Mid Summer Garden Tour-SW Ohio-Zone 6b

SW Ohio, Zone 6b
Filmed July 21st
Come join us on a tour of our garden. This is the second year for this garden, having started it from scratch winter of 2022/2023.
You can also follow along on instagram: thegardenfamily
If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments! -Peter & Hilary

[@PSUhorty1]

This is the 1st time I've come across one of your uploads. I'm only 10 minutes into it and I already love it. Subscribed.

[@TheGardenFamily]

Welcome! So glad you are enjoying our content! =)

[@stacyk.3402]

I don’t know if anyone mentioned it but if you use molasses in water(2T per gallon )in a sprayer once a week on your plants it increases the brix level in the plants making them not tasty for sucking and chewing pests but don’t hurt pollinators. Joe the Gardener podcast had an entomologist on talking about it and a few flower farmers use that method as well. I’m in SE PA and will definitely be trying it this year. Fabulous garden

[@TheGardenFamily]

That is great to know, thanks for the tip! Almost seems too good to be true but also doesn't seem like it would hurt anything to try! I think I remember that Joe Gardener episode...Thanks again!

[@asha-ashila123]

Wow you guys rock, gardening for years myself but you guys took it to the next level. I really like your set- up. A great example on how fast you can start growing your own produce ;-) Enjoy! Greetings from Belgium zone 8 b lot's of rain and grey weather but mild in temperature...I grow a lot in a polytunnel!

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you! And hello from the USA 🇺🇸👋 We lived in San Francisco a little over 10 years ago, which is on the coast, so similar to your growing climate. It sure was nice for growing broccoli and cauliflower but was harder for things like peppers and tomatoes. Best of luck this year!

[@conniejohnson3110]

Beautiful garder and veggies. Best of luck this year. We will be watching from central Alabama. By y'all 😉

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you! You guys must be gearing up for your season down in Central Alabama!

[@lindacompton9706]

Enjoyed your take on gardening. It was Beautiful. I subscribed because I am just starting this year and I will probably drive you crazy asking questions. Thanks ahead of time.

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thanks Linda! How exciting about starting a new garden! It's definitely a life long journey of learning =)

[@lesmar234]

WOW, your tomatoes look fantastic!!! I have grown the big ones, with little success I did not single stem like you have done. Think I'm going to try that this year, the results are amazing. Thanks for sharing. Your garden is amazing. 👍👍👍 clap, clap, clap.

[@TheGardenFamily]

Well thank you! We definitely see earlier fruit and ripening as well as less disease when pruning them this way. Wishing you best of luck next season!

[@rosenurse7687]

Beautiful garden ! Great presentation! Thank you!

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you very much! ☺️🙏

[@bmiller1958]

Ok I’m a relatively new gardener in SW Ohio Zone 6b (2 years). HOW AM I JUST NOW FINDING YOUR CHANNEL! This video is AMAZING!!!!!! I can’t wait to binge on your content. I’ll probably figure it out as I watch more videos, bu lt can’t wait to figure out what part of SW Ohio you are in. LOVE YOUR GARDEN SETUP!!!!!

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you! We are between Dayton and Cincinnati. Always good to follow along with people in a similar growing area!

[@bmiller1958]

@@TheGardenFamily - That’s great! We are basically neighbors then! Funny, I’ve described where I live the exact same way you just did. Looking forward to catching up on your previous content as well as the future content. Best wishes to you both.

[@baomin60]

Thanks for sharing great information. Your garden is beautiful! ❤

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the tour. Dreaming of 2025 now!

[@BettyBrancato]

Dayton gardrner here. I use buckwheat as a summer cover crop too only i just create bare spots for my plants and just leave it and let the seeds fall for next year. They help keep the weeds away.

[@TheGardenFamily]

It's a great plant! Really easy to pull up if the self seeding gets too crazy. Plus the birds and pollinators love it =). We are pretty close to you just a bit South!

[@zeusky8]

You have a beautiful garden and a very calm and reassuring voice.

[@TheGardenFamily]

Well thank you! Happy gardening to you ☺️

[@valkrisda]

Hi from Indonesia!! Your garden is amazing! I can see they are very healthy and have almost no disease. Looks like the circulation technique between plants is very helpful in avoiding pests! Thank you for the tour and information it’s super helpfull! ✨

[@TheGardenFamily]

Hello from the other side of the world! Yes, we have found air flow to be very important for disease, probably important in your humid climate as well! Glad you found the video enjoyable!

[@neilmunro6683]

Kindness your way..Lochness Scottish Highlands..This is the 1st time I've come across one of your uploads. Just great information..

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you very much! Cheers from Ohio, USA

[@lizpecone2801]

I just stumbled across your channel and I was so excited to see garden content from Ohio. We’re in Northeast Ohio working to maximize production in our urban backyard. Thanks for sharing!

[@TheGardenFamily]

Glad to have you along! We had gardens in many different settings, most recently a small suburban lot before this one (you can see it in some of our old videos). Before that we did apartment balconies and many other locations. We learned a lot and loved every one! Wishing you all the best this season and beyond

[@gliceriacastillo6299]

You have a wonderful garden And very blessed production of vegetables and flowers.. watching from glecious tv your new friend

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you very much! Appreciate the comment =)

[@Farmerdoctormaybe]

We are in awe, thanks for the update!!!

[@TheGardenFamily]

Well thank you! Hope you're having a nice summer!

[@rontropics26]

Your garden is really beautiful. I'm in the same area but it looks like everything of yours is well ahead of me. I can't believe you have ripe peppers already! All of my peppers are still green.

[@TheGardenFamily]

Hey neighbor! It's been a very early season for us in general. Tomatoes were planted around May 1st, a couple weeks ahead of schedule. Peppers came super early this year too! Wishing you a wonderful rest of your season!

[@AZJH8374]

New subscriber. Looking forward to your channel and journey ❤

[@TheGardenFamily]

Welcome! Garden will be coming on the third growing season next year! Happy to have you along for the ride!

[@sashaanderson4198]

This was my first time seeing a video of yours, LOVED IT! I am now subscribed! We are in South Mississippi (Gulf Coast area) Zone 9A. Our tomato plants would benefit from your style of trellis with the heat and humidity we have here in the deep south. Can't wait to show my husband your video so he can build me a trellis.

[@TheGardenFamily]

Welcome aboard! Yes, the plants have done much better with increased air flow, something I had to learn since moving from California which had less disease. Hopefully you have a wonderful Fall garden coming up, I’m sure you’re in a little “hot summer” lull down there currently until things cool down a bit?

[@pang-ngiavang1956]

Please do a video of how you build and install your cherry tomato trellis/cages. Thank you in advance.

[@TheGardenFamily]

I will have more info on a video coming out very soon!

[@jacobyhale]

Yes please! Loved your entire garden tour, but this was the lightbulb moment of the video for me. I single stem my tomatoes on a trellis, but the cherries are too wild to be included in this area. Your cage idea is genius!

[@Teena-yi9xw]

You just showed up and I just subscribed! Thanks for sharing

[@TheGardenFamily]

Welcome!! 🙏☺️

[@franhasbrouck7661]

Great video of a lovely garden. We live in a south suburb of Dayton so same growing zone as you.. We downsized to a patio home last year so my 3 pots are growing cukes, tomatoes and beans (itty, bitty garden)🌿

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you! We are not far from you then! We have grown gardens in many spaces including patios and loved every one of them. Happy gardening to you!

[@PLD244]

Everything looks great! Nice job!

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you!! 😊🙏

[@ShowMe78]

Love your garden!

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you!! 😊

[@Heila-m2g]

Beautiful garden. I like how you stake the tomato's. Very neat

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it =)

[@helenmcclellan452]

Great tour!

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you Helen!

[@saminairfan45]

Beautiful garden and first time visiting your channel❤

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you and welcome! ☺️

[@christasflowersandveggies]

Hi from Australia, you have a beautiful garden and it's something to be proud of.🍉🍈🌶🫑🍅🍆🌽🧄🧅

[@TheGardenFamily]

Well thank you! I’m sure you are dreaming of the warm season down your way! Wishing you a wonderful upcoming season! 😊

[@leonshomegrown]

This is so similar to what I’m trying to create. Very happy to find your channel. And looking forward to watch your videos 😊😊😊

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you and welcome aboard. Wishing you best of luck with creating your dream garden!

[@joyfulliving5157]

Excellent!!🎉

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you! 🙏

[@numa472]

Your garden looks beautiful and perfect 😍😍😍 So well-planned and looked after. Love from Darjeeling, India.

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you very much! 😊🙏

[@hastycontemplation]

You answered why my long Island cheese pumpkin is doing so well! I didn't know it had better resistence to the squash bug.

[@TheGardenFamily]

Oh good! Yes, we prefer them to regular pumpkins for that reason. Best of luck with the rest of your season!

[@saminairfan45]

Love your channel, new subscriber ❤

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you! So glad you’re here, we're getting ready to post more gardening videos soon!

[@leonshomegrown]

Looks fantastic 😊😊😊

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you! =)

[@kiracampbell3382]

your garden is so prolific it definitely makes me a little bummed about mine 😂 absolutely beautiful work

[@TheGardenFamily]

Well thank you! And don't be bummed, every year has different challenges and ways we can continue to learn! Wishing you success in the rest of your season!

[@rethablair6902]

New subscriber here and thank u for your content🥰

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you and welcome! 🤗

[@patriciaterry5539]

Wow! New subscriber here! Your garden is awesome!

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you and welcome aboard! =)

[@Chrishell_b]

Hello, from Oklahoma 7B. I just started a couple months ago & I absolutely LOVE your garden! 😍 do you over winter your pepper plants? I’ve also learned so much! Thank you for showing us your beautiful garden. Your smile is contagious, great job on all your crops!

[@TheGardenFamily]

Well thank you!! We don’t over winter our peppers but perhaps we will try a couple in future years. Do you? We start ours indoors in Mid Feb and they tend to have very early pepper production this way! Thanks for the comment and encouragement!

[@carolineki]

We want to see harvesting all those veggies in your next video

[@TheGardenFamily]

We harvested most of these the day after but we should get another harvest video in at some point here! ☺️

[@saminairfan45]

Do you have a video how you fertilize your garden? Love your garden😊

[@TheGardenFamily]

We will have to do a fertilizer video this year. It's a huge topic and there is not a one-size-fits-all answer but we will explain what we have done!

[@MouthwateringBudgetMeals]

Nice garden

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you very much!

[@corkion]

wow thats some crop regards from ireland

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you! Happy gardening from Ohio, USA! ☺️

[@lionness_simsima5941]

Good morning, how is it going. Definitely 💯 like the garden nice vibes

[@TheGardenFamily]

Good morning to you as well! Thank you =)

[@esthert5191]

Sir thank you for the tour. Your garden is beautiful. This would have been our four year as a gardener but we moved. But you video has motivated me to get back into gardening Great job.

[@esthert5191]

Also what seed was used for your determinant tomatoes please

[@NatureCambodia2019]

Good

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you! 😊

[@SammyTDIYgardenAdventure]

My tomatoe leaves are curled up just the same and I never know what was wrong with them, thank for the info

[@DorothySmiley-x1l]

Your video was so informative I learned too late a flimsy tomato cage is not near strong enough to suport a cherry tomato. Its sprawling everywhere. I was so impressed with what you rigged up. What is your square cage made of please

[@TheGardenFamily]

Hello! Thank you very much. The cage is made from a bent "cattle" or "livestock" panel. I'll have a little more information on an upcoming video.

[@JackieHorsley-z8s]

New subscriber here I really enjoyed your garden tour your tomatos look great what do you feed them

[@TheGardenFamily]

Welcome aboard! The tomatoes get a few fertilizers: a liquid non organic fertilizer in the growing room indoors, then a mulch of composted straw as well as espoma tomato tone during the growing season. We actually haven’t fertilized them since! If they are disease free as the weather starts cooling slightly we will give them another boost of organic fertilizers. 👍

[@EarthOfAbundance]

Looks great! I think this is a best garden I ever seen. What do you use against blight disease on tomato? From Ukraine.

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you very much! The way we prune tomatoes gives much air flow to help with blight. Happy gardening from Ohio, USA!

[@MomPuff-b9w]

I love your video!! Great harvest!! I live in zone 6b also!! I love poblano peppers & tomatillos!! Did you start the plants from seeds or bought them in a nursery? If from seed which brand did you use? My poblano peppers grow very small 😕😕 any advice? I’m a new subscriber I’m so happy your channel showed up on my feed!! Blessings from Kentucky 🙌🏻🦋🙏🏻 Amazing advice to learn & follow!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻I’m going to binge on your past videos!! I’m looking for dwarf fruit trees!! Thank you for taking the time to share so much important information!!🤗🦋

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you! We started almost everything from seed. The tomatillos are the variety "Pancho" from Johnnys seeds. For the peppers we like to grow them large in our grow room before planting them out and that seems to help very well. And good luck with the orchard. Glad to have you on board! -Peter

[@MomPuff-b9w]

@@TheGardenFamily yes thank you!! I binged on your older videos & I learned a lot!! You are a beautiful family!! I love that you are teaching your precious kids!! They are always so eager to help!! 🤗🦋 I live in the same zone. I tried to grow artichokes bc they are expensive & I love them!! I ordered the seeds, I planted 12 & 6 germinated really nice. Plants are huge. They start giving you artichokes on the 2nd year. I’m going to mulch them very well this winter & cover them with frost & heavy snow blanket to protect them!! I’ll let you know next year if they survive!! If you like them you might want to try them!! 🤗🤗🤗 Blessings from Kentucky 🙌🏻🦋🙏🏻

[@BDThomas]

Do you eat your dahlias? They're in the potato family and technically the entire plant is edible, but my favorite is to sprinkle the petals in salads. Each variety tastes different - sweet, spicy, bitter, etc. - and they add both visual and flavorful interest to your meal :)

[@TheGardenFamily]

We haven’t tried that yet, thanks for the tip! Dahlias were new for us this year but they sure got huge!

[@DavidHurley-v9k]

Great Garden! How did your attach the tomato trellis T post to the cross beam? How do you keep the tomato vines from sliding down the poles?

[@TheGardenFamily]

@@DavidHurley-v9k to attach the cross beams: a notch was cut into the 2x4 using a saw. One ridge of the T post is then hammered into the saw cut. I then drilled a hole and fastened with wire for added support. To attach the tomatoes I use reusable Velcro ties. The posts have some texture to them to prevent sliding. Hope that helps!

[@sheilaperin2421]

I just found your channel and love it! What city in Ohio are you? I’m from central Ohio - just north of Columbus. You inspire me to grow more vegetables

[@TheGardenFamily]

Hello fellow Buckeye! We are between Dayton and Cincinnati. Thank you for following along! =)

[@do4699]

Beautiful garden. What type of paste tomatoes are you growing? How far apart do you space them?

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you! The paste tomatoes are all determinant. We grew 4 varieties to compare: Paisano, Plum Regal, Roma and Super Sauce (from Burpee). They are growing in straw bales and we have them growing relatively close together with two plants per straw bale.

[@dougingoldsby7029]

Hi Peter 👋 Your Garden is SPECTACULAR!!! What is the name of the small low growing orange flower under your peppers? PS I LOVE Salsa Verde! ... FedEx ? 🚙💨

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thanks! I think(?) that is a calibrachoa but I can’t remember for sure!

[@dougingoldsby7029]

@@TheGardenFamily I always forget the name but we have them out here and they are a favorite! Love you!

[@wildertag]

Whaoo!🤗🤗 very beautiful vegetable garden. How many m2 du you have ? (Vegetable garden plot ?) Cheers from France 🇫🇷

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you! Our garden area is approximately 650m2, that includes the area of the dwarf fruit orchard. Happy gardening from Ohio, USA!

[@wildertag]

@@TheGardenFamily thanks

[@mijejo11]

Hello, hello! We might be neighbors. I am also in southwest Ohio. I am about 90 minutes northeast of downtown Cincinnati. Where about are you? You have a beautiful garden, and I enjoyed your video.

[@zachflynn6195]

Everything looks fantastic! How do you keep all of these crops well watered? Do you have an automatic system? I don’t imagine that you hand water all of that.

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thanks Zach! The raised beds have drip irrigation. Nothing else does. The in ground plants generally don’t need much supplemental water we have found with our clay soil and rainy summers. The straw bales need a bit more water but those we hand water…hoping to get a bit more drip irrigation done this fall!

[@AshleyReneeSanders]

Beautiful garden! Where did you get the 8ft tomato cages from?

[@TheGardenFamily]

Thank you! We make them from cattle / livestock panels =)

[@whitenoisefactory3194]

@@TheGardenFamily you need a video on how to make those!

[@lala012310]

When you save your black krim seeds, have you ever noticed any type of cross pollination in what you grow the next year?

[@TheGardenFamily]

@@lala012310 we haven’t so far. Tomatoes have a “perfect flower” that can pollinate itself. So even if they are in close proximity the tomatoes almost always self pollinate (breeders go through many hoops to cross pollinate them). So far they have bred true each year! 🤞

[@jeffmeyers3837]

Can you briefly describe how you fertilize tomatoes (and other plants) throughout the season? Specifically the tomatoes growing in straw. Thanks.

[@TheGardenFamily]

Hi Jeff, for the straw bale tomatoes we initially have to condition the bales. For this I just use an inorganic nitrogen lawn food. You just need to make sure to use something that is ONLY fertilizer and no other strange lawn additives. It takes about 2 weeks of every other day watering and nitrogen fertilizer for them to heat up and then cool back down and be ready to plant in. After that I plant with a slow release organic fertilizer, I believe we used Tomato Tone, at the time of planting. I actually haven't fertilized them since that initial application! For other plants it just depends on where they are planted and the type of plant. But in general I like to use organic fertilizers in the outdoor beds even though I'm not opposed to inorganic fertilizers for conditioning the straw bales or for growing seedlings indoors but I usually stick to organic fertilizers outside to promote a healthier soil ecosystem. For a liquid agrothrive is nice and I've used the espoma products for a granular fertilizer. I also mulch the beds with the conditioned straw from last year and I've noticed that adds a good amount of fertility. Hope that helps!

[@michelledavis8685]

Will you share how you built your tomato trellis?

[@TheGardenFamily]

I’ll try and work that in to a future video!

[@Beachlover-ih7mh]

I’ve been searching for a site dedicated to Ohio gardens. I’m also 6b on the east side, Ohio river area. We’ve had no rain for 6 weeks. Not a lot of produce this summer. Everything is dry and dying. I’m so distressed.

[@TheGardenFamily]

Welcome! It’s definitely been dry, did you get a bit of rain today? We did but not much. Wishing you a wonderful fall season!

[@lindaferguson593]

What different variety paste tomatoes do you grow?

[@TheGardenFamily]

Hi Linda, we grew Paisano, Plum Regal, Roma VF and Easy Sauce (which I erroneously have been calling Super Sauce until I just saw the seed packet!). Here is a link where I discuss the different varieties: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqfVon-ZZtd1Y8ksi=uR-aqB1e0rgKA9iz&t=707

[@Zahra_95-Abd]

Did you just crush those bugs with your bare fingers? 😮 I am so scared to get them (even with gloves 😅😅😂)

[@TheGardenFamily]

Haha, yes! It’s sort of sad to think how many I have crushed at this point…😬

[@lyriicc1]

can you do a video on how you pruned your tomatoes?

[@TheGardenFamily]

Not one specifically but perhaps that will be on the list!

[@FarmKidsNJ]

Hi will you share how you attach your 2x4 to your t posts for the vertical tomato garden?

[@TheGardenFamily]

It's a bit hard to explain in text but if you take a circular saw and create a notch in the 2x4 you can then pound it into the flange of the T post (the bottom of the T). To make sure they don't pop out I also secure them with some wire as well. Hopefully that makes sense?

[@FarmKidsNJ]

@@TheGardenFamily this is what we thought but wanted to ask! Great idea! And thanks for sharing :)

[@73lmargaret]

I’m in your same zone in southwest Ohio! What are the varieties of onion you chose? Love your videos!!

[@TheGardenFamily]

Hey neighbor! We chose the following varieties: Sierra Blanca (white), Cabernet (purple), Super Sweet Yellow Utah Jumbo (yellow) and Patterson (yellow). They have all done very well for us this year!

[@73lmargaret]

@@TheGardenFamily did you start from seed or order starts?? Thank you for all the videos! Very useful!

[@73lmargaret]

I was wondering the exact same thing!

[@tinablum9089]

Where did you get those tomatoe cages from??

[@TheGardenFamily]

They are bent from a livestock or cattle panel. I have some more info on a video I just filmed so look for it soon!

[@boby4751]

How often did you water your tomatoes?

[@TheGardenFamily]

We get ample summer rain but we tried to give them the equivalent of 1-1.5 inches of water per week. Early season not much watering but ended up watering daily as we hit a dry / hot spell in August!

[@JeanneKinland]

How did you attach the 2x4 to the T-post?

[@TheGardenFamily]

If you make a slot in the 2x4 with a circular saw you can wedge one flange of the T post into the slot. Then you can use some wire to secure it and keep it from coming out of the slot. Hope that helps!

[@tammyinwv1]

How do you deter deer?

[@TheGardenFamily]

We have a fence that keeps them out. If they really wanted they could jump but they don’t seem that motivated. The garden is also very close to the house and that seems to help

[@Boardshortsandt]

The rats don’t get them?

[@TheGardenFamily]

We haven't had any issues with rats luckily...

[@karollanela4332]

Please you need to harvest all your veggies even if you won't eat, you can give to someone else.

[@TheGardenFamily]

We did! Although we didn't do a long form video you can see some of the harvests in our "shorts" =)