The EASY Way to Grow Tomatoes That Actually WORKS!

In this video, I show you the easiest way to grow tomatoes at home without staking, caging, or trellising. This method of growing tomatoes is so easy you'll go red with envy...
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Plant Doctor Fertiliser: Go to www.plantdoctor.com.au/ and use SSME10 = 10% off products (not shipping).
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Self Sufficient Me is based on our small 3-acre property/homestead in SE Queensland, Australia, about 45kms north of Brisbane - the climate is subtropical (similar to Florida). I started Self Sufficient Me in 2011 as a blog website project where I document and write about backyard food growing, self-sufficiency, and urban farming in general. I love sharing my foodie and DIY adventures online, so come along with me and let's get into it! Cheers, Mark :)
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#tomatoes #garden #gardening

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Everyone, I'll be hanging around and editing/uploading videos over the Xmas break, so you'll likely see me regularly here or on other platforms/social media. Thanks for your support, and all the best over the holidays - stay safe and get into it! Cheers :) selfsufficientme.com/

[@tinamel7274]

Merry Christmas Mark and thanks for all the knowledge, inspiration and Aussie humor over the years, you have made my time in the US bearable 😂🎉

[@diananutt1517]

🎄🇺🇲🎄. Crikey!!!❣️❣️🍀 "You scared me! Don't do that again!!" We're making no promises!❣️😊

[@martysgarden]

Awesome Chrissy break is coming! Looking forward to the content 😊

[@RonHelton]

We fought bravely through the storm but the deluge of rain proved to be overwhelming. Our troops began to split in the areas of least resistance. But we shall overcome this slight of nature, because there is nothing to fear but growth itself and we shall GROW!!!

[@michaelgreen9237]

It's like a non-wooded hügelkultur 🤔

[@ocachisu]

I've been watching Self Sufficient Me for years now. I adore his style, the uncle I wish I had. He's the Steve Irwin of gardening. I'm surprised he's not on TV yet. He's an absolute gem

[@mastershake8018]

Be thankful, in a way, he's not on TV. It often ruins the product, and even sometimes, the person.

[@caelangoncalves6242]

If he goes on TV they will immediately control the show. He will be forced to shill for bunnings etc every episode like Better Homes and Gardens. It's better this way

[@fafafarmlife]

Xin chào ❤

[@bontrix7405]

I planted one cherry tomato plant 4 years ago in my chicken garden, and got a ton of tomatoes since. Every generation seems to be more and more drought and pest resistant

[@constancemiller3753]

They realized that here at the U of A during the pandemic: self seeded plants know thier environment and thrive. Packet seeds needed more 'babying' and failed more often even when sourced 'locally' from similar conditions. Also, tomatoes are Beasts.

[@sonyavincent7450]

Survival of the fittest! Darwin would be sooo proud!

[@themule137]

Noice

[@dedeg9993]

What do you do at the end of the growing season? Do you prune back the plant?

[@bontrix7405]

@@dedeg9993 no the plants die, we have a really short harse cold winter here in Namibia. And it grows outside my greenhouses so I don't really bother with covering any of them. But come next spring new plants come up like weeds, so I select a few of the best ones and remove the rest. So the cycle continues year after year.

[@robertrichmond6662]

I am so in love with how this video, at its heart, is basically "I let nature do its thing and I learned". I feel that sometimes we get too caught up in the idea that we have to do things in a very systematic way, instead of going with the flow.

[@fafafarmlife]

Xin chào ❤

[@OddSocksandSpontaneity]

“Growing with the flow”

[@DaisyIdes]

I had a neighbor who grew up on a farm. She and I had adjacent beds in a community garden. She NEVER staked any of her vining plants. Tomatoes, cukes, squash, etc…were just allowed to sprawl. She did not have quite as good a harvest as me, but she spent very little time in the garden, and got a very reasonable harvest. I am certain she got more weight in good crops per hour spent than anyone else in our community garden.

[@ateoutdoors]

Volunteers always seem to do best in strange places. Lol

[@JennTN411]

Last year was my first attempt at gardening. I typically kill cacti, so I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out. It was amazing! I live in mid-southern Illinois, 6b. Growing different ages of asparagus, had corn, tomatoes, strawberries, okra, potatoes, carrots, a blueberry Bush, and assorted herbs mostly in fabric pots. This gave me such a boost in confidence for next year. We're adding a 16ftx20ft greenhouse, have built a chicken coop and large run for our 15 girls, and I have collected over 200 varieties of seeds! I must give you and several other Tube gardening experts MANY THANKS for keeping me motivated and excited for starting seeds early in 2023. Kevin from Epic Gardening, Jacques from Jacques in the Garden and Epic Gardening, Bruce from RED gardens, and James Prigioni. These resources are INVALUABLE. I would not be so excited for the next season if it weren't for all of you!❤❤ Oops! Forgot Brian at Next Level Gardening!

[@faulderrr]

Good work Jenn!

[@JennTN411]

@@faulderrr thanks!❤

[@faulderrr]

@@JennTN411 That's great collecting so many different seeds. I collected loads last year but not many this year. i keep indian runner ducks instead of chickens and their eggs are delicious and they're so funny. Swiss chartd is great to grow. Red currant was my best new tomato variety this year. I grew tomatillos for the first time (had never heard of them) and made salsa verde from them (which is amazing). Growing goji berries is easy and they're ripe the same time as tomatoes and goji berry and tomato soup is so good. Tay berries and logan berries are my favourite berries to grow ( like big vining rasperies) and I grow a lot fo black currants. In England, UK. Keep growing :)

[@JennTN411]

@@faulderrr unfortunately, I live within village limits, so I don't have much choice in livestock I can legally keep... otherwise I probably would have a few ducks and a calf!😆 Do you know of any local seed sharing sites, or anything of that? If we were in the same country, I'd happily share! Seeds were a bit hard to source here as well, but I had some previous sites that aren't pricey, luckily. Best of luck to you next season!❤

[@faulderrr]

@@JennTN411 I don't know if my village has any limits, but the the world is crazy right now huh?! I got loads of new interesting varieties of organic seeds from premium seeds direct, they're probaby just a UK company. All the best :)

[@deborahlynch1317]

I grew tomatoes that were indeterminate like those. The vines grew to over 12 feet. I didn't trellis them in time and they spilled over out of the raised bed. I live in North Carolina USA, climate is mild. I had tomatoes well after the first frost. My first harvest was three months after planting and I sold 7 pounds to a local café and had plenty to can. Evey day I picked tomatoes. Wonder variety and I will plant them again.

[@staceymoniz]

If we're honest, most of us gardeners have several self seeded tomato "experiments" happening if we're lucky. Love your channel and everything I'm learning from you, cheers!

[@JoeBoppyBop]

What a small world it truly is! I’m in the U.S. and I love that you are in the Southern Hemisphere. I can’t grow tomatoes now. It is winter, but you can! So, I get to see your new videos all winter long while I plan for Spring next April! Thank you!

[@kateymateymusic1]

Love this Mark. Last year I planted my tomatoes in pots because that was the only space I had. I neglected one and it "tumbled" over and grew in the grass and I got more tomatoes than all the other staked pots

[@smithatkinson8923]

Hello there

[@deborahwoods2361]

I had a tommy toe plant come up in my front garden in the last couple of weeks of winter in Newcastle NSW. I have no idea how the seed got in there but i let it grow wild and it filled the entire garden. I was picking a basket full every day. I canned a dozen jars of spaghetti sauce with them and was giving them away as well as eating them fresh. It was one of the best tomato plants I've ever grown! Btw, I love your videos!

[@turtleman190]

Likely from a bird eating a tomato have had that happen before

[@smith5312]

Same, I live in Newcastle as well and the house I bought 7 years ago and every year the tiny toms come up in late winter and I get kilos of tiny toms that family and friends loves. At the end of summer I just hit it with the slasher and next year they come back.

[@fafafarmlife]

Xin chào ❤

[@amandaharris9757]

I love how enthusiastic Mark is about this. ❤

[@emullinsstreams]

I've noticed that cherry tomatoes/indeterminate tomatoes also sprout extra roots along their branches if you let them trail along the ground, almost like pumpkins. I wonder if that's why they do well there on the ground.

[@JennTN411]

I'll be keeping this in mind for next year!❤

[@patriciatinkey2677]

That's part of it, try dropping some dirt on any stem thats low on the ground & you essentially end up with 2 plants. Works great to keep the distance from origin to fruit from becoming too long. I've grown tinys called Everglades tomatoes here in South Florida, USA, for years. They self seed, prefer to be just left to "do their thing". ( A little extra water in dry season, please! ) Very prolific!

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Elizabeth, that's a great point about "stem rooting" that I forgot to mention in my video. Yes, the plants tend to root down in some places where the stem touches the ground, giving it more water and nutrients. Cheers :)

[@stringchz]

I read an article somewhere online, someone actually tried that, thinking that tomatoes in the wild would just sprawl all over the ground like pumpkins. They decided to try it and it turned out they got more tomatoes that way without staking them. The only thing they did was put straw under the tomatoes to keep them from rotting as quickly.

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

Those tomatoes remind me of the Florida everglades tomatoes. If you ever grow one on your property, you will always have tomatoes. They self seed and take over large spaces similar to a huge briar patch.

[@smithatkinson8923]

Hello Mary

[@saramorris5009]

No kidding! I germiated a whole bag of Everglades and now have more than my small garden can handle. I've been giving them away!

[@jackalopemiscarriage]

I live in Alaska and we have such an odd growing season but this channel has helped me learn so many tips and tricks to apply to my own garden! You’re on of my favorite gardeners out there and I’ve never been more jealous of someone else’s tomatoes ❤

[@subjecttwilight9]

I highly recommend the channel Simple Living Alaska they are great 👍

[@jackalopemiscarriage]

@@subjecttwilight9 oh thank you!!!! I’ll give em a follow because I need northern based gardening tips badly 😂

[@julianshepherd2038]

I live in the far north of Scotland where everyone knows you need a greenhouse or poly tunnel. So I spotted a sheltered sunny spot and grew a load of hassle free toms in the ground outside. Started in a big pot and put them out in June. Watered with a hose about once a fortnight and a little feeding when I remembered. V successful. I'm as smug as

[@jillianwatt8567]

My Pop just let's them grow wherever and leaves them be. He says they thrive on neglect. He just lives at Beerwah. Everytime I go I take bucket loads home. They are so healthy looking and so delicious!

[@smithatkinson8923]

Hello Jillian

[@Jazzgirlaust]

Just shows us that nature will always find a way to get it done!

[@AquaTechTanks]

Cherry tomatoes are hugely underrated in the home garden! They are my absolute favorite.

[@stephenhope7319]

95% of tomatoe products in the US are grown here, in the Central Valley of California. They are all grown as "field tomatoes" ie, no staking, just grown on the ground. I personally stake my tomatoes vertically. Steve in Sacramento.

[@mary-chiltonvanhees1201]

Hi from Philadelphia, I used my own compost to improve my soils in all things…garden plots, planters, and window boxes. OMG! There were tons of tomato and squash popping up EVERYWHERE between my perennials! I left only a few at strategic spots to see what they were. Red cherry tomatoes, yellow grape tomatoes, a strange but delicious lumpy tomato. Also, the squash was fantastic! Butternut mostly, but also a cantaloupe! DELICIOUS! As the plants grew, I made sure that they could develop by staking the tomatoes and keeping the squash off of the ground. This all in my front yard! And you might know that Americans are supposed to have grassy lawns, no vegetables. The best part is that I helped bees find food and that is a big concern these days.

[@arthuurwong49]

Says who? I live in CA & am seeing so many vegetable gardens popping up in front yards , replacing lawns - can’t eat grass & price of food is skyrocketing! So why not ?😊 I’m moving & planning 2 huge beds in my front yard for veggies 😊

[@johnlord8337]

Its one of the easiest and greatest of growing areas - with a barrow method, that has greater landsurface for growing than flatlander gardening. The higher and longer the barrow (even in the veg garden vs raised beds) the greater options for allowing tomatoes, potatoes, corn on the slope, watermelon, cantaloupe, melons, squash, gourds, zucchini, and strawberries with high production rates. Barrows allow proper irrigation and rainfall irrigation and runoff keeping the barrow properly (and not soaked) garden soil. One can easily toss fertilizer, compost, lawn grass cuttings, onto the surface and it continues to provide proper nutrition for the barrow.

[@sarebear5207]

By barrow do you mean mounded surface

[@happydaysfarm3853]

Hi, I’m not familiar with the term barrow. Are you referring to a type of berm?

[@HealthyDisrespectforAuthority]

@@sarebear5207 I'm just guessing here but I think barrow might be a synonym for swale/swail/swhale (no idea how to spell that and neither does firefox)

[@KN-xl6lw]

Sounds like Hügelkultur?

[@1000jamesk]

@@KN-xl6lw If you stack organic material for the base, yes. Traditional hügel mounds are built with a base of logs, then twigs and leaves, then upside-down turf to hold the roots in place, and finally compost with the crops you wanna grow.

[@chia420]

Yes the lazy way isn’t always planned but it does happen for whatever reason. Very productive but hard to weed. You would think diseases would be common yet it seems plants are actually healthier. Many times we’ve had unplanned crops that actually out produced the planned crops. Plus with all the weeds the crops actually produced longer than expected. 🥰👍❤️

[@someroob7915]

I have silver beet and Pak choy everywhere in the garden. Just keeps coming up. This year the winners for the wild pop-ups are chilies (there’s nowhere in the garden they aren’t coming up - pity the weather hasn’t been on their side, but they’re persevering) and coriander. The chilies are all coming up from my liberal use of soil from the compost heap (get a lotta avocado plants from there too - a nice indoor plant in Tassie, but I’ve never had one bear fruit). The coriander is all from one plant I put in last summer which bolted pretty darn quick, but I shook the dried plant ‘round the garden and this year it’s everywhere; which is great coz I use a LOT! Thanks for yer work, Mark. Always enjoy yer vids. 👍

[@rapidrotation]

I remember growing up we had pumpkins that ended up completely dominating the yard for years, because one year we pitched jack-o-lanterns off the porch, and didn't bother clearing the plants when they popped up in the spring. Well, they exploded halfway across the yard, and grew that year's jack-o's just fine, so we did the same thing. Worked good for several years until we moved out when I was a teenager.

[@gwydryn2]

There is a tomato here in Florida that grows wild, drought tolerant, heat tolerand and can handle the humidity. It's called the Wild Florida Everglade Tomato. You can buy the seeds on line. They are small, indeterminate carefree. Only possible issue is they'll take over a small backyard, but they are tasty!

[@judyhowell7075]

I planted 2 last year, just died. Found what I thought was a volunteer about 6 ft away, it was actually 7 baby plants. I replanted near my chicken run/fence and to to nurse them through winter. I’m in NW Florida

[@pamelaroden5513]

That's how my sister n law grows everything. And she gets an awesome harvest every year. How is the house renovation going?

[@janetmary862]

Had the same results over here in central west Queensland - lots of rain made feral cherry tomato plants pop up everywhere. I left quite a few to do their own thing as they were doing so well, and gave them a bit of a water whenever I was near. No feeding! And we have sandy soil. I ended up with so many tomatoes I made puree, sauce, froze them whole (totally works!) and dried them and made delicious tomato powder. As well as eating them at almost every breakfast on toast. I was just about sick of the sight of them when they stopped producing with the heat. Great to see that you did the same thing, makes me feel a bit more organised than I really am! Another very good video, thank you.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Tomato powder... Cool! Cheers :)

[@mbulelobam7529]

I accidentally opened a seed bag upside down and spilled some random seeds in the garden. This has produced some of my best tomatoes ever.

[@Crevtout98]

Got some bigger size tomatoes 4 years ago, they keep coming back every year, no maintenance at all, no watering except for the rain. Best tomatoes ever, in the good climate of Southern PA. I used to stake and trim my plants and always had issues anyway. Now I still have the same issues (cracking and sometimes diseases), but since there is no work except when I cut them in salads, I think it's a win :-).

[@TheGaragelifter]

Looks my veggie patch. Just one big mound in my backyard that has been built up over years. It started as a small compost pile where I put my garden waste and kitchen scraps. Now its a huge messy pile with a variety of veggies that have grown from seed from the scraps. Once a year I cut it down, turn it over and add a couple bags of manure. It thrives without any maintenance or watering.

[@nadinebournivalyrure8928]

Wish I had your garden! Thanks for making me laugh once again... love your videos!

[@tracyplath863]

My son and I love your channel! We're in the US, so it actually helps us plan next year's garden better when we can see what you've been experimenting with six months before us. Thank you for all the accessible, great ideas!

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Tracy, thanks for commenting and your support! I do the same... Watching international gardeners to get ideas and see what people are growing for the coming season. Cheers :)

[@Kelsohopeful]

This year, I had 3 volunteers that were also growing on some neglected areas of my land, and I just let them go. They were huge and soooo good. They did better and lasted longer than my babied tomatoes. I'm surely going to be taking a lazier tomato approach!

[@jasonmann5019]

Mark l have enjoyed watching your work and passion in these videos. I am a 49 year old that is learning the importance of something that you have already embraced. Thank you for your time in sharing your knowledge and it is very much appreciated. Best wishes to you from Melbourne Victoria.

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Jason, thank you for sharing your feedback and thoughts mate. You have a good climate for growing food down there so all the best on your self-sufficient journey! Cheers :)

[@diannetroeth-telfer1148]

I have them come up every year in my flower garden. They are beautiful.

[@earthsister1]

I bought some Australian climbing tomatoes and they are self sowing wild in the garden, under the fruit trees. I have a big patch of them, you can't tell where one plant starts and the other finishes. I am embracing the freedom of them being wild and untamed

[@caterjunes3426]

Love how you roll, Mark. I'm definitely a fan of "let's just leave this here and see what happens". The garden is always full of surprises. 🙂

[@Amos_grey]

Hi beautiful 💗💗 How are you doing ?

[@muggsyboykins4393]

This man's energy is something else 😂😂 Love the content mate! I'm just gonna pop one in meself!

[@Prepping-for-Heaven]

It's good to see you back to posting videos again, Mark! I have to say, I really like the idea of just letting the tomatoes grow wild, like a "happy little accident". It's a lot less stress on the gardener! lol ;)

[@KristiContemplates]

Bob Ross Gardening

[@Prepping-for-Heaven]

@@KristiContemplates Exactly! LOL

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thank you, and yes, so true, gardening should NEVER be stressful! Cheers :)

[@barrycurran1985]

Love all your Videos, I live In The United States, east Coast, in Maryland. I started growing tomatoes the lazy way two years ago, It was by accident as well, I noticed that the Tomatoes I just let grow without Steaks or cages did way better. Now I just plant the Tomatoes and let em go how they want.. I do also lose some to Rot and pests but the plants still always seem to produce way more usable fruit this way. I also notice that the ones that grow in the weeded areas seem to last longer as they are not scorched by the hot summer sun as badly... Thank You so much for the entertaining and informative videos. Since your Summer is our winter, your videos help get us Northern Hemisphere folks get through the long winter a litter better...

[@darrena2625]

I always wondered if those plants that need propping up should be naturally be growing on the ground where they want to, like tomatos, melons etc. It's only because of our intervention that we expect them to grow vertically. Fascinating.

[@ghendar]

Mark, you are a joy to watch. Keep it up

[@salty8752]

I’m not much of a gardener, but I love this guys energy.

[@fionagregory-wisdom4wellne235]

I love my volunteers, if their life energy is enough to prosper in an unlikely spot, who am I to argue. My best cherry toms this year grew In the gravel under my clothes line. I’ve canned up so much passata from this giver.

[@smithatkinson8923]

Hello Fiona

[@debrasaints3809]

Very interesting! I’m in San Antonio Texas and I was letting my Early Girl tomato plants dry out for the winter and they’re still producing. I love cherry tomatoes because they’re so hardy. I love your show. It’s so informative! Thank you!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Good on you Debra! Thank you and all the best :)

[@purplewombat1923]

We have a weed heap that the occasional tomato or pumpkin will sprout in. We just let them do their own thing and reap the rewards when they are ready to pick :-) When I try to grow veg I'm not very successful but when they sprout of their own accord, they seem to do well.

[@SBoots29]

I toil away in my garden bring to do all the right things and my harvest very good. A neighbour plants and does not spend as much time in their garden and gets about 65% of what I do. Now you make a great video on this and I question time verses reward. I guess the only added award I get is the mental calmness of being with my plants. Very interesting on your experiment. Cheers

[@sharonadlam3195]

I have always said that the best tomato is a volunteer one 😂😂 Mark any news on your Kitchen remodel? I hope you're not still waiting for it to be finished 😊😊

[@AussieWife3746]

I guess I came across your channel from selfish motives. My wonderful Australian husband recently passed away and I miss him terribly. He was wonderful. I miss his voice so much so I began listening to your program. I am learning a lot about creative gardening too.

[@june-uni]

Sorry for your loss🥹 Welcome to our community, I’m glad you are drawing some comfort from our Mark :) Mark is a lovely, lovely guy, and funny as well. Very easy to listen to. I always learn something from him, and always feel happy after he posts a new video. Wishing you better days ahead.

[@joymontague251]

The Tommie Toe size I have been looking for. I think we call them Salad tomatoes. Used to have beautiful plants with that tomato size and stopped gardening and now looking for plants and seeds I just find either big or cherry size tomatoes. I do need to go look at my plants been raining here but I did have some good size green ones. I was surprised at the Heirloom varieties and yellow etc. I just went and got a few plants they are black tomatoes, speckled ones, and other unusual ones. Did get some ripe ones off each plant but I got a much bigger harvest with those nice salad Tommie toe size ones.

[@smithatkinson8923]

Hello joy

[@deborahc.9869]

I had (7) small yellow pear tomato plants volunteer in the dogs area run. Worst place to be at but they just kept growing and producing beautiful sweet miniature sized tomatoes. The best I have ever had. I used the tomatoes from one plant to wash then air dry to be planted next year, but I will pass on a lot of those seeds as I stopped counting at 400 seeds. I have a feeling my neighbors will be getting either the seeds or a little cherry tomato plant next spring.

[@smithatkinson8923]

Hello Deborah

[@groussac]

Main problem with good-old-leave-it-alone gardening is access. You end up squashing more than you harvest because you can't get to it. That said, it's fun to have a part of your garden or yard where you let things grow and see what happens. The guys that are into a fully manicured lawn or garden miss out on this fun. And learning. The plants teach you if you let them.

[@kirstypollock6811]

My best volunteer this year was a huge butternut squash that grew in the compost heap ... and 3m or more up a fir tree! My climate is marginal for squash so I guess the extra warmth and moisture helped. The heap was mostly straw, leaves and apples!

[@smithatkinson8923]

Hello kristy

[@veronicadoggone5660]

Mark's garden is so epic it even grows volunteer video content 🍅

[@joannebazeley648]

My vege garden is 20 years old and this is the only way I grow tomatoes. They appear where they will and produce like mad. Cherry tomatoes give me no trouble with fruit fly either! If I do put in heritage seed like the Thai Pink Egg, the next season I get gifted with some weird cross breeds, which is always fun. Thanks so much for your great local-to-me content!

[@emilyemm8460]

“Why garden hard, when you can garden easy” 🎉🙌🏼💯

[@Heffelz8]

I inadvertently grew my maters this way in New Hampshire. They were indeterminate variety and were a solid 3-5 feet above the cages. Storm blew through and knocked them down. I gave up, but the tomatoes didn’t. I’ve never had more tomatoes than this passed year. Unreal how they grew on the ground.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Wow... What a comeback! Great to hear and all the best mate :)

[@1everydayperson]

Found that tomatoes do better just growing as they will this year by accident. Holy crap did they produce! My neighbors and a few coworkers were tickled to get them! The one set of neighbors that has young kids were given permission to come over and pick when ever they wanted.

[@mrb3135]

I live in Cleveland, Ohio (USA). Can I come over and pick some whenever I want? I've been DYING for some homegrown cherry tomatoes, for years.😆

[@1everydayperson]

@@mrb3135 sure if you want to cone all the way to saint Louis Missouri for them lol

[@juliesaye6183]

If you plant the seeds from the store bought tomatoes and grow them the next season, by the third generation (or third tomato season after you originally purchased them) the seeds will have naturally adapted to their environment. I’ve tried this with corn, tomatoes, and butternut squash seeds to great success. 👍🏻

[@Amos_grey]

Hi beautiful 💗💗 How are you doing ?

[@wholesomegirl2889]

I’m drooling just watching it. Fresh tomato, onion salad. Nothings better. Thank you❤️🙏🏻🎊👏🏻💕💗🕊☮️🌏🇺🇦🌎🌈👍🍀🌻❤️

[@graemetracybradshaw9871]

great video for not only the everyday gardener but especially the elderly or those with disabilty to still have a veggie garden. Well done Mate

[@tammybyrd1054]

I had some beautiful plants several years back and was going to put cages around them and stake them as I had always done. The night before the deer got in and ate them all down. I was soooo upset. I didn't go back to the area for two weeks. When I finally went back to pull them all out they were growing like gangbusters! Tomatoes everywhere!! I did some research and there are university studies that back it up, since tomatoes are vines if you let them grow as vines (If you have the space) they usually produce 3x more and better fruit as they are growing naturally. I let em' go and had more than I could handle. This was all varities, large and small, etc. Now, I only stake a few here and there and let the rest have the run of a large back portion of my garden and I'm never disappointed! Upsetting lesson but glad it happened now!

[@scrubjay93]

At first I thought I was reading my own comment - those deer can be so sneaky. They left my garden alone for three months and as soon as the tomatoes were ripening, they broke through the deer fence and ate them all. 🙃

[@davefreier7738]

I grew up on a farm in upstate New York and we had a garden with a huge tomato crop every year. Honestly never heard of staking or cages for tomatoes until I moved away.

[@kevinreynolds1328]

Mark I live in coastal Victoria and we we can get some brutal hot still days 45 Celsius and if we train our tomatoes up structures we lose nearly all of them to sun burn but if we let them sprawl across the ground unpruned the leaves form a canopy over the fruit and we hardly lose a tomato. We have tried both methods and in our area the lazy way is the best way for all our tomatoes.

[@naturescafe7311]

I love the idea of "lazy gardening." It's a very good strategy. As long as you give them what they need, the plants know how to do the rest. Maybe some of those techniques will appear later on ;-). Happy New Year Mark, family, and SSM community!

[@heshamalfahad3533]

I absolutely loved this video! Love your accent and I love your sense of humor. Keep pulling tomatoes out your grass!

[@lauragoolsby5042]

Pretty cool way to grow tomatoes without much effort!! Thx😊

[@russellharris5314]

I just harvested my last load of tomatoes today. The 9th of December and still having tomato plants producing fruit is a total surprise for me in the UK. Black cherry tomatoes seem to be very healthy even after a couple of frosts and even a little snow

[@Selfsufficientme]

I've heard that the black cherry is pretty good in cooler climates, so you have proven that! Cheers :)

[@Ben-cu7zu]

Mark gotta say, I’m having the best tomatoe season I have ever had 👍. Thanks for all your tips and I have learned one thing manure manure manure 😂. Cheers

[@Mr_Nobody913]

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels. I hope to one day have a garden I can be proud of. Time to get to work.

[@prieurdp]

I've had tomatoes all year round after simply chucking a bunch of rotten tomatoes into the garden randomly 😂 Way more productive than my raised bed planters and they keep on re-sowing themselves. We also had some builders at our place a few months back and one of the guys dropped a sandwich where they took a smoke/lunch break. Now I have a patch with an abundance of tomatoes (4 varieties), gem squash and even some marijuana plants. Zero maintenance, zero watering and buckets full of fruit.

[@yardleyj9391]

I thoroughly enjoyed the video and the tips, considering that my tomato plantation was a huge flop this season. Writing from Tanzania. I am on unfamiliar grounds, new to the country and I am acclimatizing to the land and growing season here. 🇨🇦🇹🇿

[@minkademko2335]

I've seen this done before. Apparently tomatoes do well on a mound amid grass and weeds, and left untrimmed. No-fuss growing! I love it.

[@geraldbock1012]

Goood day to you Mark! A horticulturist informed me a few years ago that what you are describing is the natural course for them especially in jungles. Apparently the vines get huge!

[@uschiaala]

I have a volunteer tomato plant that looks pretty much like yours. At one point I pulled 2kg of cherry tomatoes out of it. I still have some in the freezer. The patch is in a spot that is shaded by a shed most of the day, and the plant/s continued to produce through winter (in VIC). Big fan of "feral" tomatoes. Got a few coming up in various places and they are welcome to go their hardest.

[@WickedProxy]

The rain overwatering the tomatoes was my biggest problem last year to the point that I was having to pull them a bit early if it was going to rain more to keep them from splitting. I prefer to let my tomatoes fully ripen on the vine, but if they started turning orange and it was going to rain it was either pull them to finish ripening inside or watch them split.

[@xEppy033x]

I love seeing all the different ways of growing lazy! Nice to see delicious tomatoes coming up without all the extra work!

[@rickthelian2215]

I have them in my compost heap growing crazy😊

[@mishmosh]

I had some volunteer tomatoes come up in my pumpkin patch this last year, and I didn’t do anything to help them since I wasn’t sure what they were. They did great, even mixed in with the pumpkins and flopped over.

[@alisonwarner7555]

This is awesome! It happened to me as well😊 Except I moved a partially composted pile of garden scraps and dirt on top of some aloe and branches clippings I wanted to compost in better spot. Then out sprung all these tomato plants and they are doing so much better than any I’ve tried to grow on purpose 😂 I’ll take what I can get 👍

[@Gustavmaxsacrop]

I have been watching a few of your videos. they all inspired me and i now have started being "self sufficient" as well. You give great advice and i use alot of your ideas. thanks

[@ZCScience]

Not only does Mark make great informative videos but they are so funny 😆 😄 🤣

[@rhondavanmeter5015]

I'm so glad I found you this past year. You really helped me get my raised bed gardens going in March. I'm in the Northern hemisphere so I am going to get my garden fix from you during my winter and then use the additional things I learn from you in my next garden.

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Rhonda, I'm glad you found me too - thanks for watching my vids! All the best with your garden prep this winter, and may you grow a ton in the coming season... Cheers :)

[@ginac9008]

I have two tomato bushes in one of my raised garden beds, I was doing the right thing with them. As we get a lot of strong winds in Toowoomba, they fell over one night and they also seemed very happy to grow that way. It is not very pleasing on the eye but they are producing so I am happy to leave them be. One plant a San Marzano and the other an Orange Cherry I am sure we will have them like weeds, as the bush is massive.

[@aplaceoncebelonged]

I did this year in iowa, they grew like bushes, easy maintenence and more than enough to harvest

[@Gkrissy]

I have something similar from a low raised bed and it was nice to pick cherry tomatoes that way as well. It will be funny if the plant comes back in the next season.

[@margareth1504]

So lovely to see your videos Mark - sometimes its such a relief - especially if I need to get on track and away from things like the news.

[@laptop4689]

Learn so much right here --on this channel--thank you!

[@virginniaherring8381]

We have been on this property for 5 months now and have never had to buy tomatoes because there’s tomatoes growing like this all over the property. They are a similar size to the ones in this video and they just pop up everywhere even on the empty property along our fence line. We just call them bush tomatoes because we never planted them they are just a part of the property and the one next door. They are small pops of sweetness and we eat them when we walk around just as you do. We even have one growing almost at the kitchen door just in case we have forgotten to pick some for a salad before dark. You are so right about growing them the easy way, no stakes or tying - simply no worries mate😜

[@patti2969]

Last spring, we put out tomatoe plants at my moms.. we thought since my husband and Ibset them out, my brother would put tomatoe cages around them.. mom wanted to Zinnias planted in the bed with them (In the ground)..being ninty years old, she just threw the Zinnia seeds in the bed. To our Surprise... they turned out to be the BEST tomatoes we had ever grown! No trellis or cages of any kind! We just let them do what they wanted to do.. turns out.. they were the biggest not to mention tastiest we had ever grown! So.. this year, we plan to do the very same! Thanks for your video!

[@ilkapatten-onetrilogybooks4024]

You can cut vines and hang them with tomatos on under the veranda with a banana skin and they will ripen perfectly, you will not lose any to over watering or pests. My mums been doing tricks in the garden for 40 years in permaculture. Keep up the great videos. I love what you do.

[@amblonyxx]

Followed your advice and cleaned up my tomatoes so they could grow up their new trellis. Only a week later and they've rewarded me with my first fruits!!!

[@ShortbusMooner]

Interesting! You actually give me hope for the coming tomato season! 😁👍

[@carolerosario1201]

I have a garden at my school. Over the summer, a pear tomato grew up and through our chicken wire compost bin. The bush is producing so many tomatoes! We can’t lift the lid of the bin, but that’s ok!

[@smithatkinson8923]

Hell carole

[@sophrapsune]

The few tomatoes I’ve purposefully grown in a pot have been disasters, I think due to heat reflected off a nearby wall in summer. But those disasters self-seeded a plant amongst a nearby rosemary hedge and that rogue plant, un-staked and untended, has been wonderfully productive as it drapes itself over the rosemary!

[@laurenceprantner8618]

I had a leak in my drainage pipe from the septic tank to the drainfield a few years ago, and one day noticed a huge, viney tomato plant flourishing on the hillside behind the house. A few months later, we had hundreds of small cherry and Roma tomatoes ripening on their vines sprawling all over the hillside like weeds. They were delicious.

[@jaqiharrison1984]

Best tomatoes I ever grew was by mistake. I chucked a piece of tomato out of a roll into the comfrey bed. Next thing, the biggest most prolific tomato plant ever! Didn't feed it, stake it, trim it, actually, it was only when I was picking some comfrey for tea when I realized it was there! A lot to be said for Rogue tomatoes.

[@aliciaspears7847]

Comfrey leaves & comfrey roots are supposed to Make an excellent fertilizer. Thanks for sharing

[@earleenthomas2572]

You’re always so inspiring.

[@arshadhussain5145]

10:30 I was scared Mark was gonna fall LOL

[@cynthiak2955]

I might have to try it next year. It would certainly be much easier! 😆

[@spiritkid44]

Amazing video. Thanks again for getting us through winter with videos of beautiful gardens & fruits.