SEVEN Tomato Misconceptions Debunked

[@3DThrills]

People very concerned with sweetness should choose sweet varieties instead of trying to change what they planted.

[@RogaineForEwoks]

Or put sugar on it after cutting it up.

[@harshalshah4685]

Penny switched over in 1982. It's now 97.5% zinc with the remainder as a copper shell. During WW2 they did switch to a steel penny, but they quickly stopped producing them because they would rust rather quickly.

[@john2510]

The debunking of the debunking :)

[@eddieslittlestack7919]

Thank you sir! I was just about to share the same fact.

[@debracalvin6737]

I did not know I could start my determinate tomato plants later. That might work out better because I'm always so busy in the summer, canning in the fall would make so much more sense.

[@jennifercarlson8172]

Another thing u can do later in the season, if u have seasons like me where sometimes fall just doesn't exist its summer then winter (western WA here) is to get a patio variety or a tomato u can grow in a big container and move it around if u see it's going to get to cold at night (to either inside or a greenhouse or even a sheltered area that will protect it to a point), it has worked for me in the past

[@joesqudy]

I would like you to create a small video on when to harvest your tomatoes. Thanks Luke. ❌⭕️🙏🏽♥️

[@amandasupak]

Chapter select 0:21 Misconception #1 - Copper 1:08 Misconception #2 - Sugar 1:56 Misconception #3 - Pruning 3:49 Misconception #4 - Basil 5:45 Misconception #5 - Birds 7:08 Misconception #6 - Yearly growth 9:59 Misconception #7.1 - Epson Salt 11:14 Misconception #7.2 - Baking soda 12:40 Misconception #7.3 - Vinegar 14:40 Bonus tip on how to make tomatoes sweeter!

[@sarabarbera6346]

I can never get enough about tomatoes! 🍅 👍🏻

[@missiechako5917]

As an aside.....By following everything you are teaching Luke we're Experiencing an ABSOLUTE ABUNDANCE of EVERYTHING WE ARE STARTING AND GROWING!!!!!

[@ikiruyamamoto1050]

"An over-abundance of tomatoes...." (2:35). I didn't know there was such a thing! I thought one of the primary reason for single stem, aside from air flow, was so that bigger tomatoes will grow (rather than more medium sized tomatoes).

[@missiechako5917]

SERIOUSLY Luke......I not only LOVE listening to you BUT am learning SO much from YOU ❤❤❤❤

[@jencrecelius3565]

Heard about the epsom salt years ago when I first started gardening and decided to try it. It said to put a tiny bit when planting out- all I wound up with was severe leaf yellowing. Whether it was the cause or not idk, but never again for me. Also, I have a ton of birds but they never really mess with my tomatoes or anything else. The chipmunks are my main garden destroyers here, lol

[@DianaRodriguez-ym2bl]

Wow thanks for the info, never would have thought it was the smell of the basil tricking us into thinking our tomatoes are sweeter. As always you are such a great source of information

[@mistersmith8962]

Saw a documentary for tomato grower near the dead sea region and they were using increased salt levels that gave them tomatoes higher on the sweetness scale than the sweetness of Coca-Cola and had to dial back the salt inputs. So certain mineral salts or sea salts are actually shown to increase sweetness

[@brandonminiman]

Here in zone 7A, I have found that if I remove suckers, I get bigger tomatoes later. If I leave the suckers, I get smaller tomatoes sooner. So it just depends on what you want. I like to get the fruit as soon as possible because here and 7A, the growing season can be short.

[@missiechako5917]

Great Job addressing the soil food Web and the Health of our soil while discussing old wives tales!❤

[@annienewman8312]

we had an unusual warm early june some years back. a fledgling robin pretty much lived (and i suspected survived due to) in my unruly strawberry patch. when i reclaimed the area later on, i left an area for the birds.

[@dongemus]

You missed the BIGGEST MYTH in all of gardening. "Adding calcium to soil will stop blossom end rot"

[@newroots1360]

“Egg shells” 🤪

[@user-sh9rc3yg6c]

73 yrs here. Don't stress the tomatoes. Plant water feed and check for bad bugs then pick the haul. All good.

[@mjmmusser]

I have a friend who grows 10+ feet tall tomato trees.

[@scandallpower]

They’ll grow as tall as you can support then

[@jimmylarge1148]

@@scandallpowerope! His friend has a world record! Duh😂😂

[@mjmmusser]

@jimmylarge1148 I have a picture of it. It was 13 feet at the time. Then a storm came through, and knocked it down to 6 feet. If I could post images I would. It was in front of his house and was taller than the house.

[@marthakratz7877]

My indeterminate tomatoes tend to want to grow beyond the height of my 8' stakes. I don't let them since I couldn't even reach something that high so I don't know how much taller they would grow if allowed.

[@mjmmusser]

@marthakratz7877 I usually let mine get to around 6'. It's the height of the cage I use. I have an 8' reach, but my arthritis tells me no all the time when dealing with overhead stuff.

[@petersoos498]

As stated by others, the hairy growth on tomato plants (which grow on stems, leaves etc) are called Trichomes. These act as a protection for the plant against invasive issues. The cells that are on the stems that look like small bumps and can turn into roots if in contact with moisture from soil are called parenchyma cells. They are triggered to grow when the plant finds the ability to get more moisture and even sometimes during times of drought looking for any moisture it can whether in contact with soil or not. In the late 70's early eighties there was an increase in the price of copper due in part by speculation and supply and demand for raw copper. After the price of copper exceeded $1.51/lb some speculators found that 151 pennies equaled a pound. It didn't take long for people to take 151 pennies and in some case melt them down and turn it into $2.00 worth of scrap. Even the banks found it difficult to keep pennies due to a sudden 'run' on these coins. Whether scrapping was legal or not, the government stepped in and created the zinc core penny. The same thing happened in the 70's with silver coins causing the now plated cored version.

[@3DThrills]

Misconception misconception: They put copper back in the pennies after the war. They were steel for a few years. Pennies were again 95% copper until 1982, when they became 2.5% copper and the rest zinc. From 1793 to 1837 pennies were pure copper. Sugar is no good but molasses feeds the microbes in the soil. My favorite tomato misconception is all the KZbinrs I see talking about planting them extra deep and burying the stem. They then say that all those fine hairs are going to turn into roots. LOL Those hairs are not roots, they are trichomes. They protect the plant from insects, buffer respiration, protect from chills. A globule can form on the end of the fine stalk that contains a pale yellow sticky liquid which can trap tiny insects. The trichomes are what release that green tomato smell when you brush against a tomato plant. Like you, I also do root deprivation experiments. I've got 16 heirloom beefstake plants in a 10 gallon pot. They've now got over 100 tomatoes on them with more forming. Every single blossom is fruiting. How big can the fruit get under these conditions?

[@johnbarlow2417]

I sure would like to know thats sounds very interesting.

[@3DThrills]

@@johnbarlow2417 My latest video is a couple weeks ago, before they started setting fruit.

[@jferris6184]

Chickens are birds, they ate my tomatoes, but last year I did crack and drop a whole egg in the hole when I planted and I think the plant was healthier than the year before😉thank you MI gardener for all you do👍

[@Carrm3ist3r]

Great video! 🍅

[@happysandyh]

I love your videos, information, and of course the amazing seeds you make available! Thank you for all you do! God bless you and your family! Happy gardening!!

[@nettierg]

My tomatoes from MI Gardner are doing great and are in the soil. Planted 10 plants, all sprouted. Actually, all my seeds from MI Gardner sprouted. My peppers are still small, but I may not have started early enough.

[@lindafischer877]

I do love the science you provide behind veg gardening. 👍

[@JohnnyZBeatZ]

Thanks keep up the good work love the gardening videos your awesome an I appreciate the gardening tips too

[@camicri4263]

I didn't try any! I am growing basil by the tomatoes to detour hornworms. Great video as always Luke! Grow big or go home 😊! God bless 🙏❤️

[@Donna_G]

I had never heard any of those tomato misconceptions. I've had plenty of red tomatoes that were sweeter than their non-red counterparts. I use vinegar to kill weeds. It sometimes requires repeat applications, though. But, vinegar will also kill plants that are not weeds.

[@viper29ca]

Can definitely get fruit from suckers. At times I have found suckers if I have missed them, grow to 6" or so. Been many time I have plucked off the sucker, stuck it in some rockwool in my hydroponics, and have gotten fruit off of that plant by the end of the season. I am in New Brunswick, Canada, so probably the same zones as Michigan. Using a kratky hydroponic system out doors.

[@marthakratz7877]

If anybody has any pennies that are older than 1943, those pennies would probably be much more valuable to sell than to bury in the soil. 🤔

[@bigjohnfus4232]

Luke, I have 3 plants are growing like mad. (About 5 feet already) Plant stem is healthy and everything is green. I have blossoms everywhere, but no small fruit production. I keep tapping the blossoms in an effort pollinate them. Is it too soon to panic? Thanks, buddy. I appreciate your channel and your vast knowledge.

[@loverlyredhead]

I have this issue, too. I think my problem is high humidity.

[@jeannechin5052]

Always such good information. Thanks!

[@Wendy-ir6ww]

The one harvest myth was what I've been told frequently, even as it never really made much sense. I'm overall planning on planting them a few times/year so that with indoor growing in the winter and some fall months, I can get 3-4 harvests per year.

[@nancyfielden270]

Gonna try a 2nd harvest even though we seldom get ripe tomatoes from the first harvest. Always purchased tomato starts in the past. This year started a variety of plants more suitable for a short season.

[@sssmPatriot51]

Luke, let me know if this is also a fable: make an additive by mixing 1 cup sugar with 1 cup bone meal; dig hole and bury the seedling deep covering lower leaves and stem with soil enriched with this additive. Cover completely, then pour 1 cup of Epson salt over soil and water. You covered two of these ingredients in this video and called them a fable, but not together as in this recipe, plus this recipe includes bonemeal, what do you think?

[@SonniesGardenPA]

Hey Luke, Thanks for the clarification. It's been a little over a week since I got my berry plants, they are doing great. Thanks!

[@davidtilton1869]

Luke...Please do a video on Grazon contamination. At first I thought my tomato plants were over watered, after testing theHorse manure I was using has Grazon contaminates

[@kele1264]

Thanks, Luke! Great info. I've never heard of some of those misconceptions!

[@ArztLecker]

Question on the ants/aphids: I noticed that one of my pepper plants seem to be getting chewed on by something. I saw a few ants on it and wonder what you meant at 1:23 ~ Do ants hunt the aphids or somehow their presence brings aphids?

[@jodip719]

Ants and aphids kind of work together. The aphids produce a sticky sweet sap that ants love to eat. And in turn, the ants sort of protect the aphids.

[@JohnWood-tk1ge]

Sorry I wasn’t right here to see this one as soon as it came out! My cousin brought his tractor with a bucket and we pushed up all last year’s manure into a pile, now just a matter of time until it goes into our gardens ( horse,goat and chickens plus bedding)!😊

[@karenl7786]

I just so happen to have a bird bath next to my tomatoes. And if I don't clean it out and add fresh water a couple of times aday, the birds will actually sit on the fence and look at me to chastise me for not doing my job 😊

[@mistersmith8962]

Wrong on the copper penny dates. I use dollar bills anyways, great fertilizer

[@OregonShearwater]

Do you also prune indeterminate cherry tomatoes? Thanks for your hard work and sharing your expertise!

[@gelwood99]

Yes, as they grow remove all foliage below the blooms, as you harvest those, remove foliage up to the next bloom cluster. Remove suckers allowing 2 main stems only. This has worked for me for several years, Casey from Honey Tree Farms, a commercial grower gave that tip for massive harvests

[@chompers11]

@@gelwood99 You only want to remove foliage up to the first set of fruit, not past. 1, 2 or 4 stems produces the same amount of fruit it just depends on the growing space. Up to you to figure out how to max it. All suckers removed if you're mainlining them like this

[@rg-mi5hh]

Thanks Luke. We just started a new batch of seeds. Yay!

[@marlaherrington5320]

I took advantage of your awesome sale today. Thank you so much for making the seeds at a price I can take advantage of

[@smiller6925]

My tomatoes are about 2 feet high, maybe a little more. Is that right for June in Ohio? Thanks- you more than any other have informed, inspired and motivated me to grow so food. I have cukes, tomatoes and herbs going now. Bought some more of your amazingly reliable seeds.

[@clem24u]

The copper thing, here's what I recommend. Bury a copper pipe 1 foot in the ground the length of garden connected to a copper Tee pointing up with a pipe attached rising up out of the soil a couple feet. Then you get copper and electricity!

[@raineeredman6874]

Adding sugar to your tomato on your plate...with pepper and salt tastes good.. 😅

[@dtpugliese318]

That second tomato harvest tip is MONEY. I go through so many cans of tomatoes and I will definitely be sowing some romas in July

[@DDGLJ]

I am a complete novice with tomatoes, but I rather randomly started a Roma late to put in my Zone 3 greenhouse. Yay for serendipity!

[@fizzypop1858]

Been using Epsom salt on my tomatoes and peppers for years, but not because I heard it makes them taste better. I heard it makes them healthier. I'll just use fertilizer this year and see what happens. :)

[@HomewardBound961]

Thanks so much, Luke.

[@JohnWood-tk1ge]

I have been putting my tomatoes out in cadges with stakes and wrap the cadge with landscape fabric then if we are getting a frost I pull a garbage bag over them to make a hot cap. I also think it helps keep rain from splashing soil up on them so I haven’t had blight since I started doing this. I would like your opinion on this?

[@downunderfulla6001]

Someone did the comparison of removing suckers and one they didn’t. They got 3 times the fruit of the grow out than the pruned one. It may have been mark from ‘self sufficient me’ or maybe jarc from epic garden

[@nightofelements888]

Hey Luke, do you think you can do a video on preventing squirrels from uprooting and digging up your flowers/vegetables and sometimes gnawing at your plants. I dunno if it’s because we’re kinda in a drought rn but this year I’ve started to have this problem and was wondering if there is a way to deter the squirrels away from my plants onto something else

[@XtremeChiliPepper]

He's done a few videos already. You can search the channel, or just browse through. The last one he did had some chicken wire and posts, mainly to deter rabbits. My squirrels will jump or climb anything, so I have the same problem. I've tried pepper flakes/garlic powder and other mixes I've seen on KZbin, citrus oil, and wire fencing doesn't work. I think a good shot with the paintball gun and they'll think twice about coming up on my porch!

[@waynespringer501]

Bullet casings are made out of and have been with brass. Copper in 1943 was used to boom electrical usage during the industrial revolution.

[@MIgardener]

Brass is made from copper and zinc. 😂

[@jtindall4]

Luke, can you add more determinant style varieties on the seed store?

[@l.sexton439]

Thank you for explaining the suckered! I live in Oklahoma and was always wondering if pruning t b e suckered was a good plan for our area.

[@fraukeg.facchini2691]

Great explanations, Luke! Thank you for dispelling all these myths. 👍👍👍

[@tammybyrd1054]

What a great video! Learned a lot! Thank you!

[@renardajackson8474]

I usually apply Epsom salt when planting for the health of the plants. This year I did not. My plants are somewhat dismal. I am going to plant a second crop using Epsom salt.

[@salemthorup9536]

Fantastic video. I've heard half of these.

[@lindagearhart]

I started my replacement tomato’s seed yesterday. Live in zone 7b

[@joew717]

funny how different it is around the country. Here in South Florida our peak gardening season is in the winter and only the strongest of plants (and gardeners) can handle our summers. Only downside of not having actual winters is there are a few things that never grow well here like artichokes and broccoli (without loose florets that bolt immediately). BUT the fun challenge is finding alternatives that do thrive in your climate

[@spottedsparrowgardens9999]

Elephant in the room! What are the bushes behind you?😊

[@marygraceking932]

I've heard that yellow tomatoes are not less acidic but rather higher in sugar , making them seem less acidic.. I would love to know if this is actually true??? My daughter loves tomatoes but too much seems to irritate her stomach, so I was hoping the yellow ones are truly less acidic 😊

[@dianehawk535]

What I read about pruning is that it lets the tomatoes grow bigger because of removing the extra branches that take energy from the main trunk. What I read about basil is that it repels the moths that lay the eggs that become hornworms. I know from experience that chickens love tomatoes. ALL of the tomatoes they can reach, even if they have to jump. Chickens are birds.

[@susanhenley8240]

Short growing season here, too. So I'm going to try that 2nd tomato planting/harvest you mentioned.

[@mudpiemudpie785]

Thanks for the video, Luke. What about adding aspirin to water and watering your tomatoes with it? Does that do anything, really?

[@ethanletzer3507]

Adding sugars to a fertilizer is about feeding the soil microbes so they can more effectively multiply and give more nutrients to the plant. It's not about trying to give the plant itself sugar. Molasses seems to be the most commonly used sugar source for organic gardening

[@brownsbackyardgardening651]

I can't imagine what our harvest would be without pinching suckers! We have an uber abundance year after year! And we pinch suckers, prune leaves and only run 1 or 2 leaders. 😅😂😅😅😂

[@minnieabbey1449]

Wow.. thank you for all that info!! Good stuff to know!!

[@matthellmann4212]

Sugar makes you happy, big if true! :P

[@suzybevins1023]

How do I get rid of all the ants that are trying to take over my tomato pots. 😞 Please help.🍀 First year trying to grow tomatoes. 😊

[@larryweintraub615]

what is a semi- determinate tomato and do single stem them?

[@PrettyAliceNight]

Awesome tips! Thanks Luke!

[@dbellesouth58]

Okay, so I mix a couple of handfuls of gardening lime in a 5 gal bucket of water. Each tomato plant gets a red solo cup around it every few weeks. I had read years ago that it would prevent bottom or blossom rot, and it helped the plant to absorb more nutrients and especially the calcium. Is this true or another misconception?

[@tradermunky1998]

Up to 1982 for copper pennies. They briefly went to steel pennies during WW2 but switched back until switching to a copper zinc sandwich in 83.

[@mjmmusser]

They switched in '82 to a zinc sandwich. Most are copper though.

[@tradermunky1998]

@DiversityIsOurStrength No, in fact not all 1982s are copper, they went to zinc about mid way.

[@tradermunky1998]

@@mjmmusser Beat me to it 😆

[@tradermunky1998]

@DiversityIsOurStrength Can't tell if you are being sarcastic or if that was planned, but I learned recently my ex wife remarried and is 50 pounds heavier, yay! 😆

[@tradermunky1998]

@DiversityIsOurStrength My ex was half black, so there you go, full circle 😆

[@kristin143]

i do start some of my tomatoes March, and i have also June that i started with seeds & they are germinating, more tomatoes for me! and i have d geranium kiss variety i orfered from u, theyre d dwarf kind & i maybe bringing them inside when fall comes ...

[@kanaan315]

Ok so your right about the vinegar baking soda thing but at the same time measeured and used right you can control the ph of liquing resivoirs and keep the ph in control depending on what the water you start with ph level you might need a small amout of one or the other in a regular watering barrel cuz thags what ive had to do for years with city water the ph can fluctuate depending on whatever they do or season or whatever so you test and adjust

[@gordonwallace9746]

Going to try the pruning

[@bryanengland2466]

My question is will having more suckers and more tomatoes prevent splitting when a heavy rain comes or will it still happen regardless 🤔

[@downunderfulla6001]

No you can sometimes stop the splitting in heavy rain by covering the plant with clear plastic out as far as you can

[@bryanengland2466]

@@downunderfulla6001 that's a helpful tip but what I was wondering is if moor fruit makes the water absorption less abrasive. Nobody has answered me on any of the channels so I guess I will have to test it next year. Sadly it means I won't het to grow my peppers 😕

[@downunderfulla6001]

@@bryanengland2466 ohh yes I don’t know. I’m growing a couple mortgage lifters atm. On each bush I’ve got 4 branches at 1/2 foot height and I’ve let each of them branch into two. Each bush is about 5ft 8 hanging from a string. It’s fruit is only just starting but I can’t wait. Tomatoes (fruit) and potatoes are my favourite garden vegetables.

[@jamesduncan3673]

I have a 143-day growing season. Those suckers are definitely coming off.

[@judithdemerges1011]

Hi! Luke I just bought some Raspberries plants from you. Would you please tell how to plant them?

[@SilverSaabArc]

I think sucker pruning depends on the variety. I currently have an indigo rose cherry tomato that is is blooming on 5 different suckers by June 10th! My kellogg breakfast by comparison will set flowers really late if you don't single stem grow it. I have 3 purple Ukrainian and I haven't had to prune any suckered at all, they seem to naturally prefer single stem growth habits on their own!

[@mikethomas9034]

Great video…thanks. Great haircut too.

[@KitchenFamilyFarm]

What about grinding up tums & sprinkling that on the soil?

[@KitchenFamilyFarm]

If you want a less acidic tomato move away from red tomatoes.. I’ve been growing yellows & oranges because I find my kids eating them right off the vine a lot more often.

[@RusticReel]

What should you do for San Manzanos that you labeled semi determinate?

[@MynewTennesseeHome]

Agree with pennies but, they didn't use copper in them during WW2 but went back to copper until 1981. I read that sugar will feed the soil bacteria? I don't worry about the "sweetness" of my tomatoes, my main concern is pests and diseases.

[@lilyavery8230]

4.6 views and only 810 likes...people hit that like button! :) I was not paid to promote the mashing of the thumbs up...I'm a free agent! Thanks Luke - always a delight!

[@jenniferhoy7544]

What about the egg in the planting hole? A lot of people think it gives it calcium. But is it something to do with the rotting of the egg, not calcium?

[@chrisd6567]

I need help!!! My beets and radishes are going to seed but there not forming anything!! Only big bushy leaves. Any Ideas? Thanks MI family!!

[@eleanorschreyer2368]

Make pesto with the leaves...delicious! (Google Radish leaf pesto recipe)

[@chompers11]

plant earlier or later in the season when its cooler, eat the leaves, use less nitrogen in the future

[@enigmasky1680]

Thank you!!!! Thank you for this!!!

[@mattandbarbhartt2860]

Love the lightning round videos! Thanks!

[@IwillBinthewoods]

I'd like to make 2 comments. First, regarding the birds eating tomatoes...I have 2 birdbaths in my backyard and have still had birds leaving holes in my tomato plants. Usually Sparrows. Maybe they prefer tomato juice over water. And second, if you want a sweet tomato look for the varieties that say they are the sweetest. If you read through the descriptions in a seed catalog, you'll notice that very few will describe the tomato as "best tasting", or "sweetest in our trials". If you start looking for those varieties you'll have sweet tomatoes.

[@judyellen4412]

I tried planting basil by my tomatoes a few years back.

[@eayers1178]

Just slice a tomato, add some fresh mozzarella, a fresh basil leaf and a drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette. Yummy, lunch!

[@essentialcomforts2166]

I see you are using t-posts now. How tall are they? Is there a benefit over the furring strips you used to use?