GROWING TOMATOES with NO Fertilizer NO Compost during Drought

GROWING TOMATOES with NO Fertilizer, Compost during Drought. See how simple and easy it was to do this. You can do this.
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[@judiday5316]

i found you bcs i" obsessed with soil biologyy. Pls disregard those who are uninterested or not informed enough to know how important these trials are. your channel is amazing and a lifesaver for those of us just starting who cannot buy compost now bcs of Grazon. I';m working my way through all of your vids and glued to them... Thank you for caring enough about others, to go to the trouble of teaching us.

[@iamorganicgardening]

To Love your soil is to love to Eat and share the harvest. THANK YOU.

[@robb5984]

You aren't kidding about the cover crops. Due to your inspiration, I planted winter rye last fall in my main bed and have been planting grocery store dried beans in any place I didn't have things growing. The results have been astonishing - even in the first year of doing it. I've even let what few weeds I get grow, and harvest them for mulch and compost. Living roots in the soil makes all the difference!

[@iamorganicgardening]

That is awesome! THANK YOU for sharing this with us all.

[@joelzdepski9884]

Mark, I suggest that you create a soil library. Take cores (just do something simple like pound a 2" diameter PVC into the ground and push the resulting core out into a box and store the somewhere.) and then you can look back over time and see what your practices are really accomplishing. Gabe Brown says in some of his talks that he regrets not doing that when he started his own journey.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Very Good point. This videos are always a look in the past. THANK You for the idea.

[@lauranyc4966]

Your videos truly inspired me and changed my thinking completely !!!!!!!!! I thought I wanna to build 40 car garage and buy cars and all 🤦🏻‍♀️ but watching your videos made me wanna buy bigger land , plant things and enjoy Mother Nature in the purest form . Your videos are so so so easily explained. I believe 100% I can do gardening easily ! Whole January been watching so many gardening videos of other ppl and thought myself oh no I’ll go to Whole Foods 🤦🏻‍♀️ . Thank you so much for creating gardening channel. Your passion and love for earth absolutely contagious 🙏🏻💗🙏🏻

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU KINDLY. You can do it. The more you are connect to the earth the more your receive back. It has help me to be a farmer and raise my two sons that where 6 & 4 at the time my beautiful passed away from cancer at 36. I bought this farm then.

[@randyland1000]

I'll take a few cars too! lol

[@CheaddakerT.Snodgrass]

I look at it as the clay is a never-ending battery. You just need to provide the wires to connect to it.

[@iamorganicgardening]

WELL SAID. Thanks

[@tonyanorris6574]

This past summer (2022) i was gardening in ground. I did the whole tilling and weeding and bare soil exposed deal. We all know how hot it was last summer, so no matter how much i watered it was NEVER enough, which lead to issues with the plants. Finally i went into the woods and grabbed bags and bags of leaves and placed then in my garden around my plants . After doing so, my plants became very happy, kept moist soil, and started giving me so much food. I learned to always mulch. Did more research and learned to always keep your beds mulched even when you are not using them. I did change my garden and will be doing raised beds starting this spring, built and filled them in the fall. I also added in worm towers that also doubles as a water tower for slow deep watering.

[@iamorganicgardening]

So great to hear, THANKS

[@joyabia682]

Oh my what's a worm tower

[@kathynix6552]

⁠@@joyabia682a worm tower is a container with holes along it. You bury it in your garden then add your kitchen scraps and browns and some compost worms. You can cap it with a saucer or similar. Keep topping up with scraps and cuttings and leaves etc The worms are free to go in and out of the holes bringing nutrients from the compost out into the garden.

[@davidnightingale146]

I want to say that watching you and the others you mentioned that this year I am having the same experience in Reno Nv. I only had to water corn once and my tomatoes are doing great. We have only had about an inch of rain this summer and that came in the beginning of August. It has been five years in the making but the results are fantastic!

[@iamorganicgardening]

WOW. that is so great. And corn uses lots of water to. THANK YOU.

[@tanyajstolp]

Thank you for your videos. I love when you explain soil and plant life.

[@iamorganicgardening]

So nice of you to SAY. THANK YOU so very much.

[@tcotroneo]

This year was a very good tomato year. My canning jars are filled with sauce! I also saw zero tomato hornworms this year.. I also had virtually no splitting of my tomatoes. I only deeply water my tomatoes once every two weeks. If it rains, I skip the watering..

[@iamorganicgardening]

Sounds great! THANK YOU for sharing this with us all.

[@bettyreynolds5106]

Thank you for this great information!

[@veronicamc-will4742]

Thanks for sharing such knowledge well appreciated

[@iamorganicgardening]

Thanks. Glad to help always

[@billwunder7075]

Are you planning on a cover crop this fall after the tomatoes are done this year Mark? Rye again? Thank you sir. Your explanations are the best!

[@iamorganicgardening]

Yes, a cover crop will go in this year. Rye again, THANK YOU for asking,

[@rosedowling3690]

Thank you Mark.. I'm also from NJ but living in TN .. We have the same exact weather here so these videos are helping me a lot .. in the process of watching all your videos... not sure if i missed one on the winter crops, my question is do you pull out the rye when you're about to plant ,say tomatoes, and do you use the old tomato vines if so in what way...

[@iamorganicgardening]

Here is a video I did on that, Click this link : kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJuoanuOes2pjJY

[@OrganicGreens]

Clay soil is very rich in nutrients. Roots sometimes have trouble accessing them tho . My clay in missouri is so thick a small shovel probably weight close to 25 pounds and you could probably fire it into a pot lol. I have to till some compost and even a bit of peat to get good drainage. No fertilizer is necessary but I do notice improvements from some cheap inputs. Iron sulfate to break up the clay in the off season and lower the PH of my calcareous soil. I also use some alfalfa and chicken manure occasionally as alfalfa is dirt cheap and I get chicken manure for free.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for sharing what you are doing in your wonderful garden. Enjoy.

[@doraw7766]

Thank you. Great explanations.

[@iamorganicgardening]

You are welcome! Here to help and share. Enjoy.

[@rosedowling3690]

Mark I have to Laugh asa I sent my question below the next video I clicked on you answered it for me LOL

[@iamorganicgardening]

Great, enjoy. Thanks

[@Everydayimpeddling]

Great video Mark!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU so very much.

[@sowgroweat6987]

Extremely interesting knowledge based video, thank you for sharing with us

[@iamorganicgardening]

Just a farmer willing to help and share. Happy Gardening.

[@shannonsexton8921]

Love what you do, but had to laugh about a 30 day drought. Anything less than 6 months, we just call summer. Drought is not usually declared unless 50 percent under average rainfall for 18 months. Western Australia 🌏

[@iamorganicgardening]

WOW. I agree with you, that is a good laugh.

[@upupandaway5646]

Great info thank you 😊

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU kindly.

[@PiotrofBrooklyn]

Great content! No audio on Right audio channel .

[@iamorganicgardening]

Sorry about that

[@saminairfan45]

Hello Mark….very interesting. I live in California and we don’t get much rain at all winter/summer so I am definitely going to try this method. I love to garden but it’s so hard when we are in drought and water is so expensive😏☹️

[@iamorganicgardening]

It is so worth the effort.

[@MAzRaggil]

Wow verry good Farmers

[@iamorganicgardening]

Many many thanks

[@sharonbertino8166]

What needs to be done with the winter crop in the spring ? Do you cut it down or pull it out before planting new crops ?

[@iamorganicgardening]

Just cut it down to soil level and plant into. Never till or pull out. THANK YOU for asking

[@judiday5316]

you cut it at the base and leave the roots in the ground. OR...You can also knock it down and open it up in spots and plant in the open spots. It will act as a mulch...leaving behind the roots is the key..which took me awhile to understand that one fact...

[@kitsurubami]

why are food costs going to be double next year?

[@iamorganicgardening]

The cost to grow them and to transport them ( fuel & fertilizer )

[@kitsurubami]

@@iamorganicgardening which fuels and which fertilizers are going to be in shortage?

[@iamorganicgardening]

@@kitsurubami Farmers In the USA are paying $200 more per acre this year for chemical fertilized than last year. Diesel and Gasoline next year. In Europe wood, coal and Natural gas is 3 times higher now today than last year. Same to follow here

[@kitsurubami]

@@iamorganicgardening wow! I hope the farmers are able to switch to growing their crops organically. Also hope that the transition to clean energy isn't turbulent.

[@scottL9111]

Also, some countries are limiting the amount of nitrogen farmers can use to grow their crops which is going to cause a food shortage because the farmers will end up going bankrupt. That's why Sri Lanka had riots in the president fled the country.

[@katipohl2431]

17 essentiel minerals are enlisted, boron is not there.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Hello , I mention that list is just a few of them not all.. Please go back to see if I am correct. Arsenic is not on there either. We need that for our nerviest system ( very small amount ). Thanks

[@katipohl2431]

@@iamorganicgardening The list is perfect with the 17 most essential elements for plant nutrition as lectured in agriculture and horticulture. Soil microorganisms with thair exoenzymes are able to mineralize them from moist soil. The enzymes do not function in dry soil. Thank you for the clear and great presentation. Nothing left to be desired.

[@barbarasimmons4158]

Very helpul for gardening newbies and pleny of techie info for those who need it. You are providing a GREAT service, Mark!

[@iamorganicgardening]

Thank you kindly.

[@johnjude2685]

Again thanks about your advice to try a tomato seedlings planting into the root ball of a sunflower of previous season. I tested 6 gardening methods for my tomatoes your method came in second for production crop .But it was less than half the work than any of my other methods tested it is so easy I'm 71 years old and saying 98 percent of people can raise tomatoes this method. I slightly had better results with my method that I had over 4 times work involved. You should challenge us old folks to try " Your sunflower root ball method" for easy tomatoes 🍅 Thanks Mark. I'll bet I'll have tomatoes the year I die and probably Black Krim as they are my favorite for early productive and best all around 🍅 tomatoes.

[@iamorganicgardening]

You Have a great insight. THANK YOU so very much. Happy Gardening.

[@TheAggressers]

Thank You so ...much Mark ,for all you share, just so you know I am sharing these soil info videos on FB to all my friends because you make it so simple to understand. We appreciate you !

[@iamorganicgardening]

WOW, THANK YOU so very much. Happy Gardening

[@Mary95191]

Yes, We sure do appreciate you! 😊

[@alisonbender8611]

Mark I so appreciate your encouragement and help with understanding soil biology

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU so very much.

[@smallfootprint2961]

We had a patch of cherry tomatoes show up one year in So Cal, and never did anything to it, but always had tomatoes. I think it was probably bird droppings, but don't know. Didn't water it, or anything. I guess we eventually cut it down, when we sold. Very hearty.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for sharing

[@Mary95191]

I grew some sweet potato greens and cut them in pieces and they created roots. I planted some in a pot because the garden did horribly this year. I think I will take whatever is in the pot, including the 3’ sweet potato vine and plant it in the dirt. Looks like you have trees back past your yard (my yard looks just like yours). Then looks like you have various green ‘stuff’ growing in front of that, besides the tomatoes. I have kept an area of the green stuff just because I think it’s pretty. It’s also in front of my trees. Most people would call them weeds. I know I won’t get much out of that pot because it’s probably too short, so I’m going to see what happens when I replant it into my ‘nature’ area. 😊 My peppers are doing pretty well in the garden, especially the one plant I didn’t allow to freeze last winter. (Houston area). I didn’t get any tomatoes I could eat, besides some cherry tomatoes. Besides that, these little white caterpillar critters ate everything below ground of my onions, radishes and something else, I forget what. I have gotten rid of them since organically. Strange how the plants looked just fine above ground except they just wouldn’t grow larger, as they should have, so I thought they were fine, but nope. Thank you for all the valuable information you are giving us! I am learning so much and it makes so much sense! ❤️

[@healthyfitmom]

Thank you Mark for sharing your wisdom. ❤️🙏

[@iamorganicgardening]

You are so welcome. Have a great week ahead. THANK YOU.

[@harrybryan7530]

Hi Mark, I have been watching many of your videos the past few days and loving every minute. Over the past several years I have seen countless videos about gardening and have to say your enthusiasm is off the charts!! Keep it up! I live in the PNW in Canada and my "soil" is primarily glacial till. A nasty mix of sand ,silt, clay and a lot of rocks. Do you think I will have any luck plating a cover crop if I put down a few inches of my compost and just plant into that. And if so, do you think something like winter rye will be effective at getting some roots into this hard-pan? Would love to here any advice you might have.

[@iamorganicgardening]

If you soil is draining you can plant a cover crop. Plants/cover crop need air in the soil base. Yes, winter rye would be you best bet to try.

[@juneshannon8074]

Hi Mark. Previously you’ve sold me on cover crops and leaf mulch, but I’m scared about the water (lack of it) issue. I think what I’ll do is reduce the amount of water and lengthen the time between waterings this season, because I didn’t put a winter cover crop this year. I’m six months behind you in Australia.

[@iamorganicgardening]

I think that it a great plan until the next big rain.

[@johnsonr9]

Great video! Do you ever add nitrogen for nitrogen loving crops with your method?

[@iamorganicgardening]

No, I do not. The reason for this is do to it is a mislead idea. lets compare a carrot to a corn stalk. The corn stalk will need more nitrogen because it is just bigger. So the way it works is that is the soil food web ( all microbes must work better and harder to get all the nutrient's to the corn stalk . All soils are made up % of sand, silt and clay what is lacking is water, air and all microbes. You get tht back and you grow everything nicely. This are lacking today due to over tilling ( putting stored soil carbon back into the air ) an chemical fert. that kills microbes

[@dougsgarden8120]

Hi Mark. I love your channel! I am in Northern NJ in similar conditions, so your information is always applicable. I have a couple of questions, if you could help. First, how do you deal with the deer? They ate my tomato plants down to the roots, and yours are lush and beautiful! What's your secret to them leaving you alone in NJ? As to winter cover crops, could we use brassicas like cabbage, kale, or broccoli? Or would they not be up to the task for some reason(s)? It would be nice to grow something edible, rather than the winter rye, if at all possible. Thanks again for all of your wonderful videos!

[@iamorganicgardening]

At a huge expense I place a 8 foot tall chain link fence with gates I close at night. I would no survive with out it. You can grow them but just further apart so you can intercrop winter rye seeds between them. Those items you listed do not grow a very helpful fungi from their roots call Mycorrhizal fungi. Click on this link and look at the bottom of the page : www.rootnaturally.com/PlantListMycorrhizal.pdf .

[@patriot2195]

Thank you, great information! 👍

[@iamorganicgardening]

Glad it was helpful! THANK YOIU.

[@ladybee56]

I'm new to gardening. Last year I tried tomatoes they grew up nice and then it got hot and the plants started turning brown from the bottom up and died. Do you use any sort of pesticides to control insects or other diseases? This fall I'm going to collect leaves and try your method of a winter cover crop. Your videos are interesting. Thanks for making the videos.

[@winslowschoolofdance]

Please share your location. Thank you for the great info

[@scottL9111]

Hi Mark, I really appreciate your videos! I have a question. I live just north of Houston Texas in zone 9 in a subdivision and I have an above-ground Garden (14'x20', & 5'x13'). If I plant a cover crop do I till it in with a hoe before I plant in the spring? And when do I do it? 1 month, 2 weeks, before I plant? Thank you for your help!

[@iamorganicgardening]

Just take the hoe and go 1/2 inch deep into the soil ONLY. 30 days before planting

[@azumag4432]

You have compost. The decomposed leaves between the leaves and soil.

[@iamorganicgardening]

We call that leaf mold. Compost is a mixture of brown material and green materials

[@joannanowak9848]

It is always a great pleasure to learn from you

[@iamorganicgardening]

Glad to hear that

[@margarethawk3073]

So… do you till your cover crop under before planting?

[@iamorganicgardening]

No i do not . Just cut and drop and plant

[@lmclrain]

thanks a lot for the video, I would have not figured this out about soil

[@iamorganicgardening]

Glad to help and to share, THANK YOU.

[@jo-oo6cx]

Winter rye cover crop does this work in sand

[@iamorganicgardening]

Yes, all good.

[@daulatneupane4055]

Hello Mark, Greetings from Nepal. In a very short amount of time following your channel, I couldn't be more glad that I found your channel. Some great insights all over the videos, am binge watching all. I had one question regarding growing Tomatoes in the open as you do. We receive annual rainfall of around 1300 to 1500 mm (50 to 60 Inhes) per year here in the capital city of Nepal. And most of that rain is concentrated within the span of 3 to 5 months from June to October. And that span is our summer here and the growing season for Tomatoes. And there is a usual practice of growing tomatoes in the polytunnel for the fear of blight due to heavy rains. Have you had any issues with the Tomatoes being out in the open in the regular rainfall? How true is it that Tomato foliage getting drenched in rain causes all sorts of diseases to spread. Have you ever had such issues with Tomatoes in the wild? Regards, Daulat

[@iamorganicgardening]

Hello my Nepal friend. Growing in poly tunnels is first due to all you rain to stop the tomatoes from cracking/ splitting fruit.. I do not have any issues with tomatoes. Healthy soil is key. It helps them to fight off everything. You need both bacteria and fungi in you soil in equal parts. Look on my Facebook page to the living microbes chart that makes nutrient's from soil of sand ,silt and clay.

[@daulatneupane4055]

@@iamorganicgardening Thank you for you response. We are going to grow tomatoes without polytunnels this year and are going to work on the soil health with leaf mold mulches and other Liquid fertilizers extracted from weeds and grasses as this is our first growing season this year so the soil needs some extra help and amendments. We have just started our farm a few months back. Will Report back how it goes later down the year. Thanks Mark for all the valuable info.

[@iamGrowing]

Love the video. Thanks.

[@iamorganicgardening]

MY pleasure! THANK YOU.

[@meco4919]

Hi, Can you tell us what do you do with all tomato vines at the end of the season ? I've got like you massive plants sprawling on the ground and I just want to let them rot on the soil or shallow tilling but "old school" gardeners around me advise me to remove and burn all plants + Roots because of fungus... I plan to grow potatoes on this patch in 2 years then tomatoes again in 5 years. Thx have a nice day

[@iamorganicgardening]

Yes, old school says that. But NEW school like myself says you can compost them, cut them in small 1 foot length. Or cut and drop on the soil. They will decompose over winter. So why is this done this way now. Because you do not till which leaves the good microbes to eat all the bad ones that might be on the old tomatoes plants. Nature cleans itself.

[@meco4919]

Thank you very much for your answer. I will compost all that plant material : don't waste that summer's carbon by burning it. Bye !

[@iamorganicgardening]

@@meco4919 YES. save the planet.

[@judiday5316]

Mark,,,, I'm in CT zone 6 B same as you... Can you please tell me if I'm suppose to plant rye now? Or will the roots die over the winter if i plant it too early/ or am i suppose to wait until late fall and let it go dormant to start growing in the spring.(?) Its confusing. i don't know if it is suppose to be established prior to winter...i cant find th answer online...Pls advise..Thank You ~.JD

[@iamorganicgardening]

Yes, You can plant it now. I will be planting mine now also. But just to let you know more about it you can plant it even after a frost it will still grow. The green tops of the winter rye may turn brown in the cold winter BUT the roots are still alive to -40 degrees below zero. I never have the roots die off until the winter rye dies off on it own in late spring May. to June.

[@judiday5316]

oh wow. I didn't realize that would actually grow all winter and that it died off in the spring.. hence the name "WINTER" rye-duh!... Thank you ..It all makes sense now...i am amazed that it grows in the winter. This planet is such a marvel. . Do you favor any particular supplier? Thank you JD

[@iamorganicgardening]

@@judiday5316 All the pieces line up now for you. Happy Gardening.