The Challenge is ON!!

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

Ok everyone, after talking with Brian, we are extending the final date from Aug 15th to Sept 15th. I didn't realize Aug 15th would have made it impossible for our Canandian friends to join in. So, Sept 15th is now the final deadline for the challenge. Everything else stays the same. Good luck everyone, I'm excited for another fun year of growing.

[@rowenakotelniski2603]

Thank you!

[@MeAndMyShadow1234]

Thankyou as our grow season is shorter and its late aug into sept for ripening

[@rookiegardeningjournal]

Welp, challenge accepted and I guess I am on your team since I am a newbie 😂. Newbies gather here!!❤🌱

[@rowenakotelniski2603]

If you are opening it up worldwide you need a later harvest date. In Manitoba, Canada my large tomatoes won’t be ready to harvest till end of August to middle of September.

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@rowenakotelniski2603 OK, I'll talk with Brian and see what we come up with. We thought Aug 15th was a good date for everyone... 🤦‍♂️

[@DakotaDaydreams]

I might just enter my first ever tomato plant for funsies.

[@t.oliver1728]

Great tip! Thank you!

[@NextLevelGardening]

This is gonna be fun!! Btw, there is a town down here named Funner, soooo.....

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@@NextLevelGardening 🤣🤣 I'll tell Darian that... it'll annoy her🤣🤣

[@dennismoore8351]

I started my Brandywine Pink tomatoes about a half hour ago.

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@@dennismoore8351 wasting no time. 🤣

[@gregorhzaczek2405]

Count me in I'm originally from New Jersey but I'm in zone 8 Southeast Tennessee now and I'll join you in that challenge I'll be planting in the beginning of February

[@tammyhuntsman3269]

Im going to give this a try!❤

[@annmc3878]

For northern gardeners August 15 is very early.

[@k.j.krimson2590]

Agree.

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@annmc3878 Last year, we did August 15, and a lot of northern gardeners said that was a good date as we had originally had July 15th as the deadline. 🤔 We want everyone to be able to join in... let me talk with Brian.

[@annmc3878]

@ I guess it depends on how far north. It’s your challenge, so you make the rules. A lot depends on weather. How early can the tomatoes go out into the garden. How long it takes them to mature.

[@VelvetSuitStudios]

I agree, Aug 15 is pretty early especially for large beefsteak style tomatoes. I'm in Jersey and I wouldn't be pulling a big one off till end of that month even September

[@k.j.krimson2590]

Here in Iowa/Minnesota, our big beefsteak/slicing tomatoes aren't ready for harvest until at least the end of August but more like mid-September.

[@Ron_Weasley420]

Im from British Columbia the tomato I'll be growing will either be Cherokee purple or Dr. Wyches Yellow tomato

[@bowtielife]

I used to be able to grow tomatoes, but since moving into the house, they've not produced worth squat! 😢😢😢 August 15th! I've still got two great months of growing after that! 😂😂😂 Sorry, brother, with the house remodel this year, I'm not sure I'll be able to compete this year. Keep me in for the 'Coast to Coast Garden Collaboration' series, though! 😊 13:47 Define 'extra love', could that include mutation inducing nuclear matter?!? 😅

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@bowtielife absolutely understand, and Ill be reaching out to you soon abiut the Coast to Coast January video soon.

[@bowtielife]

@@DownHomeBackyardGardening 🤩

[@JstFunning]

Hey Chad..This sounds like a fun idea man. I'd like to give it a go I see you have the Big Zac LOL your already ahead with that Tom hahaha. Me I have to use grow bags due to a bad back but can still muscle though this. At 73 and this bad back took my strength. Ok man let the games begin 🙂

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@JstFunning I have a bad back also, so just do what you. This is supposed to be fun, not painful. 🤣

[@susanp9851]

Can anyone explain what scale should be used? Also, would love to join, but in Arizona desert, growing tomatoes is risky. Gotta protect from everything.

[@juneramirez8580]

I live in the low AZ desert and I can only grow cherry tomatoes!! Maybe we need a challenge for the smallest ripe cherry tomatoes! 😊😊

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@susanp9851 I do have a Garlic challenge going also that another YT channel and I are doing. 🤔

[@dvorahbatzion6794]

Sounds like fun ~ Count me in!🍅🤗

[@senovia1992]

😅😊 LETS DO IT!!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉 Nervous but excited!!

[@wendyburston3132]

I'm in the north so I won't be starting just yet.😊 I've been watching the soil scientist in Canada. She has some good info on seriptitious? roots. Sorry can't remember her name but the KZbin is called gardening in Canada.

[@jennyc1267]

I'm in, too! I have a couple of months before seed starting in zone 4. Like others have stated though, an Aug 15th deadline would be tough to hit as we would have at least another month to grow here.😊

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@jennyc1267 We have extended the deadline to Sept 15, hopefully thatll let everyone join. 🤞

[@BecomingaGreenstalker]

I’ll try it again. I just don’t know if it will grow by mid-August in NJ.

[@OSKG2023]

Dang you. You picked the same tomato that I was going to grow, that 4-6lbs got me too. lol. So now I either switch the tomato I’m going to use or I just make it a personal battle with just you. LOL 👊🏻

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@OSKG2023 Grow the same tomato... if nothing else it'll be fun to battle the same tomato from the same seed company, and we're giving a lot of attention to Seeds N Such.

[@OSKG2023]

@ Exactly, SNS is the real winner here. 🤑

[@ChristiLynnOutside]

I have both Big Zac and Delicious from SNS. I was stuck on which one to use for the challenge. I’m also gonna grow Great White, which is supposed to do better in our hot climate.

[@OSKG2023]

@ I just hope the Great White does better than last year’s White Queen.

[@Christopher-xd5in]

I just happened to have just started big boys. Very recently sprouted. So... Yeah I'm down for this fun challenge ❤

[@CrocGardener]

That’s the same tomato I picked out!!! Go team Chad!!!

[@OSKG2023]

You picked that tomato too??? Now I’m going to have to out grow both of you with my Big Zac, which I will caller Bigger Zac. 😂

[@FloridaFarm_Girl]

@@OSKG2023😂😂 since everyone is doing big Zac I’m going to have to pick out a diff variety

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@CrocGardener lol... well then, guess we have a race to the finish. 🤗🤘

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@@FloridaFarm_Girl I had no idea what tomato he picked, but you pick the best tomato for you. 💯🤗

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@@OSKG2023 🤣🤣

[@Bigdeezly911]

I’m in this year.

[@daviddixon5186]

Yes im ready

[@vickieginn7503]

Getting my garden gloves on! This sounds like a lot of fun. Looking forward to the challenge.

[@sharibc3597]

Good luck to all participating! I look forward to seeing how everyone does! ❤

[@FloridaFarm_Girl]

I’m playing 👏 I love tomatoes and I grew a 2 lb one yr I’m a tomato fanatic!!! Zone 9b central Florida so it’ll def be earlier than Aug 15. So they have to be heirlooms or can it be a hybrid?

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@@FloridaFarm_Girl They can be any kind of tomato. 🤗

[@tambrasmith4199]

Yeah mine are in my dining room too

[@tambrasmith4199]

Yes .. I have a sweet 100 plant in my hydroponic system in my bedroom that’s About 3 foot tall

[@burlkeller]

I’ll give it a go from Central Maryland! I’ll start my prep this evening. Good luck to all!

[@Diabeticgardener]

I was thinking of trying. I'm trying to grow Hungarian heart tomatos from baker creek. But we shall see

[@tashastinyhomestead]

Woohoo! I'm in

[@zillahurd651]

I'm in

[@Diabeticgardener]

I just did my planting video and I hope I did it right. We shall see.

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@Diabeticgardener The video was perfect. I'm so glad you decided to join. 💯🤗

[@Diabeticgardener]

@DownHomeBackyardGardening thanks. Hopefully they grow. Lol. Going to do the garlic challenge as well

[@ChristiLynnOutside]

Question: We can only choose one variety to grow? I have three beef steak varieties chosen, and couldn’t make up my mind which one to use. Big Zac is one of the three, which is funny.

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@ChristiLynnOutside yes, 1 variety with up to 2 plants. We figured it makes us all really have to choose 1, and then go all in with it. 🤗🤗 I had 4 I was picking from from, and just decided on this one since I like the company and the seeds I ordered last year all did really good.

[@AtlantaGardener30047]

Is this maximum two seeds or minimum two seeds to participate?

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@AtlantaGardener30047 2 plants total, that way if something happens to 1, we still have the other. But also not having so many that it makes it super easy. This makes us all really have to care for, and take care of these two plants. 🤗

[@tambrasmith4199]

Yes .. do we have to pick a Team

[@tambrasmith4199]

Awe you know I’m gonna pick team TEXAS

[@tambrasmith4199]

I think I’m gonna try a hossinator

[@tambrasmith4199]

Nothing special .. I just have seeds for them

[@tambrasmith4199]

I grow them every year

[@brianjones1679]

@@tambrasmith4199 good choice. I'm in southeastern NC and grew Hossinator for the first time last year. It was reliable and grew a few large tomatoes even with me neglecting them.

[@lajuanjensen6820]

I am also a relative newbe,but One Utuber did an experiment and said planting tomatoes deep means they spend more of their energy developing roots not stems and tomatoes???

[@TW-gb6mh]

Sounds fun, but I will cheer people on and not participate I don't think any Floridians can grow a large 'mater. Now if you have a Most Spectacular Garden Fail, I could be a contender 😅😂

[@FloridaFarm_Girl]

I’m in central and I’ve had success

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@TW-gb6mh Brian and I would've tied for that award last year, we both had some serious issues with our plants. 🤦‍♂️🤣

[@TW-gb6mh]

@@FloridaFarm_Girl That is awesome! When did you start your maters?

[@TW-gb6mh]

@@DownHomeBackyardGardening Gardeners are optimists, and probably a bit delusional at times!😂

[@FloridaFarm_Girl]

@@TW-gb6mh I have a bunch started beginning of December they’re just now getting big enough to transplant again. I am going to start my contest seed tomorrow and post a video 😊

[@justinarnold7725]

Didn't the next level gardening guy quit garding and KZbin?

[@robbinhartman4361]

Nope still producing content

[@DownHomeBackyardGardening]

@justinarnold7725 No, he took a break as many garden channels do. But he posted a new video yesterday.