Old school tomato trick to improve my harvest

[@mikedisher30]

Eli and Kate are the best and really knowledgeable too 👨‍🌾👨‍🌾

[@eliandkate]

Ha ha ha steady 😂😂😂

[@GardenerScott]

Great explanation of your tomato tricks. June and July harvest is crazy in my world. I'm very happy if I can get tomatoes the first week of August... not this year.

[@eliandkate]

But hopefully soon, hopefully your year isn’t going to be too far behind this year. I know there have been lots of problems with heat and wild fires out your way (over the fence).

[@lorainemcguire5795]

Hi kate and eli great video I said to my husband this is the summer of discontent for tomatoes 🍅 and for me peppers too

[@eliandkate]

Oh I like that. It absolutely is 😍😍

[@sharonritchie6365]

I’m in northern Canada and I just started harvesting my tomatoes mid SEPTEMBER!!!! Building a greenhouse this fall so hopefully next year is awesome😎

[@eliandkate]

See what you aren’t considering is that I’m jealous that you still have tomatoes. Ours are all gone now 😍

[@TheVeganicGardener]

Great tips as pruning helps air circulation and topping allows the plant to put more energy into the fruit that's already set but its more warmth than sunlight that ripens tomatoes 🙂 ... the problem this year is the lack of early setting fruit mainly because of the colder nights at the beginning of the summer!! It's coming good now but we literally only have a short amount of time for them to ripen on the vine ..fingers crossed for an Indian summer and no blight 🙂

[@tennesseenana4838]

North Central Tennessee, USA here. I've had more cherry tomatoes this year than the last 3 years - HOWEVER, they are staying green and not ripening on the vines. I think it's from too many days/weeks in the 90s F with humidity in the 80+%. I finally picked some of the green ones and put them by my office window, so they'd get the morning sun. Hopefully they'll ripen before long.

[@eliandkate]

got all my fingers and toes crossed for you 🤞🤞🤞

[@paulinesweetman3770]

Hi Eli, I have had exactly the same trouble as you in spite of the fact that I am in Hampshire. We also have had your cold nights, many nights below 10degC. I've been gardening for 50 years and never before had tomatoes and courgettes failed to set and failed to grow and ripen. A lack of bees was noticeable in the cold wet months of May, June and July. Thank you for your detailed video of pruning, I shall be taking your advice. Let's hope that 2025 is a better year.

[@eliandkate]

Yes! Bees and butterflies. There were hardly any this year.

[@mags9536]

I'm in Central Scotland too. I'm going to follow your advice and prune my tomatoes tonight. As my tomatoes are struggling

[@eliandkate]

The last week has been lovely, I’m really hoping that helps… and you know… MAYBE wel’ll get a later summer??????

[@mags9536]

@@eliandkate fingers crossed 🤞

[@Bob-bo8ik]

Mine are getting better in central Scotland.

[@Superjazzing1]

I’m on the South Coast which is probably the warmest place in the UK. My various toms are growing outside and I’m only just starting to get a few Sungold. I pruned mine 10 days ago. In general August so far has been the best month of the summer & all my veggies have picked up. Mainland Europe is getting hotter & we are getting colder. Go figure!

[@eliandkate]

@Superjazzing1 I just read our summer is over… we’re getting the tail end of a hurricane from Canada apparently

[@RealFoodComesDirty]

It has been a crazy weather year, I think for everyone. I have only had a few cherry tomatoes and it is mid August! I have not one bean (new to me SLUGS), and so many more things that just did not thrive. I hope all your tomatoes come through for you! That brutal pruning is hard!

[@eliandkate]

Thankfully I’m already seeing the benefits. Tomatoes with everything season has finally kicked in

[@chainsawbeks]

I was about to post a question about pruning tomatoes at this stage, until i I spotted your video. First time growing tomatoes and this was just what i needed. Thank you 😊

[@eliandkate]

I hope it turns out helpful. Guessing you have a short season too?

[@chainsawbeks]

Yeah, im in north Cumbria, higher up than some so temperatures this year are shocking. 😢

[@eliandkate]

Oh you are probably worse than me 😭😭😭

[@juliehale9491]

This is exactly what is happening in my poly tunnel. My small cherry tomato plant that’s just in a pot has been for the last week or so giving me some red cherry tomato’s but the Sungold in a pot in the garden I have only had on yellow tomato. I have some nice plum tomato’s and some really big beefsteak but I have had one salad tomato ripen and I noticed today a couple of beefsteak looking flushed. It’s a weird year and I have less flowers this year also.

[@eliandkate]

It’s the weirdest year I’ve seen!!!

[@julie-annepineau4022]

I do pruning up to the ripening fruit thru out the season and then usually top my plants the middle to end of Aug for a frost the end of Sept. I get a good amount of green tomatoes at the end of season but the majority have at least some colour.

[@eliandkate]

And there’s always green tomato chutney 🥰

[@estreetangel]

I never thought about it, but it makes perfect sense to prune to push the plant's energy into growing fruit instead of more flowers and leaves. What are the varieties of dwarf tomatoes in your GreenStalk? They look wonderful and healthy.

[@eliandkate]

There’s two varieties in there this year. Anmore Dewdrop and Pendilino Orange 😍

[@estreetangel]

@@eliandkate Thank you. What intriguing names!

[@eliandkate]

Loving all the wierd names We tried (but had no luck with) “Rebel Starfighter Prime”

[@Lealelan]

It's great following you as I think your climate is somewhat similar to mine. I'm in CA, north of San Francisco on the coast. This summer there are days we only have a few hours of sunshine, as we're all fogged in. Other days the sun shines, but the bitter wind blows and there's a wind chill.. Average daytime temps are 70, ,night time 45 degrees. Have never been able to grow tomatoes, peppers. Have a greenhouse I hope to get up in the next few months, and the purpose is to grow in it: tomatoes, peppers, beans. I so hope we have similar success as you (in spite of your poor summer this year). Very inspiring!

[@eliandkate]

@@Lealelan wow I would never have considered we might have similar climates. Just shows…

[@samanthahoos9827]

❤ I’m working with 2 year old seeds that I started this year to clean out my seed boxes and noticed several tomatoes failed to thrive after 10 weeks. I’ll have all new seed next growing season, but tomatoes are unhappy about the heatwave this summer even though we’re not being dumped upon with 4 days of rain. Every year is different, but we learn from each year only to make us, as well as our plants, more resilient. 😊

[@eliandkate]

It’s definitely made me more resilient 😂😂😂

[@zinnia3190]

Here in the southern Plains of USA I have had a rough tomato year, too. Fortunately I'm able to have two plantings before frost. The first planting is finally setting more fruit after a mediocre first harvest. The second transplanting, seeds sowed June 1st, is scrambling up the trellis. I top and prune this second planting around the end of September. Any fruits still on the vine if a frost is forecasted get picked, put in a closed brown bag or a box, and usually ripen by our Thanksgiving. Those Barry's Crazy Cherries are indeed CRAZY!

[@CindiHedgepeth]

I really felt your dismay as you had to sacrifice a future crop in order to select the ones that would ripen for sure. Over here in the Western US, in the southwest corner of Oregon, we are also experiencing the resuilts of climate change but in a very different way. We have had temperature ranges of 15 - 45 C since the middle of May. Perhaps you weren't aware, but most tomato varieties don't like temperatures much above 32 C and tend to drop their flowers higher than that. My thornless blackerries cooked on the vine before I could even harvest more than a third of the crop. I work full time, so I couldn't save them all. I am very happy to see that you grow the Sungold tomatoes. AFter 50+ years of gardening they're the only ones I grow anymore. Fortunately for us, that's the only variety that doesn't care about the temp and my plant is 6 feet tall and full of tomatoes. Our beefsteak hybrids and our heirloom varieties have given up the ghost. Gotta figure out a different strategy for next year. Probably have put a shade cloth system over top of all. We have a very large garden (24 M x 36 M). Yikes. I was wondering if you had thought about putting plastic sheeting around your outside tomato box to capture the daytime heat. Over here we also used to use black plastic (or black heavy paper) material as a mulch under the plants when we planted in the early spring to heat up the ground underneath our warm waether crops to get a head start. We haven't needed it for a couple of years now. We used to have long summers and had the ability and leisure to grow pretty much anything, but now even the hot weather crops suffer. Love to watch you guys over there! Keep up the great work.

[@eliandkate]

I can't even imagine 32C 23c here is a heat wave 🤣 Ah don't worry - there's no dismay. Because I have no expectation of the type of harvests folk in warmer climes have, there's no dismay at pruning the plants. It just is what it is😍

[@denisekelley2292]

My tomatoes are about three weeks behind this year. I have tons on the plants, some are blushing. I have a long growing season (first frost Nov 1), so I have time to wait for them to ripen. Sounds like people all over are having difficulties of some kind. Your garden does look beautiful, thanks for sharing and giving us helpful advice.

[@eliandkate]

My frost isn’t long before yours, usually last week in October but it gets cold long before we get a frost. Makes it hard to predict, some years it’s a bit longer, other years a bit colder. But we make the best of things, right

[@radiotowers1159]

My first tomato (tigrella) finally started to red up at last on 31 st July a stunning blue sky day . Gardeners delight and Sainsbury plum just starting to red up My hot chillies are still...to set fruit, they are flowering but no fruit. Bell peppers are however fine(still green). And my green grapes are small but delicious ( still learning to chop more off) Thanks again

[@eliandkate]

Gardeners delight are usually pretty reliable! 🤞🤞🤞

[@Saladgirl123]

Such a useful video once again, thanks!!! I've had a grand total of 4 ripe tomatoes this year, 1 piccolo and 3 sungold. First time growing sungold and OMG they were so sweet and lovely, definitely growing them again next year. Going out to prune first thing tomorrow morning, I will be brave! 🤣

[@eliandkate]

Be very brave!

[@user-xb7sj2uk4u]

In the middle of Staffordshire, in the middle of England. And have pretty much given up on getting any tomatoes from my outdoor plants. Got two Marmande with some fruit on their first truss, a Moneymaker and a Baron F1, which I think is a salad tomato, all doing the same. All the other tomatoes doing absolutely zilch. So, seriously thinking about binning those non-starters. Sad seeing they were doing ok ish inside. Especially the fancy ones I saved seeds from shop bought tomatoes. But I know they did sprout and grew so will try them again next year. On the plus side, the cucumbers which didn't do anything last year are doing great so far. So all is not lost.

[@eliandkate]

We’ll just celebrate the cucumbers then! 🎉🥳🎉

[@trold1969]

Another one of your tomato videos that make me pause and run out with my snips. 😅 I believe your tips are quite useful for me here in Oslo, although I think we've had a slightly warmer summer than you so far this year. Mind you, June and first half of July was cold. I wore thick wool socks in bed to be able to sleep. Q: Do you support the trusses on your tomatoes? I would worry some of those lufichoises would break as they seemed quite heavy. I have lifted a couple of mine (on an ordinary cherry) only because there is more sun higher up. I have lots of sideshoots and not topped them. Yet. Apparently, I believe in miracles.

[@eliandkate]

I don’t normally support them but I am considering it with the Lufichoise…. I’d cry if I lost those

[@ninemoonplanet]

There are short season beefsteak tomatoes called "Manitoba" which I may give a try next year, providing I even have somewhere to grow anything. Moving is such a pain in the .........butt when you don't know where you're going. All of my perennials are going somewhere else, all my soil and containers too. I can't destroy what little I have now, but come early winter, everything goes. Maybe the woman North of you can give the "Manitoba" tomatoes a try. Bred to survive and grow in a colder climate, although Manitoba itself gets ridiculously hot too.

[@eliandkate]

I’ll suggest them to her and see if she will

[@gudi361]

Härtester the first tomatoes on 5th of August over here in Germany. Happy to have got some ripe!!!

[@eliandkate]

Yay 👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@MrFox2000]

I feel you’re pain I’ve been growing moneymaker tomatoes I’ve had a good batch this year a little late but that’s fine and the tomatoes are a huge size so I’m happy but I’ve had them in just big plant pots so there like 5-6ft high including the pot and the amount of pruning I’ve had to do!!!!! The bucket that you had throughout the video I’ve probably had to fill like two of those it’s such hard work and the relatable thing is you said you’re probably not the first person to chop a part of a tomato plant off and discover it has flowers on I’ve done that so many times and it hurts just as bad every time 😂 Thank you for teaching me new ways to prune and about the weather conditions!

[@eliandkate]

Oh it does… every single time

[@tassiegirl1991]

I am looking at your temps and currently here in my neck of the woods Tasmania i see a similarity yet were end of winter…..sorry Eli. I had no idea your summer was not hot ie August. Last year i did the same as you are, first time doing it and yes i wondered if it was a mistake but it worked. I hope we have a more stable summer this year. It really is knowing and understanding your weather isnt it.

[@eliandkate]

It is. Understanding your weather makes so many more options for you. You learn how to work with your garden rather than constantly battling against it

[@jackieruprecht3588]

I love this gardner, i want to learn everything from the content previded

[@eliandkate]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 welcome aboard

[@johnwood738]

Good job as always picked everything I got today. That’s even close to ripe Thursday night Friday into Saturday morning. We’re gonna get what’s left of a hurricane and the old tomatoes. I like growing tend to suck up the moisture and crack so I thought it was better to bring him in the house, ripen them that way instead of lose them all.

[@eliandkate]

Oh yikes Hope everything goes ok with you guys

[@johnwood738]

@@eliandkate thanks they say it should down grade before it hits us

[@kpenrose04]

I'm in the middle of England, and I've had 1 single ripe cherry tomato... it's rained so much I've ended up needing epsom salts for my potted tomatoes. Shall probably assess the situation very soon, but it will be heartbreaking, everything is so very lush and green.

[@eliandkate]

Noooooo I was hoping you guys would be doing better 😭😭😭

[@ScottishTraveller]

I am in East Lothian too ! Now August and so disheartening no ripe tomatoes 😮! In the Greenhouse or outside ! All that effort ! Have been pruning and topping for a wee while living in hope! 🍅 Was thinking really must look at varieties next year as my usual are just not working Thanks for giving the courage to cut our losses and manage what we have this year ! It is what is such is gardening !

[@eliandkate]

@@ScottishTraveller wooohooooo East Lothian rocks!!! Have you watched my video about how to choose varieties? Might help.

[@ScottishTraveller]

@@eliandkateI did see it Eli and found it very interesting but I grew what I always have done 😢 …. Lazy I know🙄 But time to change and work out length of growing season better for me v varieties Will be watching your video again and learn this time Thanks Eli

[@eliandkate]

@ScottishTraveller nice to have someone else from East Lothian join us

[@sandysmith3905]

I am in Fife and have the same problem, I've only had 6 cherry tomatoes ready so far. After watching your video, I've followed your advice and given my tomatoes a hard pruning. There are loads of green tomatoes, so I'm hoping for a good result. This is my first year with a greenhouse, so I'm a newbie.

[@eliandkate]

🤞🤞🤞🤞 lets hope all the green ones ripen

[@christinebrooks6364]

Hi Eli & Kate, brilliant video, always lots if useful information. I have done the same with my tomatoes to ensure the fruit will ripen too. Thanks for sharing and take care 😊

[@eliandkate]

We’re in this together Christine As always 😂😂😂😂

[@DaisyDebs]

🌿🌿Excellent ! 🍅🍅Just been doing mine..I find it quite therapeutic ! 🍅🍅🌿

[@eliandkate]

I’m glad to hear that.. I thought I was the only person who found pruning theraputic

[@SkintLivingUK]

Hiya Eli & Kate, thanks for your videos they have been so informative. I am moving up to Scotland next year as my oldest son is already there and I'm hoping to have a proper garden. Where I am now I just have a back yard - all paved, so everything is in pots and containers. So I am really looking forward to getting a greenhouse and raised beds so I can grow my own food. Thanks so much guys :0)

[@eliandkate]

Will be lovely to have you up here gardening away. I’m sure you’ll find it really interesting working out how things will differ for you 😁

[@DigwellGreenfingers]

Try spraying with JBA Blight Guard - it works! Non-chemical if that worries you.

[@bricklay1970]

Hi I just watched your video. It was great. I’m growing south west of England. June was cooler and wetter than usual this year and the tomatoes were not growing well inside or out. Luckily I came across a method of stabilising the night temperature of the greenhouse by storing 20lt containers of water inside the greenhouse. The water stored heat through the day. I noticed the difference soon after. I’m no genius I got the idea from someone else. Again great video. I have also made some tuff decisions regarding my tomatoes but at least I have some to add to the table.

[@eliandkate]

Exactly… it’s easy to forget to take the wins! 👏👏👏👏

[@sueanstey270]

Alberta Canada. This year sucks too. Too cold, then too wet, hail. And then 2 weeks of over 30 C. I have had 10 cherries and two early girl so far. Peppers are ok. But my Green Beans are just sad. Nothing. Not growing well at all. I already topped my tomatoes. Love your videos.

[@eliandkate]

Yeah we are definitely in this together, worldwide 😭

[@carolinebown8686]

Brilliant video...as always packed with sound advice .... I'm the opposite to you ( down here in the midlands ) ... Ive got alot of now ripened tomatoes but no ripened peppers ... I'll be out there 1st thing in the morning ..looking to see what I should /could cut off & I'll be brave 😊😊❤

[@dawnoakley1776]

Im in staffordshire and my Tomatoes have the worst ive grown this year 😟

[@eliandkate]

Hoping the last week will have helped, been lovely 😂😂😂

[@eliandkate]

We can only hope that it’s a glitch and it’ll be back to normal next year

[@carolinebown8686]

@@eliandkate yes I really hope so 🤞🤞🤞

[@kirstypollock6811]

Here in Germany, i had blight turn up the other week, tried hard pruning but after 2 weeks have up and harvested 5kg of green tomatoes from my outdoor plants and removed the entire plants 2 weeks ago. I made AWESOME green tomato relish (ready already) and chutney (still waiting for it to mature) so that was a win at least. Last week, i hard pruned and topped the the other outdoor tomatoes and they are just about starting to ripen, but my favourite big yellow beefsteak and oxheart are having either blossom end rot issues or just a rotten spot where they are crowded against each other. But to otherwise I'm hoping to ripen what I've got already. I'll probably top the big greenhouse ones later in the week. I should. It seems heartbreaking when the weather seems finally stable and nice! I have an Eiszäpfchen yellow plum and it's a bit like your Barry's crazy cherry, lots of fruit. And I also have one other type that does the branch out from the truss thing. Really weird. I find the leaves next to the suckers always get sick first, another good reason to nip them out I was laughing in sympathy with the accidentally pruning off a stem with the fruit. I have done that twice this week! I have lots of aubergines, but about 1 pepper and some chillies in the greenhouses. We have it a bit warmer, but theoretically the same sort of first frost date. I can hope for it to be later, some years we get through to early October without a frost.

[@eliandkate]

We can take heart at least in that every one is having some sort of weirdness this year… not just us 🥰

[@LadyRenira]

Aww, dang. I feel you on the accidental fruit snipping. I only hit a baby one this year luckily but it always stings. :P I hope your lovely fruits ripen swiftly!

[@sheliaheverin8822]

My tomatoes are sucky too. They would not get past green forever because of the heat and we dropped down to the 80's and had a few get blush but started rotting before they got fully ripe. It's just been so hot in the US.

[@eliandkate]

Yeah you guys have extremes in heat again this year Always a challenge

[@GardenofEmma]

Mine are just starting to ripen in the greenhouse too. I think I might do this too so it helps to ripen them😊

[@eliandkate]

be brave!

[@karenaWarner144]

Kate 🤣🤣🤣🌱🥊 I just gave my toms & peppers a hair cut. But I think you are right; I need to do a cull 🌱🥴

[@eliandkate]

I need a good hair cut 😂😂😂😂

[@karenaWarner144]

@@eliandkateI need my grey covered 🫣😂

[@LadyRenira]

​@@karenaWarner144Embrace the silver fox! 😄

[@karenaWarner144]

@@LadyRenira ​​⁠😂 Might as well, because it’s going to take a couple buckets of hair dye to cover 😂😂

[@eliandkate]

I agree

[@CMDRSloma]

I go against this, but that's me. In Northern Ireland, I usually don't get frosts until maybe November or December. I leave the tomatoes as long as possible on plants after topping in early September. I am not worried about them not ripening on the vine, I pick whatever is left at the time and ripen on the windowsill. Anything that's not turned colour, I process into preserves. This year I topped my plants in July, but there is no blight, so I will nurture as long as possible. I wonder if that aspirin experiment had any effect... Overall, the year is terrible, no sunlight, except for a handful sunny days each month, just cool and cloudy most of the time with north-westerly winds all summer. Everything was ahead one month in May, early June but now definitely one behind. Good news, not too much rain until now. Oddly enough, my tomatoes have very thick stems and are bigger than usual but not set many fruits and fruits are smaller. Ehhh... next year... Peppers in the greenhouse though are fantastic, much better than last year. Odd.

[@eliandkate]

Exactly… next year! There’s always next year 😀

[@chicosgarden]

Excellent tips! So much for my year of tomatoes lol

[@eliandkate]

Have you not had any? Just know, thee weather has been against you this year

[@chicosgarden]

@@eliandkate I have had ziltch lol I have one Black Krim growing and a few tiny Tims but not harvested any yet lol

[@eliandkate]

@chicosgarden hopefully they’ll get kicked into action now I’ve got everything crossed 🤞🤞🤞

[@AnyKeyLady]

My heart sank for you when i saw you do this but like you said you want to make sure you get the tomatoes you do have to ripen about 6-8 weeks before you have to pull the plant. Also with the one with no trusses, you are better planting something that can cope with the current weather conditions. Such a shame with it all being so late this year. I am hoping next year will be more settled. What are you hoping to plant in it's place? Take care!

[@eliandkate]

It’s just part of gardening. You can never 100% predict the weather so even with the best plans, there will be bad years. All is not lost though, because we expect short seasons here our techniques are all about getting the most out of things from now on so WE WILL get a tomato harvest, just maybe not as much as last year. That was why I did the video all about how to choose which varieties to grow based on your season, I knew it would be useful to so many others, because it’s rarely spoken about.

[@LadyRenira]

​@@eliandkateYour video about choosing varieties for your season helped me a ton this year. I was having trouble trying to choose what to plant because I wanted to try them all, ha. I really hope you escape the blight this year and your sweeties begin ripening. Crossing my fingers for you!

[@eliandkate]

@@LadyRenira me too! I wanna plant them all!!! TWICE!

[@marie-theresehayes6875]

I have hardly any. Hoping they will turn red soon. In Helensburgh and the weather has been pants!

[@eliandkate]

I second that!!!

[@lyds3366]

Hi Eli and Kate, enjoyed your video….. thanks for the tips!

[@eliandkate]

Our pleasure Lyds!

[@cpoco]

We're having our first hint of Spring here, this week has highs around 16oC, even the over night is up around 8 or so. I'm debating starting some tomatoes in my greenhouse (I'm still getting use to just how much extra time/options it gives me). Your border flowers are looking lovely by the way.

[@eliandkate]

whoo hooo spring!!!! Exciting!!!!!

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

Loved this video. It always seems so harsh to be chopping things down right at peak season but definitely a necessary evil My Lucfichoise are blowing me away with how productive they are too. It’ll definitely be on next year’s list. Glad to see we’re not alone with some funny goings on with the growth too. Let’s hope the first frosts are late and those lovely tomatoes have time to harvest ❤

[@eliandkate]

That’s maybe actually a good point, great one to raise 😄 We all assume the seasons are the same for us all, but I’m nearing the end of my season (in normal years), rather than mid season… so this maybe isnt the time for you to be doing this 😄 you might want to wait a month maybe 👏👏👏

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

@@eliandkate I was maybe too vague.. I was meaning peak season in terms of harvesting things and the explosion of growth and colour around our gardens… not mid season. I topped mine on my sister’s birthday last year (next week), as a date to remember. I managed to get all of my tomatoes ripened and removed healthy plants that were simply finished producing. Hoping for the same this year 🙏🏻

[@eliandkate]

Oh that’s a brilliant way to remember dates 🙌 Pick one around the time that you won’t forget for other reasons! Huzzah!

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

@@eliandkate planting garlic on my birthday.. end of October and aim to harvest it on/around Duncan’s birthday in mid-July 🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@eliandkate]

@TheFarmyardGarden 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@jimstormcrow]

I had my first tomato (singular) last week, all the rest are still green. (Southern Ireland) Phew....🤣 ....Jim

[@eliandkate]

Fingers crossed 🤞 a sudden burst of ripening Jim

[@reddedhed]

Same thing in western canada, my first ripe beefsteak this year was in the end of august🤦‍♀️

[@eliandkate]

It was such a sucky year this year 😭😭😭

[@cherylrafuse3046]

It’s august 7th and my tomatoes in Nova Scotia canada are very green and not quite full size yet. I’m getting a few green beans daily, Swiss chard and my peas are slowing down.

[@eliandkate]

Think we’ll need to share harvest so we can both get a bit of everything 😝

[@cherylrafuse3046]

@@eliandkate id deliver love scotland

[@larrymills1487]

Great video you are not alone. Cold spring zone 3 Manitoba Canada

[@eliandkate]

Someone was just telling me about Manitoba tomatoes

[@jackclements8135]

I’m likely 300+ miles south of you in Heathrow, London and it’s also been a terrible year tomato wise. I had my first ripe tomatoes the week before last, admittedly outside of a greenhouse, but still weeks behind the usual first harvest date.

[@eliandkate]

It’s rotten aint it. I’ve never had a year like it

[@CindyOrangeNeely]

All those potential little tomato baby goodness 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@eliandkate]

I know But it’ll mean I’ll get some tomato goodness this year

[@CindyOrangeNeely]

@@eliandkate ❤❤❤❤❤

[@JanRonandArthur]

Here is my thought for this time of year: “if it ain’t thriving, it ain’t surviving.” Meaning I am pulling it out of the ground. By August and especially this August, I am not handling the heat and humidity and I don’t have the energy to do much outside. 🤔 I am thinking maybe a move further north is in the cards. 🤔

[@eliandkate]

Ha ha a whole pack up and move is a bit extreme 😂 What about just a long holiday at this time?

[@JanRonandArthur]

Hahaha yes. We never take vacation in August because there is so much going on in the garden. But yes Ron would probably bonk me on the head if I said, LET’S MOVE!

[@dustyflats3832]

Well…Too much rain here in Wisconsin. We are at 36” of rain to date and avg annual is 37”-that just about says it all. Tomatoes took the biggest hit. Stunted and then the blight showed up 3 weeks early. Picking at blush stage and ripening inside to get what I can. Never had such a trouble with tomatoes as this year and I’ve been gardening a long time. Out of at least 50 tomatoes of hybrid and heirloom None of them fared well. And cherry tomatoes-Pftt! Practically non existent which is totally not normal. Quite pathetic. Had better garden in drought using irrigation and shade fabric. I already trimmed out lower limbs as they yellow and dry up from blight. Now the fruit is threatened by sunburn. We have had jungle weather all summer and today a breath of cool dry air Finally! High of 71* and low tonight mid 40s. Heat returns next week, but doesn’t much matter as I’m just elated the mosquitoes disappeared mostly.

[@bwolf0003]

I’ve had a pretty bad tomato year as well. I’ve had some…but one plant is 9 feet tall and never put any flowers out. Always next year!

[@eliandkate]

Nine feet????

[@bwolf0003]

@@eliandkateyep! I’ll send a photo.

[@marilynm8812]

Pick some small green tomatoes (or yucky ones) and cook them. I add chunks to my steamed veggies.

[@HappyHealthy392]

I grew Roma tomatoes this year, since they are determinate i didnt prune any suckers....got so many tomatoes this year. I prune the leaves very hard though. I noticed that the set of fruit at the bottom of the tree grew very huge and ripened and were very productive compared to higher up the tree. I think when i grow indeterminate varieties next year i wont prune any of the lower suckers....only as the plant grows, I'll do the top so i can get as much time in summer to get fully ripe, huge fruit near the bottom.

[@eliandkate]

Wow It would be fantastic if we could reliably grow like that, would be huge harvests 👏👏👏👏

[@LadyRenira]

We had three false Springs, a week of insanely hot Summer in April, and it took until June for the nights to get reliably above 50F and by that time we'd already had a day over 100F. >< I abandoned all hope on the peppers and the majority of my tomatoes are just now ripening. I have one tomato plant (gold nugget) that started ripening a month ago and it's just producing like crazy. Here's to hoping the others make it. I just got done doing two big pruning sessions and it's helping, but three plants are showing signs of nutritional deficiencies since we've had such wild swings in temps and humidity (90F/48F at the end of July... Crazy). I've also seen many places sporting powdery mildew already and I need to act fast to nip it in the bud. 😩 Today, we're covered in wildfire smoke. What a stressful year.

[@eliandkate]

Three!!!!!????? 😬

[@LadyRenira]

@@eliandkate Right?! All our flowering bushes and perennials were so so ridiculously confused and our Pacific Northeast Reddit was filled with rhododendron flowers in March that didn't last long. We hit 78F in March the day after a night below freezing. So wild.

[@susanelwood5794]

I have absolutely loads of tomatoes outside but the greenhouse ones are very few 🥺. A great pea 🫛 crop. I had rubbish strawberries. Poor beets and radishes. Small spuds 🥔 but plenty. My corn 🌽 has loads of cobs. Seems like we are all suffering one way or another🥺 and absolutely NO peppers 🫑

[@eliandkate]

So many weird unexpected results this year

[@alexhuxley3355]

Those curled leaves are a sign that those outside plants are really cold. Most tomatoes you should not be able so see the underside of the leaf

[@eliandkate]

Yup, I wasn’t kidding. It’s been as if summer took the wrong exit off the motorway and missed us completely

[@Bob-bo8ik]

I have had 6 ripe. Many more are at last close. It will be a much smaller crop of bush tomatoes than last year though. First year growing big tomatoes. The sweetcorn female flowers apeared today, males have been out for over 2 weeks. Hope there is enough pollen left.

[@eliandkate]

How has the last week helped? It’s been much warmer here the last week and we’ve had at least a bowl full now. A couple of beefsteaks now too

[@Bob-bo8ik]

@@eliandkate About 20 almost or actually ripe now

[@Bob-bo8ik]

Only cherries so far though

[@Bob-bo8ik]

sent yoiu a pic.

[@eliandkate]

Maybe next week 👏👏👏👏

[@KathConnolly]

Another really useful video Eli, thanks. I thought it was only my tomatoes that were rubbish this year 😢 Can anyone order seeds from Camilla?

[@eliandkate]

Absolutely I heartily recommend her.

[@KathConnolly]

Do you have an address for her please? Thank you

[@eliandkate]

@user-jj9sg5fu1e there’s a link in the video description

[@allisontison40]

I think I just read leaving the roots in the pot is the recommended method now, the less disturbing the better.

[@eliandkate]

Yeah lots people are into just leaving the roots to rot down over the years

[@margakat]

Could the greenstalk also help to keep the soil warmer?

[@eliandkate]

Possibly, but I haven’t noticed it being any warmer than the big wooden beds. The greenstalk is much thinner but you never know

[@geraldinemitchell93]

I'm in California Zone 9a, and my first tomato has just broken blush!

[@eliandkate]

Hurrah!!!!

[@sandrawoodall6545]

I have blossom end rot on my greenhouse tomotes even though I’ve been watering and feeding weekly.so annoying.😊

[@eliandkate]

Oh no! That's sucky

[@ammiedoering4205]

We have night temps in the 40s twice this week. Wisconsin Z3b

[@eliandkate]

😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@peternash5523]

Hi how do you spell the last tomato variety you showed us in the greenhouse

[@eliandkate]

Ha ha… the Lufichoise?? 😁

[@rmac8737]

My squash suffered this year.... I now have flowers but don't think they will fruit this year. Gutted

[@eliandkate]

Oh no! Squash are a fab veg to have too!

[@rmac8737]

Caithness gets wird weather so, ill probably persevere and see if I can limp it song but, not holding much hope lol.

[@mickgad1]

i went early with my tomatos this year. kept 25 plants and iv never had as many tomatos in my life. im sick of the sight of them hahaha everybody in the street and at work will be sick of me begging them to take them. i have maybe 20 toms left to pick them ny tom season is over.

[@eliandkate]

Tomatoes are your courgettes 😂😂😂

[@sharonhaddy4112]

Do you plan to show us again in a few weeks if this worked?

[@eliandkate]

Definitely

[@HadrianMather-vx2pw]

Y don't u try a season with bubble rap your green house, I use large bubble but in height of season I roll back a strip where my vent r. Ps I use large bubble rap

[@eliandkate]

I have done exactly that a few years ago and there’s a whole series of videos documenting my findings

[@andrewwestern7622]

😢such a shame, you would have had some plentiful of tomatoes damn British weather. Eli I am in Leeds West Yorkshire and have a veg bed with a cloche on and have a single tomato plant it's called orangeto it's a determinate type I have quite a bit of fruit on but some trosses only have diddy fruits should I cut my losses and cut them off? also can I cut the leaves on the trusses with larger amounts of fruit or anyone answer this please. Thank you and great video

[@eliandkate]

Hey Andrew I would suspect you still have time yet as your season is a bit longer than mine. You might be as well waiting to see how things go. Especially with determinate plants too 😍

[@andrewwestern7622]

Thank you although I have clipped off some trusses with a few tiny fruits on.

[@andrewwestern7622]

You mentioned the lady friend of yours the tomato whisperer does she have any other means of communication because I don't have Facebook or Instagram and would definitely be interested in purchasing some seeds and grabbing her knowledge. Thank you Andy ❤

[@eliandkate]

@andrewwestern7622 sorry Whatever is on her website will be it I’m afraid

[@littlebacchus216]

This year sucked all round in the garden. crap start, slug apocalypse and naff weather. I lost so much money and time next year I think I'll give up on veg and just go with flowers and such.

[@eliandkate]

Booo for the apocalypse!!!!

[@LadyRenira]

Ugh, the slugs. They absolutely decimated my strawberries this year. Sorry to hear they slimed your harvest too. 😔 I can definitely relate to those feels of loss, but flowers are totally a winning alternative. Keep yourself a small raised bed for the choice veggies/herbs next year and pamper them like crazy while growing the gorgeous flowers everywhere else, bird baths, feeders, and just relax and bask in the joy. 🐦🥰🌻

[@AllanBain-yh7qv]

Why don't you use lids on your quadgrows

[@eliandkate]

Mostly cause it just meant there was a dark, moist space for pests that I couldn’t see and so would only find out too late but also they are just a pain. I’m not a fan. I’ve been using the quadgrows for about 8 years and got the lids when they came out… and promptly gave them away at the end of that season 😂😂😂

[@Garden-of-weeden]

My lufichoise is crazy but I just can’t get at it lol please shout at me to not put at the back of the bed!! Lol

[@eliandkate]

ha ha ha you didn't! HA HA HA I bet you even said to yourself at the time, this might not be a good idea|

[@Garden-of-weeden]

@@eliandkate yup! I was Planting it singing ‘you’re going to regret this Pammie’😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@eliandkate]

@Garden-of-weeden 😂😂😂😂😂

[@Bob-bo8ik]

I was very late with my indeterminates as the greenhouse was not built until mid may. I seem to have way more fruit than you though. Nowhere near ripe though. My Peppers are all quite small and green unlike yours.

[@eliandkate]

It’s just the weirdest year this year. I’ve not seen anything like it before

[@Bob-bo8ik]

@@eliandkate Probably because I am here now.

[@Bob-bo8ik]

Gave a bowl full away yesterday

[@eliandkate]

Oh…. Too many now?

[@Bob-bo8ik]

@@eliandkate Why I awdah

[@JulioWY]

Tomatoes have been poor this year

[@eliandkate]

@@JulioWY yup 👍

[@allisontison40]

I think I just read leaving the roots in the pot is the recommended method now, the less disturbing the better.

[@eliandkate]

Do you mean leaving the roots in after you dispose of the plant, to rot down? There’s a lot of folk do that 😁