No-Till Tomatoes | An Organic Grower's Guide

[@ageofdecadence5661]

Jesse is a legitimate national treasure. This channel is rich with information and is very helpful. Keep growing friends

[@dylnthmsn420]

And sofa king hilarious!😂😂

[@Anjuli72]

@@dylnthmsn420 my thought exactly. 😂😂😂

[@homestead.smallholding]

Im in the UK, so yeah you guys should be proud of this dude

[@naterussell6025]

i think he reads about 5 books a day somehow. lol

[@RocketPipeTV]

12:35 anarchy pruning-love it! You clearly know the real definition of the word. Most people think it means chaos, no rules, while it actually means no LEADERS, no RULERS.

[@joanies6778]

🤣🤣🤣 Didn't catch that the first time around. Love his humor!

[@koltoncrane3099]

Rocketpipe Ya I listen to Doug Casey’s take on KZbin. He’s an ancap or anarcho capitalist. While I don’t think it’s realistic that we’ll ever abolish government I do think it’s possible to have society exist with a pre 1913 federal government that’s small with no privately owned federal reserve. The federal reserve is private so it pays a 6% dividend to Wall Street shareholders. It’s a banking cartel but few realize it as such. Ya sadly most people think anarchy and think of the blm or rioters etc. when really anarchy believes in rules like don’t hurt your neighbor or their property.

[@snowfuller7599]

A little bit of trivia I learned was when you boil eggs, you use the cooled down water for your plants. The boiling takes the calcium out of the shells and into the water. 👍

[@sharonkeef]

I do know some gets I there however it doesn’t remove all same with orystor shell

[@je-fq7ve]

@@sharonkeef i think there is a vinegar treatment to get it into solution.

[@waynebusse6376]

28 years as a commercial grower in high tunnels. Tomato Berry Garden is the best cherry out there. Best chewy texture and tastes like a real tomato, not a little bag of sweet juice.

[@karenpage9383]

I'm probably gonna flack in the comments, but I will argue that pruning suckers is backwards. I did an experiment where I pruned the existing branch after the sucker was established. My reasoning: 1. If pruning suckers is the gold standard, then the results should be a landslide in its favor, and 2. my observations are that after pruning suckers the natural life span of that branch is minimal and it will not produce more fruit, whereas the suckers produce blossoms and are stronger by comparison. I experimented with 3 indeterminate varieties, pruning suckers on every other plant and pruning branches on the others (marked so I wouldn't forget). Within a variety they were all getting the same amount of sun, water, airflow, attention other than pruning. My sucker plants out performed, hands down, on all 3 varieties. Luck? Coincidence? Idk, but I've gone against the pack ever since and haven't had a bad year. Now, I'm a home gardener and that 1 year of recording yields was exhausting and not a process I'd ever want to repeat. I understand that its not feasible for a market gardener to conduct a similar experiment... but why not mark 1 plant to do it backwards and see if it keeps up with the rest?

[@BKPounds]

Black Krim! I grow them every year and love them!

[@lisamcdonald1415]

That 4” drill bit changed our life. We not only use it for planting all our tomatoes but 2000 pumpkins

[@notillgrowers]

Love that thing!

[@ardenthebibliophile]

That's a ton of pumpkin!!

[@jayo8621]

​@Disabled-MegatronYu must be new here... Lisa is the current pumpkin-eating world champion going 4 years in a row, to achieve this her diet year around consist of tons of pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin battered fried pumpkin, pumpkin stew, pumpkin fish-like tacos, roasted pumpkin, BBQ'd pumpkin (my favorite) smoked pumking and sometimes even smoking dried pumpkin) and not to forget Pumkin ice cream which is what about 1000 of those pumpkin are for... so does she eat them all ? no, she also gives away 5-10 to friends...

[@jayo8621]

@@ardenthebibliophileactually closer to 9 tons of orange gold

[@TheDuckofDoom.]

I use 2.5 or 3 inch augers for putting bulbs in the lawn. Pumpkins usually get direct seeded, unless I'm going for a giant specimen but those are alloted 400 sq feet each and a bunch of other fuss.

[@rosannaspeller9408]

“I mean I think your broken if you don’t love Sungold cherry tomatoes, maybe” one of many truths expressed in this video 😂

[@dylnthmsn420]

I agreed out loud when I heard Jesse say that!😂😂😂

[@gregholl5011]

Then I may need repaired. I found the first sungolds I grew to be too citrus tasting but some I grew last year weren't as bad.

[@Soilfoodwebwarrior]

Tomatoes are poison. High in carotenoids and other plant toxins. Nightshade crops suck 😮

[@TheDuckofDoom.]

I like the lycopene flavor of red fruits (same for watermelon), Sungold is the best gold tomato I have tried, but I still prefer red varieties.

[@Jsternshow]

I bought some sungold plants last year. They are amazing. Sweet millions are really good also. It's a bigger cherry tomato. Really great flavor.

[@kristicornwell6852]

😂 Fauxlooms 🤣 I love your style and humor so I bought your book! I'm so glad your humor comes through in your writing.

[@Pausereflectandbreathe]

You are a good teacher! I like listening and learning from you. Thank you! ❤️🙏

[@emcsquare62]

Cherokee Purple Heirloom Tomatoes are our favorites.

[@eN-pl4vk]

You're my favorite guy to listen to and get advice from, cause I get the same intrusion of tangiential , yet related thoughts that distract me, but you're able to quickly redirect yourself back to your original point, whereas, I get lost at times. I appreciate your humor in all this and thanks for telling me I'm awesome. I so need to hear that.

[@TheyFearUAwake]

For best information on grow lights, seek your nearest cannabis growers. Those guys own the indoor grow market 😃😃

[@AEF808]

Here in Hawaii at my elevation I deal with fungus a lot due to the rain, but I have been successful in having a healthier crop through pruning... thank you for sharing your knowledge...

[@jlail1976]

I always plant buckwheat at end of my field tomatoes. Builds up the beneficial insects before fruiting. Buckwheat prolific seed producer so cut it after flowering.

[@acheide]

The intro picture of the hand is perfect.

[@redrobotsoup]

Jesse, you are crazy helpful. Thanks!

[@KatrinaT]

I'm here for the aside comments... but the tomato information was really good too.

[@dr.leppsbiology1282]

I find that wood chip pathways really help in providing a place for ladybugs to overwinter.

[@joanies6778]

We had 2 1/2 months snow and ice just finish melting this past week. I was gathering leaf mulch that landed around the beds, and found several lady bugs underneath it all in the chip mulch. First time discovering this! 🐞🐞🐞

[@cathyhanley8658]

I find that my super drafty windows provide an excellent place for our ladybugs. 😒

[@brentarnold4442]

🤣 found your channel a couple months back, your humor and knowledge is awesome. Can't wait to get your book! Keep the laugh's coming 😎

[@ajb.822]

Hi ! I just gotta mention that I have saved seed from a hybrid - it was SUCH an amazing tomato for me - , the paste tomato variety ' Big Mamma' . I had never even heard of it before, my friend gave me some and they absolutely rocked. HUGE, I mean THE largest paste tomatoes I've ever grown or seen, and I've tried several varieties over the years. They are also, surprisingly, indeterminate. Anyways, I saved seeds from several of among the nicest ones and planted them the next season. Out of the 18-ish plants I grew, a few were totally different shaped, the rest were just like the original, except maybe some more didn't get at large, as that time. On the about 6 plants which had different looking tomatoes, a few were elongated and skinnier, but most were otherwise perfectly edible. The others were more of a traditional slicer shape, but small & bit squatty. On 1 of those the fruits were usually fine, on the other 2 most were like, not exactly woody, but something like that. Sorta like dry punky dead wood, or styrofoam-ish. Obviously I didn't save any from any of the weird plants, but saved again from the best of the more-Big Mamma - like ones. Woulda grown those last year, but stuff happened and couldn't, so, my 3rd generation ( 2nd ?) is set for this year, God willin' and the chickens don't uprise... . So, just wanted to share for anyone out there that just because it's a hybrid doesn't necessarily mean you're wasting your time saving seed from it ! As for regular varieties I like, I've never actually had sungold that I know of 😁... It sounds so sugary, idk... I have hypoglycemic issues and prefer to avoid the veg bred to be extra sweet. I LOVE, LOVE black cherry tomato !

[@je-fq7ve]

You could accelerate the process by keeping a branch of the parent tomato alive inside. till you grow out the seeds and choose the closest to the parent you like so much. The cross it with the pollen and grow those seeds out. I think it is called a backcross.

[@classicrocklover5615]

I have Big Momma - I think it's a Burbee brand?

[@whitefeather572]

Just found your channel and I have already learned so much but I’m staying for the humor😂

[@jenniferNP]

Nothing says tomato video like 3 layers of clothing. 😁😆

[@Rosemountainfarm]

I love you tomato bro!

[@ladycleanwaters]

Great video, and you are always funny. Thank you.

[@shirleyperrault6258]

I love what you share. I have a small garden, so when I pinch off suckers of tomatoes, I make new plants from them.

[@samanthaquant7411]

Woah. Mind blown on the tomatoes in the fridge thing

[@tomichelled]

DUDE. BEST VIDEO EVER. Just received my Yellow No Till hat!!!!! Love it and will wear it on my Channel!!! Happy Growing!!!

[@divs_darkroom5722]

"If youre after flavor, soil health will have a greater impact than the variety" 🎉🎉🎉 BARS

[@cathyhanley8658]

Hands down, my favorite video.

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

Oh! This is amazing! I have just sown my tomatoes 🍅 yesterday. I cant wait to get them out in the sunshine... and getting a harvest

[@markrisch3923]

Way cool! Thanks for throwing in the musical lagniappe.

[@SgtSnausages]

A complete category missed - not necessarily for Market but *totally* awesome for Home/Homesteading : Storage Tomatoes. Here in The Ohio River Valley we like Vesuvio (harvested in Sept/Oct and last to Feb-ish in storage) and the unbeatable Canne Torre - I'm still (April) eating stored tomatoes harvested last October.

[@classicrocklover5615]

How do you store them?

[@slyborgl]

Lovin the Strokes ref ❤

[@arabellalunkes4532]

Love the way you plant the potatoes! Fast and easy!

[@MorePranaGardens]

Mmmmmmm, Carbon! I have been craving Carbon tomatoes for months now.

[@melodylyons4631]

A sign of genius....FUNNY. Love you.

[@skylerprophet1484]

I grow in coastal California 9a and I really enjoy growing blight resistant varieties as it can get wet here. One of my favorite varieties is the purple bumblebee as they’re rich, delicious, and resilient. One of my other favorites that’s less hearty skins is the Wapsipinicon “peach tomato” its sweet and juicy and golf ball sized

[@lisamcdonald1415]

Sundays are awesome again

[@SomewhatLazy]

I was hoping you would have talked more about disease resistant varieties. I'd love to see a video or series on disease issues and disease resistant plants, organic preventative and reactive measures, as well as potential for grafting to prevent disease. Personally, I'm currently dealing with bacterial wilt in my raised beds and am looking for varieties that I can grow that won't be affected or measures I can take to fix/remove the bacteria.

[@TheZGALa]

Loving your channel! Super Thanks!

[@goatwhsprr]

Dude, I'm In south jersey and I came from Southern Indiana. Whether it's a figment/honorary host that you argue/get Kudos from on your left,,, I did that very same thing for over 3 decades with mil service. Got to be the water we come from. Anywho, just went full circle and started growing stuff again. Found your pop up on utube and was good for the soul. Bless you broheem

[@rosea830]

I'm not a commercial grower, so my tomatoes have to be out-standing in the field :). I have no luck with Cherokee purple. It seems to attract all the blights and splits easy, so I grow Paul Robeson. Dad's Sunset is a good yellow slicer. Rosella Purple Cherry is very productive and doesn't split. Blueberries Cherry did really well here. Grew it in a five gallon bucket and it survived my neglect til frost with no fruit splitting. Purple Reign is my favorite determinate so far. There's also this random orange slicer that I got in a mixed packet 10 years ago. Looks like Pineapple, but it's more productive and sweeter. The fruits average 16oz. I save those seeds every year. I plant my tomatoes in raised beds. The beds get compost and chicken bedding in the fall/winter. The tomatoes get shredded paper mulch and they're trellised on 4ft fence scraps that I move as needed. Zone 6b TN

[@joanies6778]

Do you make your own shredded paper mulch? If yes, from what, and how thick of a layer do you put down? TIA

[@rosea830]

@@joanies6778 Paper towels, napkins, paper from my kids' school work, some mail items, brown paper, and cardboard go through a small shredder that's about 3 years old. I just cover it until I can't see soil. That's seems to be enough to suppress weeds, limit disease, and hold moisture.

[@sharonkeef]

I do some with cardboard tape removed papers I remove all plastic and don’t use boxes with coating on paper with it or tape

[@hismrsaustin]

Thanks for pouring into us as we try, try, try again to grow nourishing food for our families. Thankful for you.

[@kindhempco.6126]

Great insights! Definitely broken if you don't love sun gold. #1 Tomato out there.

[@fleurjoyce1111]

I love Harvard Square tomato. Looks amazing, green when ripe with a bit of golden and red stripe, so tender and delicious

[@jonathanjochem7289]

"Insuring that poor people will never get to eat them." Hallelujah! Thank you for your honesty.

[@littleglasshouse5797]

best video I've seen in a LONG time! (by anyone)

[@notillgrowers]

Whoa! Thank you! 🙌

[@maha2854]

i am indian.and your farming methods great.this is nammalvar and subash ballekar methods.very informative

[@sambrown961]

Great videos! Love the comment about pricing the poor outta being able to get certain tomatoes👍true stories

[@ebgstuff]

We grew German town from rural king. Great flavor and larger size. I plan to grow them again this year.

[@stormagorist6129]

So glad you made the point about soil health, though I'd add soil type and weather conditions. Most people think the type is all that matters.

[@happyhillbilly3466]

mortgage lifter, arkansas traveler, holy land, mr. stripey, some of my favorite types. holy lands are HUGE and taste good too !

[@TheFruitfulFIG]

We live in zone 7a. We planted our tomatoes 2'-3' deep last year and didn't have to water all season. I got started a little late this year and we are using soil blocks for the first time so probably won't be able to plant them that deep this season. But planning to mulch with wood chips that has always helped too.

[@SD159AZ]

Hey! When did you transplant them? I’m in 7b

[@TheFruitfulFIG]

@SD159AZ last year first week of June. This year we put in some last weekend and we are finishing them up this weekend. Hadn't had to water yet. Hoping that even though they weren't quite as tall this year that they will still not have to be watered.

[@koreanature]

My best friend, Thank you for your hard work in making the video. I enjoyed the good video.

[@harrybutler4077]

I love Homestead Tomato. Developed in the 50’s by the University of Florida to withstand extreme heat. It’s a semi determinate. We’re on the Alabama coast zone 8b. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@charlenenagel7962]

Thanks for all of the great info. I learned some new tips I am eager to try - like the 4" drill! Our new favorite Heirloom - Kellogg's Breakfast tomato! Large firm orange slicer with very little cracking. Sweet and non-acidic with deep flavor. Can't wait for this year's crop!

[@cmeredith32]

I am also in zone 6b in KY and have had great luck with Martha Washington tomatoes from Johnny's. Its my favorite BLT tomato.

[@GreenMachine1365]

Midnight Snackers have a real appeal for a lot folks, we grow them near the driveway and whenever anyone stops by they are always drawn to the little black and red beauties. Terrific yields, and if you get a lot of rain and they split they make an interesting stewed tomato for canning.

[@Ohelojam]

Your weather seems just like us in Hawaii - I live mauka - mountain side. Thanks!

[@peterv3216]

Love love love your videos. Thanks Jesse!

[@kannmann97]

Sakura, mountain magic, clementine, and Granadero. We grew speckled Roman the past two years and it was so frustrating throwing out 50% of them because of natural blossom end rot. Glacier was great to get cherries to market early

[@taken516]

Striped Roman was the bane of my existence last year as well. Same reason. Never ever again.

[@northsidedork_3043]

Wow so much great information in this video. I'm going to watch it multiple times so I can absorb all of the info I can!

[@gardeningsimplified]

For me, I tend to consider some of the older open pollinator varieties. There has been studies on the nutrients, but they found that the new hybrid varieties have a lower nutrient content than the older varieties.

[@SeeStuDo]

Sunrise Bumblebee and Orange Hat are my 2 fav to grow. No matter how bad i fumbled gardening my first few years, they always kicked great production. Yellow and Chocolate Pear are my other 2 slam dunk grows.

[@rosehavenfarm2969]

Thank you, Farmer Jesse, for the 'mater video. Last year, that tomato pest jerk worm devastated out tomatoes. Thankfully, we had harvested enough. And the chickens fought over the worms when we gave the horde to them, so there's that. Bought the book from your website, just got notice it shipped. Can't wait to read and learn.

[@notillgrowers]

thanks for the support! 🙌

[@5ivearrows]

Gratified to hear you list literally all the cherry varieties I grow lol

[@rosannaspeller9408]

You listed many of our faves. Home gardener here, and it might need wider spacing if you are doing “anarchy spacing” for market rows, but Jasper F1 cherry from Johnny’s is similar to Sweet 100 but we thought even tastier and it was so prolific!! We let one plant kind of take over an approx 8 sqft area (and 5 ft high trellis) and it happily did so and produced tons and tons of delicious in very humid & hot & blight inducing St. Louis, and in our bed with the poorest soil.

[@HausofEbon]

I love Cloudy Day Tomatoes

[@CoffeeCakeCrumble]

Flavor+meatiness. For personal use and seed saving/sales I settled on San Marzano, German Queen, Large Red Cherry, and Pink Brandywine. This year I'm trying Chadwick and Black Prince.

[@renemary4109]

Really enjoyed this video. I would’ve watched longer. And I didn’t think I was going to make it through the 25 mins. Good job! My favorite so far this year that I’m growing and harvesting here in zone 9a/b is the blush tomato.

[@contentallotment1499]

I had a big blossom end rot last year in the greenhouse, and for some reason all the San mazarno had it in the greenhouse and outside. Fab vlog as always! Xxx

[@SkeletonCrew1996]

I too had this same issue, I was able to add additional calcium to the soil. I lost my early harvest but the plants did recover with careful watering schedule and the amendment for late season.

[@dennisryan7500]

We grow a commercial variety named Red Deuce. Customers love this tomato. It is a determinate tomato that yields well, with good disease resistance.

[@leahness3588]

My must haves are Black Krim, Paul Robeson, sweet 100s, sunsugar, Barry's crazy cherry.❤🍅❤🍅 central Mn 4b

[@daveburgess3200]

Thanks!I really appreciate your video. Your obviously very knowledgeable.hopefully I can watch this again.

[@notillgrowers]

Thank you! 🙌

[@pegmountney2708]

My forever in the garden paste tomatoe is Ernie's Plump. Huge, thick fruits with great flavor & imo, always a good production in my home garden. Can't speak on the commercial production but I 1st grew it 8 years ago & couldn't be without it since 😊

[@bonniebon7335]

To grow more in less space I installed t posts along perimeter and topped it with horizontal cattle panels. I string the indeterminate and prune lightly for air flow on native adapted varieties. Use the plastic clips instead of twirling the line. The plum tomatoes go along the perimeter in lower and lean fashion with heavy pruning and continue all season until the pergola is wrapped by three or four. I have good soul. I double dig and add copious organic frets. Works in windy Oklahoma just fine.

[@JasonJorgensonPhD]

Thanks! We really enjoyed your video, and learned a lot! We hope you have a great season this year!

[@notillgrowers]

Thank you so much for the support!

[@ElderandOakFarm]

Just started mine last week! 👏

[@denaross]

Excellent!

[@ljgerken]

Thanks for this update! I'm in zone 9b/10a in west central Florida and I have sun gold cherry tomatoes that I am now harvesting. I sprouted them in early November, had to bring them into the garage for a time in December while in 6" pots, then planted them out Dec 30th. They are south facing with some partial shade and I keep a fine mesh netting over them at night and take it off about 9am when the dew has burned off. This has helped tremendously by keeping the dampness off the leaves. The only issue I have is flea beetles, but I planted rows of radishes and bok choi at the base of the tomatoes, and the flea beetles eat those instead of my tomatoes. I also have basil plants around the base of the tomatoes also. This is working well. We warmed up too early this winter, so my timing has been good. I've now started some determinate slicer tomatoes that can take the Florida heat, that will grow into May/June, before the 100 degree temperatures return. Then it's peppers, peppers, peppers.

[@russellwebb7803]

I’ve grown easily 30 or more varieties of tomatoes (zone 7b southeast Tennessee) I would wager 50 is not too high of a guess. Cherokee purple is consistently my favorite slicer period, consistently good flavor and yield. I also love brandy wine and mortgage lifter for flavor but they got low yields. Black cherry, sweet 100 and sun gold are my favorite cherries but also enjoy yellow pear. I haven’t grow many hybrids but those are my favorites

[@Naatti922]

Dude I think you are really, really good at explaining things. I'd sub twice if I could.

[@joanies6778]

This year I am growing a mix of determinate and indeterminate tomatoes. I plant mine in a hoop tunnel and string them vertically. Usually, I prune to have a primary leader, but sometimes I miss a sucker and allow a secondary if it has significant growth already. Although, I had learned you don't prune suckers on cherry tomato vines... so I don't. I am 100% sold on using tomato hooks and clips method, anchoring with a plastic tent stake. (Strong winds here require firm staking. The tunnel relocates with crop rotation, so it's not permanent, and it flexes a tad in the winds.) The versatility of moving the plants over at the top is great if they get too tall for my hoop tunnel. Love it! A covered tunnel is a must for my short growing season, strong winds, and intense heat at high elevation. Last year was the first time I ever saw a horn worm on my tomatoes. I very quickly became a tomato horn worm assassin with a lidded jar of soapy water as my weapon. Fortunately, there were only about 6. I hate killing anything, but being in my tunnel, the wild birds were not going to find them. so...

[@hunterdawsey]

I love this channel

[@heycrisper]

You're my new favourite channel to link to my friends for great gardening advice when they want more detailed info about all their whys. Great work! Thank you for all you do and share. My favourite heirlooms for my garden are Paul Robeson & Thornburn's terracotta, but I've heard really good things about Black Sea Man tomato as a determinate. Would love to find some dwarf cherry tomatoes. Anyone have any suggestions?

[@danweddle4044]

Please do a video on pulse irrigation or at least how you plan to use it on your farm. Thanks for the great content.

[@sandrareaves]

Mr. Stripey is one of my favorites for tomato sandwiches.

[@allencaruthers867]

Speaking of Sungold, I will sometimes make a pasta sauce out of Sungolds. It isn’t a traditional taste if that’s what you’re expecting. It’s different but good.

[@kansasgardener5844]

I grew indeterminate tomatoes for years and never harvested many tomatoes. Determinate tomatoes last year and couldn't beleive my eyes. Tons of large beautiful tomatoes. Our early heat and bug pressure is just too overwhelming for indeterminate tomatoes.

[@chrisfisher3900]

Can’t wait for that fresh tomato taste

[@aileensmith3062]

Guess who gets to do a rewatch on this video. Need I mention going back and rewatching a couple more, Thank You! And also the reminders of the do's and don'ts that we need to remember. We grow our garden for us to sustain ourselves in a healthier way both physically as well as mentally. We plant 34 tomato plants a year. We have some very heavy duty wire cages and we basically plant all indeterminant tomatoes. Having six and eight and nine feet tomato plants we are going to incorporate a trellising system along with our tomato cages this year. we prefer to get our tomato plants on a double leader and that works great for us. As always Thank You for another great video and of course looking to learn more via your non-conventional teaching methods!

[@codyhunt3]

Sungold is going to have its spot in my garden every year. I'm going to try baker creeks de-hybridized "sungold select II" this year because saving tomato seeds is so dang easy. I also grow an indeterminate pink slicing variety given to me from my wife's grandpa in Poland called "Malinowy Olbryzm" or "raspberry giant". Such an amazing variety for slicing onto open face sandwiches. I'm in the maritime PNW so my springs are long/wet/cool but summers are typically three months of ideal tomato growing weather. I start mine indoors under grow lights with the intent to plant outside around late June/July 4th when the rains stop and the soil warms. These two varieties are consistent winners for me. I single or double stem prune and consistently get 9'+ tall plants after three months. I've trialed many varieties and I ditch the ones that have low vigor or "meh" flavor. I always leave room for a new, to me, variety or two because who knows what gem you might stumble across that loves your growing conditions.

[@richm5889]

I haven't tried pruning cherries to a single or double leader because they grow fast and produce cherries all over. I'll try that this year. I always plant two of each so I'll do one from down in one not so much and see how that goes. If nothing else I'll be able to get harvests at different times which will help.

[@VictoriousGardenosaurus]

5:15 weirlooms lol fighting wind and low temps in 7a. 150 tomatoes under fleece and plastic, all just plugging along. A weekly application of compost tea seems to be doing wonders for the little peat pots. Hoping it will help my heavy clay soil as well!

[@rollmeonekenobie]

when you're referring to those four in the one container, In my experience with regular seeds the males seem to always grow taller and faster

[@manolopapas]

Great video

[@johncruser9853]

I've had good results with keeping my cooler at 55 degrees for short term storage of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.

[@notillgrowers]

Absolutely! This works too. I know some growers who have a cellar temp room expressly for that purpose

[@munchkin5674]

Here in the high Chihuahua Desert of far west Texas even determinate tomato varieties continue to produce, loaded with nice green fruit that will still be ripening into late fall if we continue to leave them in the ground. Our summers are hot and arid. We do not grow under high tunnels, but our in-ground garden areas are completely fenced in, including bird netting over our heads to protect what we grow from birds, squirrels and rabbits. Our 3 cinderblock raised beds are also covered with PVC framed cages covered with chicken wire. We plants our tomato transplants in late March, (will be planting soon). Right after planting, we set a cage around each plant, anchor it to the ground and then wrap each row of cages with row cover garden cloth to protect the young transplants from our strong spring winds. The rows stay wrapped until the first week of May. We plant in row trenches to make sure our irrigated water stays in the rows. We spend a lot of time tending those young plants as they grow, making sure that they grow straight up in their cages, removing weeds and pruning off lower leaf branches to maintain disease barriers. At some point in their growth, the plants grow faster than we can usually keep up with because we are not a full time crew and often short handed. Nevertheless, unless something catastrophic happens, we usually have bountiful tomato seasons. As for pruning like you have talked about with your string trellised tomato plants, we can’t do that in our particular garden set up because we can’t provide enough shade. As it is some of our tomato fruit that gets more sun exposure will sun-scald.

[@joanies6778]

Love your videos and all the fantastic info. Keep the humor going! Just ordered your book.

[@originalwoolydragon8387]

I've been growing Purple Boy (hybrid of --> ) for 2-3 years. Great taste and less fragile than Cherokee Purple for me. I'm in East TN zone 7A.