work. This year planted alot of determinate tomatoes with your seeds. Thank for the video Travis.

[@jrswackhammer8205]

Appreciate the info.!! Got my De Neri fig today!! Looks wonderful! Thank you guys!! From North Mississippi 👍

[@LazyDogFarm]

Awesome. If you could leave us a Google review at this link, we'd greatly appreciate it! g.page/r/Ce0wCoaWkbnJEBM/review

[@jrswackhammer8205]

Absolutely 👍

[@ausfoodgarden]

Down here in Melbourne Australia, the big box stores set beginners up to fail as they are still selling tomatoes and peppers in Fall. Many other plants too, that just don't have time to fruit before the cold weather comes. Yeah, buying tomatoes and the crappy tomato cages they sell which are far from adequate, good point.

[@joshuab738]

I am the same age as you. I started in my late 20s- early 30s, once I got out of graduate school and bought my first home. I remember my great/grandparents gardening and teaching me. I loved it as a kid. My parents are completely against gardening. They are very much perfect pretty yard without anything edible in it. So even though I wanted to in my teens, I wasn't allowed to plant anything in our yard. Though I feel you are right that many people in their 30 start in order to spend time with their kids or improve their health --- both are good ideas!

[@gioknows]

Always love watching your videos. You are knowledgeable and very honest with your opinions. I myself grow all of my tomato plants from seeds. I keep the seeds from last year and I try to add a few different types each year. Cheers from Ottawa, Canada🍁

[@centsless1539]

Great Info. I grow in the same area. I will be trying determinate now. I also noticed these big box stores selling long day onions in a short day location. It's probably gonna hurt some possible future growers.

[@becky3086]

I used to grow Celebrity and Patio tomatoes. I never found that my Celebrity tomato plants got all that huge but it was probably just the clay soil I was trying to grow them in. So now we live with sandy soil and raised beds. Last year I grew Roma and Banana Legs from seed and was fairly happy with them. This year I will grow Roma again and am trying Geranium Kiss. I do enjoy starting my own seeds although I am not that good at it yet.

[@josephauld6565]

Thank you for the info very helpful.

[@LaneyKate2005]

I am in a very different climate (yay, Wisconsin) but have moved from growing mainly indeterminates to a combination of dwarfs and determinates (for the most part). I used to only grow tomatoes but now I have expanded my interests and space is at a premium. I love a good indeterminate and take pleasure in watching them lose their minds and try to crawl through my windows, but from a practical perspective the smaller plants just make more sense. Black Krim still has a place but otherwise it's the smaller ones. When I go to the nursery (or even a big box store-- blue or orange) one or two "somethings" always seem to jump in my cart, even though I am over run with starts at home. And that's OK. Thank you for your input! I would have really benefitted from hearing this when I started gardening.

[@fdabill1]

Great video. I have learned so much from you about gardening. I learned so much from you in particular about tomatoes. Would buy the box store indeterminate and in zone 9b would end up with hardly any tomatoes. Decided to try heirlooms with basically the same results. Learned about determinates and grew tachi, bella rosa,& red snapper on your recommendation and couldn’t believe the yields I got last year. Ate and ton and stocked the shelves. Really appreciate all the effort and information you share.

[@mkc0005]

I grow a ton of different varieties every year just to see if I like something better. I’ve got 32 varieties this year with 5 of them being favorites from before. Almost all are indeterminate heirlooms as I like to save seeds as well. Having said that, I still have 5 Red Snappers just to make sure I have a decent crop. All of the growers and big box stores around here (S. Central TX) tend to sell the same things and they’re all hybrid indeterminates. It’s rare when they have something even as common as a Cherokee Purple.

[@davidward1259]

Big box store plants are also likely not going to handle our heat near as well as varieties bred from high heat areas started from seed. This year I've planted all determinate and heat tolerant varieties with 2 exceptions. My indeterminate varieties are SunGold for obvious reasons (just a favorite), and "Delicious". The Delicious seeds were a free give-a-way at a festival last summer and they are supposed to be a huge beefsteak variety. Never grown them before, and if I get 2 tomatoes from them, I'll be happy. I always order seeds and have not bought a live plant from a local store in probably 20 years now. Oh, and the last week of June, I will take a few cuttings from my determinate varieties and pot root them. By the time the ones in the garden are done, those free replacements should be ready to go out. Yes they will not do as well as early spring planted ones, but I can extend my season with my heat tolerant varieties for just a little time, potting mix and recycled pots from last year - basically free. I may also try shade cloth this year when the temps hit 90 degrees regularly as that is when most plants really start to show they are unhappy.

[@marciasharpe3983]

UH OH...Well first time grower of tomatoes in 20 gallon pots.I have a Super Sweet 1000's, 1 Better Boy (uh oh) a Dwarf Rosella, and a Sun Gold. I'm in Atlanta..from Vidalia! You're right ..I'll be happy for a few tomatoes during the season, but think I'm going to be overwhelmed! Gotta start somewhere!!! Love your video.

[@donnalovintexas8760]

I'm about positive Bonnie Plants sells the same varieties all over the country. Just because your local big box store sells a particular plant doesn't mean it will grow well in your area (plant zone). It is our job to do the reasearch. It is their job to sell anything that will make them money!!

[@jeffengland1862]

Jeff from East Tennessee! Got Red Snapper, Lemon boy, and also Big beef plus and Branywine! A bunch of cherry tomatoes varieties. I am going all out on Red Snapper this year! Everything else is just filler and some variety!! Friends and coworkers just have that variety that they love. For example, Branywine!! If we have an average hot summer here then most tomatoes will do good!! If it rains a lot then they are toast quick here! I am going to spray them more this year!! I don’t like it but a least until tomatoes start!! So far much warmer and dryer this year!! Maybe gardens will do better than last year! Cold all spring and then very hot!!!!!

[@PurePeace20]

Thanks for a helpful video for beginners. I've been following you for a while but don't comment much. I'm up in the NC mountains in Zone 6 and have grown a garden for over 20 years. Indeterminate tomatoes have always done better up here and produced more because my tomatoes don't die in July like yours in the deep south do. My tomatoes will usually live and thrive until mid October. That said, last year was the first year we experienced record heat and humidity in July (crazy temps over 100 that we never get and very high humidity). I lost most of my tomatoes by August last year despite my best efforts to keep them alive. Everything you have said and shown in the past that normally happens to your tomatoes happened in my garden last year. Fortunately, I had planted some determinate tomatoes (mostly paste tomatoes for sauce) and had already gotten a decent harvest from them, but it was quite a shock to lose all my tomatoes after having successful long tomato seasons for most my life. You are helping so many people trying to grow in hot and humid conditions. I'll be following a lot of your advice this year, because we're expected to have another unseasonably hot summer. I'm growing from seed and have more determinate and varieties I have not tried before, thanks to your past suggestions.

[@UrbanWhiteBuffaloFarm]

Hey Travis, thank you for this video today lotsa great info sep for the new folks I know this was so helpful for them. I know all about the sucker plants because those are the ones I avoid at all costs. I love the little six packs the best. I go to the local Menards big box store the always have cherokee purple, Roma ll, jet star varieties. I wait for the 6 packs to be $1 each. I look for the ones that have multiples so maybe there are 9 or 10 in the six pack Now for $3 I might get at least 8 starts in each times 3 packages =24 plants for a whopping $0.125 cents per seedling. This is usually June TOO Hot for y'all but ok for me in Minnesota. All these are tomatoes' that go straight to the canning in the kitchen as soon as there are enough for a batch. Every 2-3 days. I spend my money in my head about 3 times and pinch them pennies and once starts to slow down the stores just discount them. All my fancy tomatoes I start form seed and we eat those all summer. I do think one of these days I gotta get me a jar of Duke's mayonnaise to see how your sandwiches taste. I always see you make at least one every summer! God bless y'all take care be safe, Steven

[@brianczuhai8909]

I just order yours and pops seeds for this year. Excellent delivery system by the way! A little disappointed the ones I seeded last Thursday haven’t sprouted yet. We’ll presoak yours are get then going tomorrow. I’m switching to determinates because of our wet and over watering issues that are whiping our community gardens out. BLIGHT IS A PROBLEM!

[@allenhickman5914]

Nice video Travis... I would vote for more videos like this....there are a lot of people, as you say, don't know what they are doing and all they need is some good direction. Myself, I'm beyond help... I've been doing this for pretty well for 60+ years...I started when I was 15 years old (do the math).LOL!

[@aileensmith3062]

Over the years we have grown all of our own raised tomatoes. This year we are planting sixteen different varieties. Fifteen will be indeterminant's and one will be a determinant tomato. The reason for the determinant mini tomato is because one of the seed companies "gifted" a packet of seeds to us. We will be enjoying tomatoes before the first of July. as well as canning and more of tomatoes until about the first of November!

[@happytomeetyou.3027]

I grow a row of Celebrity Plus and does great in Texas zone 9. I think it is an Semi Determinate officially. Thanks for a great video

[@beckypeterson7522]

County master gardeners often have plant sales full of varieties that work! Great resource as is the University ag system

[@philgawthrop2518]

I check my county extension office for info on all of this stuff.

[@patricacompton9603]

I have tried the big box store tomatoes to no avail.......they are as you said guaranteed to fail.... I have found that doing the research and finding varieties that can stand the cold wet environment of Washington state are few and not generally main stream plants. However by sticking to varieties bred for the coastal regions or Oregon. Washington, and Alaska I have found success. And by sticking to the dwarf or smaller varieties since i grow exclusively in pots I have a good variety of plants that do well for me. You are more than right about matching the right plant to the situation. Thank you for the video.

[@Tillettforct]

❤Buggy Jumpers❤😂 don't knock too hard on those who buy the "Patio Pots" some of us beginner container gardeners are buying matching pairs to start low cost while learning and slowly expanding our container gardening containers that way... its buying a pair of pots with the bonus of having dirt and plants... same with buying hanging planters with flowers 💐

[@amyk6028]

Great video Travis! I bought a handful of pepper plants from HD last year because we were in the middle of a move to a different state in late May and I didn’t have time to start a lot of my plants from seed. It was a disaster. I bought 12 Pepper plants, and 8 of them were mislabeled and I wound up growing 8 Banana pepper plants, instead of the Poblano, Jalapeño & Bells that I picked out. Ugh 😡 So frustrating. I will never buy pepper plants from HD again!

[@brianczuhai8909]

I’m in SE Michigan, have Bonnie Best plants at ALL the chain, grocery, and HW stores. They are beautiful plants. But way too expensive if you want to grow a few. Please check out local nurseries for economic buys and beautiful plants. I happen to recommend a Mortgage Lifter as the plant to grow. It’s indeterminate, but a reliable, hearty plant that never stops.

[@virginiadaneke2362]

I love mortgage lifter and I save the seeds year after year. Usually I grow 2 and give the rest away to lucky people. Since I don't can tomatoes like I did in the past, these 2 provide plenty of fruit. They easily grow 10 feet tall and we love the taste. I wish more people knew about them and their interesting history. I live just north of Atlanta and they last until the first frost.

[@brianczuhai8909]

@@virginiadaneke2362 Exactly. Frost is the only thing that eventually does them in.

[@williamcobb1408]

Well... my name is Bill, and I totally agree with everything you said in this video. I'm no expert or formally trained gardner, but I'm fairly successful, and people who know me ask for advice from time to time. I always try to move them in the direction of local green houses or encourage them to try starting their own transplants. Also, sir, you don't need to do training just for beginners. Heck, we intermediate, and pros need help as well.

[@BrisLS1]

I agree. I keep getting plants that want to be 7 feet tall and 4 inches thick before making the first tomato. I want tomatoes not leaves and branches. If you have an overhead trellis about 8 feet tall, you can plant anything. Just prune if it gets too bushy, and you can go vertical until eventually you have fruit. I need the kind that will produce before the cone-headed cage is obsolete, ha ha.

[@TheRealWattLife]

Great video, as always! Farmers and gardeners are definitely under attack now more than ever!

[@LongBinh70]

Been growing tomatoes for some 50 years here in New England, where are season goes from May thru September. Our indeterminants don't die off in July, so we get far more fruit in a season from the indeterminants. Yes, the plants get 7-feet tall, but we deal with it. The $20 potted plants are for folks that want maybe one plant to sit on their deck or patio. My suggestion for newbies is the Super Sweet 100 grape tomatoes. Easy to grow with hundreds and hundreds of fruits that are like biting into a sugar cube. All of my plants are grown in straw bales, no dirt.

[@lynn9209]

You are a very good teacher. Just started listening to you this year and I’ve already learned many things. I’ve been doing wrong or could do better. Thank you! I hope you take your wife’s advice and do a course for beginning gardeners. And if you could talk about watering, I am so worried I’m going to underwater that I think I overwater. Could you talk about that, not just with the outdoor garden but when starting seedlings also. Do you water every day?

[@joelhenderson5404]

Plant some Ruby Dawn they last till frost here in Oklahoma!

[@jasona6222]

Texas 9a here, our tomato season is actually really short. I start my seeds early December, usually have 20 buckets that I can move in if a quick frost appears. If I wait until last frost date to plant, I’ll be lucky to make 5 lbs of fruit per plant before it’s too hot to set fruit. Once it gets too hot, no amount of shade will help large varieties. Keep them alive long enough to finish fruit and let them parish. Smaller varieties can continue to produce…cherry, small slicers and Roma.

[@jo-annjewett198]

By late June all our gardens are mostly done here in south Texas. Okra will live that’s about it. I want enough tomatoes to eat fresh and put up for later.

[@tutortani]

By seeing your video, I immediately thought of my garden. Healthy and happy greetings always to you. ❤❤❤

[@YelloLibra83]

I have over 600 types of Tom seeds from all the different types I have and still grow. I’m always giving seeds away. My first year I bought starts after that I clone and start all of mine from seeds. I grow 5:2 ratio of indeterminate to determinate. In Missouri, zone 7b….I grow Tomatoes year round.

[@deepnature6117]

I start my own from seeds. I switched from heirlooms to determinate hybrids developed for South GA and FL for heat resistance and disease. They are also much easier to spray if needed. I grew up gardening with my father who was a gardening master passed down for generations. However, my father struggled with tomatoes with thrips, disease in his later years due to he stayed with the heirlooms he grew for years due to past success in earlier years. I feel the key to gardening success is to stay educated and never quit learning.

[@GOAT669]

I got 28 turkey Creek Tomatoes started and looking great

[@beverlyboyce1041]

I preach planting determinate varieties of tomatoes constantly here in Texas. Butcso many want heirloomsor indeterminate varieties. Phoenix does fabulous for me.

[@janlmc9048]

You are so funny but so true. Still learning from a 50 year gardener.

[@ValerieT2023]

I started out buying from a local nursery, then moved to big box stores especially when they used to have bogo deals. In 2020, those deals went away & I went back to a local nursery. The plants are so much healthier. They may be smaller, but they grow in no time. I still look at big box stores, but don't buy unless it's something not at my nursery. I'm into onions this year. The big box stores stock short day onions here in Cincinnati, OH. And long day. I had to search to find a day neutral to grow in this intermediate day area.

[@cliftonmcandrew8984]

Hey Travis, I went to one of the box stores. They were selling four packs and singles. I want another box store and they were just selling the singles that was it five dollars a plant. I have a small garden that cost me $100 easily buy a lot of seeds with that much money.

[@amyschultz8058]

I'm in Va. Last frost is about mid April but until Memorial day our weather can be a bit wonky at time's, not always. I like to hold off on tomatoes and peppers til at least May 1st.. I plant from seed because the tomatoes I like to grow, you can't even find a transplant around here plus seed is more cost effective. On average here, we can grow tomatoes most of the season but by Labor day they are over the heat and just done. I feel for new gardener's, I'm seeing it here , where they are trying to plant due to grocery prices and they just don't know.

[@C3Voyage]

I'm breeding in disease resistance now, but I concentrated on taste and parthenocarpy in the beginning. It is very hard to get the abundant taste profiles that heirlooms offer with the higher disease packages. If a tomato is a tomato is a tomato generally speaking, I'd certainly do the latest packages offered and that's it. Big Beef Plus and Celebrity Plus are new, but I've not grown them. Then, there's the Thunderbird, Red Snapper, and STM 2255 (notice what I did there?) that are gaining traction. All good choices, but I cannot ever get away from the heirlooms. I'm good enough to get a few off of them. :O) Great vid bud.

[@mikemccleery7253]

I’m in Nebraska I have a local greenhouse that provides me variety’s that do well here. For those plants I don’t direct seed.

[@brianramsey3824]

Imo the thing about gardening and especially growing starts. Yes there are many ways to be successful. However, the thing of it is I think people try to mix and match techniques thinking they will get similar results. When I'm reality u have a starting point to tweak it to your own situation

[@bpservices123]

Best plants in the country! Go Bonnie!

[@marvinbrock960]

I mix Dterm and Indeterm plants for multiple reasons.. my Indeterm all go in dedicated Tomato grow meds while my determ all go in ground.. my cherries and better bush for compact areas.. my only exemption: inderterminant San Marzano in ground for Sauce making.

[@iwanttobelieve5970]

Well, some people prefer Indeterminates because they continue to grow through the entire season. I have had tomatoes into Halloween and even Thanksgiving, depending on our weather. I tried determinates last year and I lost half of my tomatoes because they produced a small amount of tomatoes and then died. I was grateful that I still had indeterminates, mostly cherry tomatoes, and we had them into October. My granddaughter is obsessed with cherry tomatoes and she almost exclusively eats the cherry tomatoes every year. Mostly I had volunteers that grew the best because I live where it rains constantly. This year I'm trying determines again but I have some succession started to plug in after the determinates give up the ghost. I'm still searching for disease resistant varieties that grow well in my area and can withstand the full days of rain we get in my Southern Indiana region.