Tomato Planting Masterclass: The Secret to Perfect Tomatoes

[@Uk-AirRifle-Hunter]

Started my allotments this year without a clue about gardening I’m only 27 & your videos have made me feel like a professional when I talk to people, thank you 😂

[@Iamhome365]

That's great that you've started! There seems to be more younger people starting, so exciting watching your things grow then the satisfaction of eating what you've grown!! I'm still enjoying kale that I grew last year, its in flower now so nearly finished. Best of luck to you 😊

[@computingananswer766]

It begins! It is hard work but ultimately ever so satisfying. Congratulations on your new allotment plot - get out there and make it happen.

[@ninemoonplanet]

Fruits, veg home grown are far more nutritous than store, plus if you don't use pesticide, herbicides your food doesn't have chemical residue. Start small, watch how nature works with sun, wind and especially soil. It's a journey, not a race. Yes, you will fail a few times, every gardener does, even experts. Enjoy yourself.

[@rogink]

Good for you! YT videos are great, but the most useful knowledge is from the other allotment holders who know the soil and growing conditions. But I'm sure you know that :)

[@cobralord4279]

Nice to see a fellow young person get into gardening, I’m 28 and I think Im the youngest person on my local allotments which has about 300 plots. More people defo need to get into it, great for the mind

[@gingerkissed]

Rosie is such a good helper. Everyone should have a gardening supervisor that cute!

[@GrowVeg]

She keeps a close eye on proceedings! :-)

[@doras.allotment]

4 legged assistants are key to success I think! ☺️

[@nickeha]

I have two kittens with me in the garden but they don’t help making things easier at all

[@tankscape]

2:30 Rosie being the attentive student! so cute.

[@katiebee4514]

When we lived in Northern California in the 90s our landlord was a farmer (also in his 90s!) who at one time had grown tomatoes which he sold to Del.Monte for canning. He always started them under glass and aimed to pick the first one by the 4th of July. When he planted them out he gave them a good soak to settle them in, but then said he never watered them again after that as "tomatoes don't like having wet feet". Never forgot that!

[@GrowVeg]

What’s a fantastic anecdote. Yes, if you have reliable rain, then they shouldn’t really need water again. :-)

[@theresechenoweth2321]

And here in Australia all is opposite and we’re doing well to pick our first tomatoes by Christmas.

[@ewannowak1600]

Yes! Ben pops up with a new video at the perfect time (for me anyway 😁). Always informative and good fun. One of the best channels on KZbin

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much! :-)

[@karenchong4047]

Ben, you are such a good teacher! I like how you illustrate every important detail in the process. I have learned a great deal from you! Thank you so much!

[@NRG450]

Thank you for providing so much valuable information for free over countless videos. It's a pleasure to watch and it helps so much. Learning years of information in just a short space of time is incredible

[@46FreddieMercury91]

That greenhouse is to die for. I could live in that

[@katalinhliva4177]

Dear Ben, Rosie is a sweetheart; I enjoyed the Tomato Masterclass. Can we please have more tutorials about peppers, aubergines, salads, raspberries, and radishes?

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for these suggestions. Will add them to the list of our video requests! :-)

[@sarahbennett9820]

You deserve your own TV show!

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much! :-)

[@wordwalkermomma4]

Ben, you are a treasure to all gardeners.😘 Thank you!

[@zoni36]

Thanks for a great video! What a beautiful greenhouse! Definitely a bit jealous!!

[@richswain7154]

Hi Ben, brilliance!!!! I love your use of spare sheep fence! That idea is going into ....... or onto my new raised bed in the sunny corner. LOVE IT! Thank you

[@heathercook6376]

Your pup is precious ❤

[@laggywarden2915]

Started my tomatoes in late March indoors and planted them outside in early April, they’re growing a little slow but are starting to catch up now that it’s getting warmer:) can’t wait to smell them this year again lol

[@jagibaba]

I had to transfer mine under the grow light but in the basement, your comment makes me think that the temperature really slowed down their growth 🤔 minde are super slow to grow too you see, but we have frost right now so I can't bring them outside either. I might try to raise the temperature, thanks for the idea!! 👌🏼

[@yunusausman9467]

This is educating me love this kinda videos

[@kennupoiss]

Watching your videos everyday.. so "no stress" watching, even i`m not in garden.

[@sleepymirin9162]

Cutest dog!! Also, great tomato tips.

[@paulinephillips8305]

Wonderful video, thank you so much 😊. I grew up gardening, but still have a lot to learn about veggies! I didn't know about planting the seedlings deeply, for a start. Your videos are informative, but enjoyable so that we can take the info in. Rosie is an added bonus! Thank you both.

[@Kitchenlabofficial]

Wow fresh healthy Cherry tomatoes

[@DannyHodge95]

Last year was my first year growing, and I grew tomatoes outside in Yorkshire. The single biggest bit of advice I have for people in the same situation is that beefsteaks are significantly harder to grow in these conditions than smaller varieties, even ones listed as suitable for outdoors. Mine just couldn't ripen in time. Perhaps if you have a fantastic indoor propagating setup you can get ahead, but for me, I'm sticking to cherries and saucing tomatoes this year.

[@GrowVeg]

I've found this to be the case as well.

[@territucker9881]

Thank you for the tomato Master class. ❤ Rosie is a doll!

[@Garykoi625]

Watched a few of your videos. It's good to see 👀 the pitfalls and the success we all get. 😮 🐟

[@markwilson8903]

Always engaging and informative.

[@Iamhome365]

I remember seeing you taste a tomato when you were with huw richards, honeycomb i think it was. You said it was the sweetest tomato you ever tasted. Meant to buy but only after thinking of it now!

[@jagibaba]

I'm looking for that same variety for that same reason 😂

[@GrowVeg]

It was totally incredible. It's one of the varieties I'm growing this season. :-)

[@doras.allotment]

I remembered this too and chose the honeycomb variety, they look to be growing on well - time to pot up though. Can’t wait to try! 🧡

[@markhildred2456]

Thank you for a good explanation on how to deal with determinate tomatoes ( most channels just talk about indeterminates) . Hopefully my Roma will benefit this year !

[@christavanderburg4382]

Last year I had 'black' cherry tomatoes in our garden. Both neighbours and tourists stopped to look at these black fruits. "Are those cherries? Or grapes?" I got frequently asked. For months people stopped by to ask about the black tomatoes. Some even came up to the door; they were so curious about these strange tomatoes! These tomatoes were "Indigo Blueberry" and "Indigo Goldberry". In the green stage the purple blush can be so dark, it looks black - the more sun, the darker they get. When they ripen, they turn red or yellow beneath that purple blush. Lovely to see, and great sweet and sour taste for eating fresh or in salads. But my favorites last year were "White Cherry", "Green Copia" and "Dark Galaxy".

[@gardentogrill970]

If I hadn't already sown 15 more varieties than I have space for, I would add one of those. 😂

[@GrowVeg]

That sounds like a fantastic variety! :-)

[@doras.allotment]

These sound delicious! 🍅

[@lorainemcguire5795]

Hi Ben your a grow veg genius your knowledge is so useful to everyone following your videos and I ❤your little jokes to I will be doing the string as well under the root balk 🍅🍅💚

[@louellis3237]

Haven’t watched this yet but already liked

[@GrowVeg]

Great stuff! :-)

[@lilybruggeman5796]

Again great tips and explanations. Thanks again!!! Unfortunately, the weather in Belgium is still very cold. The thermometer in the greenhouse can still go udown to 7°C at night, so much too cold. I will definitely have to wait until mid-May to plant the tomatoes/peppers in the greenhouse. Because I have already sown these, especially the peppers in January... and have raised them under light... some of them are already bearing flowers that I will pollinate myself in the house with an electric toothbrush. Fortunately, the tomato plants are not yet bearing flowers. I am also experimenting with micro tomatoes (bonzai style) that would only grow to 25 cm and can be sown and harvested indoors (under light) all year round.

[@GrowVeg]

My tomatoes are in the greenhouse. I've recorded temperatures in there down to 2C recently, but with a bit of fleece over the top of the plants they seem to cope just fine, so long as it warms up nicely during the day.

[@AnnikaVictoria24]

Im in the southern hemisphere so heading into winter, but I'm growing my tomatoes right now in an indoor greenhouse! This comes at a great time

[@hkschubert9938]

First time yes. Still to cold here to plant tomatoes however. We wait til May for that. Fruit trees & potatoes are being planted here now. Your vid on tomatoes will get me ready for next month thanks !!

[@rogink]

Volunteer tomatoes. Yes, I carefully potted some new seeds and when they were ready, planted them out. Then when they stated getting bigger, noticed I had some intruders. These must have been left over seeds from toms I'd grown the previous year :) My problem is I'm not ruthless enough. I let the old plants grow, but they took up space from the new ones. I should have pulled them out. I got a good crop, but also had a lot of blight.

[@GrowVeg]

Always hard to throw away seedlings!

[@ameliemorton9849]

Your videos lift the spirit as we move into winter, I use them as a sort of therapy, the effect on my mood is remarkable. In my Canadian of zone 7, together with the little creatures who love my tomatoes, I am going to build a greenhouse and plant especially my cherry tomatoes inside. The Rodneys (affectionately named Pacific very clever rats) of this world cannot avail themselves of those tomatoes and the extra heat should be really helpful. I noticed that you have soil in your greenhouse, that seems like a great idea, I can put stepping stones which I can move around. Each time you make a video could you tell us the date when you start it, so that we can use a similar time frame....with gratitude thank you

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much for your kind words - and what you have planned sounds like a really great idea. :-) To know the date of the video, just click on the video description that comes with the video, where you'll find the date the video was published.

[@Cornz38]

Excellent. I put mine outside last week under a fleece. Last year they rotted due to damp and the year before caterpillars had 70% of my crop. So here's hoping for this year.

[@jagibaba]

Good luck! 🤞🏼

[@GrowVeg]

Hoping you'll get a better result this time round! :-)

[@CaliKim29]

Fabulous class. Clear and concise. Mac (my garden Border collie) and Rosie need to meet. 😂

[@GrowVeg]

I'm sure Rosie would love that Kim! Lovely to see you on here. I imagine your tomatoes are a bit further ahead than mine by now. Happy gardening! :-)

[@Toffnm]

I'm sooo happy you're sowing the "100s and 1000s" tomato type because I did too :D I saw a picture in an online garden group last year where the gardener attached the pot to a pole and had the same plant drape down towards the ground like a giant tower of tomatoes, it was glorious!! Fingers crossed for both of us :D But my favourite micro bush variety is Bonsai, and I sowed a bunch of those I will be gifting away this summer.

[@GrowVeg]

Not heard of Bonsai - will look that one up, thanks! :-)

[@sallyannlaw3860]

Hi Ben, I must say, I love all your wonderful, enthusiastic videos. They make anybody who watches them want to get up off the couch and grow something. Thank you. I moved home in June 2020. I now have a very large back garden just crying out to grow veg. I started out small, a few small beds, primarily No Dig with edgings to keep it neat and tidy. 4 years on, I have expanded into 1/2 my back garden for veggies and the other as flower beds with a few apple trees. One small hack I use for tying any of my climbers in is to use old tights (yes, you read right TIGHTS). Just cut off the toe part, then cut across the legs every 2 to 3 cms. A bit like calamari rings. I then stretch them out and cut them into strips. Then use just like you would your twine to tie your plants to their supports. Soft, durable and stretchy, allowing stems room to grow thicker.

[@GrowVeg]

Love the tights tip - genius! 😀

[@markw5779]

Great job Ben,love these videos,

[@LailandiAdventures]

I love growing tomatoes on my balcony! This is my third year and I've been getting progressively better. I have just fabricated a gravity fed drip fed olla system so now I can go on holidays without getting anyone to water them. Next I'm going to build a cattle fence trellis tunnel. This is the most exciting time of the year!

[@GrowVeg]

These sound like fantastic projects! :-)

[@litsci1877]

Love these homemade tomato cages! Excellent idea, especially with the hazel canes.

[@Detour4it]

As always... great information and presentation. Thanks for all you do! 🍻

[@DownButNotOutYet]

Good morning Ben, thank you for the informative garden talk. I have learned so much regarding the planting of tomatoes, things I just took for granted, I am sure come our spring, I will be better informed and thereby enjoy a good harvest. We planted yellow pear shared tomatoes but I need variety. Could share some the bumper crop with a friend. Good bye.

[@toniedalton5448]

Tomatoes are the main reason I garden. My heirlooms I save seed and grow from them year to year. But Roma's are a must for my paste and sauces. Rich soil and lots of water. I can't wait to get mine outside !! But still frost chances until May 15 th in the Blue Ridge mins. So heat mat,and grow lights in my spare room. But so much I've learned over the years from Ben. From his old days of being a helper on the PBS show to his own wonderful knowledge sharing thank you

[@GrowVeg]

Not long until things can get planted out now. Hope you have a fantastic grain season. :-)

[@valoriegriego5212]

Howdy, Ben and Rosie!👋 Another great tutorial! Beautiful tomato seedlings/plants. 👍 We are starting to get fruit on our tomatoes and peppers in Central Texas. Soon, it will be too hot for our plants...hitting 100+ for 30+ days.

[@GrowVeg]

Hope you get a fantastic harvest there Valorie. :-)

[@Maggie-eq4cd]

Great masterclass, it is really helpful. Just what I was looking for. All my veg growing is large fabric bags, and I only have a polytype walk in greenhouse. This has given me some ideas I will watch this many times. Thanks very much Maggie in Hertfordshire

[@nunosantos2892]

Great to see a new video of tomatos! Every year it passes, I love them even more! Your other tomato videos were a great help btw! I'm looking forward to this next video! I currentely have 6 tomato plants growing (2 black cherry, 1 black krim, 1 golden nugget, 1 yellow pear and another given to me by a close family member which I don't know what it is... yet!). The black cherrys are already huge and giving tomatoes! I have them all in big pots (learned from my mistake last year of putting them in small ones. The yields were not very good. But it was a veeery small pot). I've been trying to get the Sungold F1 cherry seeds that everyone talks about, but in Portugal seems to be impossible! Happy gardening to all!

[@GrowVeg]

Happy gardening to you too. Hope you get a fantastic crop of tomatoes this year. :-)

[@loveveganUK]

Will be following all your tips this year, hoping for a bumper harvest :)

[@Iamhome365]

Looking so forward to watching!! I've have 5 or 6 varieties growing, maybe 25 plants just small at the moment but can't wait to be able to pick and eat them straight off the vine!!

[@priayief]

I'm always looking for ways to streamline my gardening techniques and by running my own trials, I've discovered that there is no need to pot up tomato seedlings. I now germinate only two seeds in relatively small pots and transplant the seedlings directly in the garden. My transplants are about half the size of the ones you are showing in this video. My original comparison tests showed me that the smaller seedlings (about 3 or 4 inches) quickly caught up to my potted up seedlings (about 6 or 7 inches). And they produced equally as well, if not better. The one thing I have to be cautious of is starting my seedlings too early as they can outgrow their pots. As well, there's always the risk that the weather may not be acceptable for transplanting until unusually later in the season. In these cases, I have had to resort to potting up. I especially liked your advice about germinating your seeds in regular potting soil. When I first started gardening I thought it was preferable to use specialized germination mediums. It took me several seasons to realize that this wasn't necessary. Thanks for your many informative posts.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for sharing your experiences of your comparisons like this. That’s really useful information. Hope you have a great tomato harvest this season. :-)

[@rumpole2347]

I recommend Losetto for baskets.Tiny fingernail sized oh so sweet sweet tomato pearls and masses and masses of them.

[@lindacooper4893]

Your beautiful dog is looking very interesting in what you are doing 😂❤❤

[@kimmicannon5629]

Love your greenhouse. Thank you for all the tips.

[@erictheshark9045]

There you've got a very nice greenhouse! 🌱 I LOVE your vids

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much! 😀

[@RunGodRun]

Great video, my friend. You're personable, friendly, and easy to listen to. You've not only helped up my game in the gardening and harvesting field of things I've already know, but have also introduced me to such things as growing mushrooms in buckets and worm tea. Thank you.

[@GrowVeg]

Well it’s an absolute pleasure to have you along. Happy gardening! :-)

[@DanJonesShow]

Awesome video! Thank you!

[@froginprogress8510]

A couple years ago, my brother had a gigantic Sungold tomato plant that he just stopped picking from as he got ready for his wedding. Tomatoes everywhere. Last year, lots of plants popped up. Same deal. Neither he nor his wife picked them. This year, there are tiny seedlings popping up all over along the fence between our garden plots, despite the weather being in the mid to low 30s (F) at night. I like the slightly creepy looking tomatoes like reisetomate, because potential intruders are unsettled by their appearance. As is my mother😂

[@GrowVeg]

I had to look up Reistomate and, wow - what an incredible looking tomato! I can see why people would be unsettled by it!

[@ameliemorton9849]

Sungold in North America at least is one of the sweetest tomatoes to grow especially in the Pacific North West

[@robertbateman8836]

Hi i just watched your master class brilliant as are all your movies. i have one question. this is my first year growing tomatoes on my allotment and some of the other plot holders say they put crushed egg shell in the hole when they plant the toms dose this actually work and if so what are the benefits please

[@GrowVeg]

The idea behind crushed egg shells is that they contain a lot of calcium, so should guard against blossom end rot in the fruits. However, blossom end rot is more often caused by irregular watering, rather than a lack of calcium in itself. So I suspect adding egg shells doesn't make a big difference. That said, there's certainly no harm in adding them. I just wouldn't expect it to make a noticeable difference to growth.

[@MANNY100123]

Thank you for the informative videos! As always!

[@twelvesmylimit]

Hit like if you love Rosie dog! ❤️

[@lythipua]

Hello, your video is very helpful, thank you

[@gardentogrill970]

Another great video, just be careful when you use plant-based rope like sisal. If you put it underneath the rootball, it can happen that it decomposes before the end of the season, and when the rope snaps, your whole plant can slide down. Speaking from experience here 😅

[@GrowVeg]

That’s a very good point! Thank you for sharing. :-)

[@gardeningtroutmaster]

nice i just last minute to start one more type for fun. Kumato.. 1.5 inch brown cool looking and the Torinjina Hybrid Organic hybrid type like a grape vine like clusters i love your videos so much.. from northern Ontario Canada

[@gigiartstudiowithartistvir3919]

The best crops of tomatoes I have ever had were when I stopped fussing over them. I planted in rich soil, partial shade, drip irrigated, and then ignored. I didn't cut out any suckers and let the vines go wild. I didn't even need to do pest control. They were so healthy that pests left them alone. Even the dreaded hornworm was no match.

[@GrowVeg]

Impressive result! :-)

[@Mastadex]

Yay another master class video! For those of us that start their seedlings too early, would keeping them at a cooler temperature (e.g. at 17C instead of 22C) slow down their growth or would this cause stunting in the long run? My plants are reaching my grow lights and I don't have enough space for them...

[@GrowVeg]

Yes indeed, keeping them slightly cooler would slow their growth. Mine are now in the greenhouse where it's pretty fresh at night and takes a while to warm up (for now!).

[@user-uj3kw5wt3i]

Your baby is supervising you.😊

[@definitelyp8652]

I like growing sauce tomatoes.

[@2spoons]

I'll be looking for Mountain Magic seeds ASAP.... thanks Ben

[@LindaMyers-bk3rb]

Ben, I love your videos and always learn something new and useful, even after years of growing vegetables here in Maryland in the US, a very different climate from yours. I noticed that you put your blighted tomato prunings into the compost heap. Does your compost get hot enough to kill any disease spores? I was taught that diseased tomato clippings should go into the trash to avoid re-introducing diseases. For me, that’s important, as my compost heap doesn’t heat up very much. Wondering about yours.

[@GrowVeg]

To be honest, I’m not sure adding blight to the compost heap is a problem as the spores should die off with no material to feed on. I read that other professional gardeners do the same with no ill effect.

[@ian4015]

I always line hanging baskets with cheap washing up sponges. Holds the water well and they’re cheap 👍

[@carolynmeadows]

love tomatoes

[@emmahughes2618]

Excellent info as always…. I do have a question . Once the plant is about 6-8 inches high do you recommend cutting off the bottom stems of leaves?

[@GrowVeg]

I would wait until the plants are a bit bigger. I would maybe cut off the lowest leaves once they're around a foot tall. Once they are much taller you can remove all of the leaves up to the first truss of fruits. That's what I do anyhow. :-)

[@ameliemorton9849]

can you make a video on grafting our own tomato plants, which stock is best to use for the rooting side?

[@GrowVeg]

That's a great idea and a video I'll certainly consider for the future.

[@TuttleScott]

I planted some maters in a raised bed last year thats in a part of my yard that stays wet and they went ape. never had bigger plants.

[@darrenjgreig]

Thanks again for the helpful tips. Always learn a thing or two hopefully time will tell lol had a good season last year...sure some of thats down to your help. Much appreciated!! Wee question Got tomato plants here getting a bit big for their grow space some are 6 or 7" tall. They will be going out to a tunnel soon. Do you think its maybe a bit early? Or does the tunnel allow this early First season with a tunnel and finding it...different shall we say

[@GrowVeg]

It depends on where you are and your climate. But if you are in the UK I would say you’re probably safe to plant them from this weekend onwards, when it will be a touch warmer.

[@greenwater7182]

wanna try

[@lucybarnard3954]

Can you plant other seedlings up to the bottom leaves too? I see you’re not using your daughters hair bands anymore x

[@MyFocusVaries]

Some people say you can plant squash and cucumber deep, but there are conflicting opinions on that.

[@GrowVeg]

I would say any shallow-rooted salads are fine. I'll also be planting French marigolds and basil, which are well known companions to tomatoes.

[@2846matthew]

Love your videos! Any preference with the feed type? Heard good things about calmag

[@GrowVeg]

I just use any organic liquid tomato fertiliser. 😀

[@2846matthew]

@@GrowVeg it’s working well, now I know what to use for the crowd of different tomatoes taking up my greenhouse. Thank you!!

[@NickCrisp-zt5is]

Hi Ben, very informative as ever. Can I ask where you get the cattle fence wire from? I can only seem to get in 50m length, which is way too much for me. I'm in the Midlands, UK.

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Nick. I think this is the one I bought originally, but it is 50m in length unfortunately. But I've had this roll a few years now and am using it gradually for different projects. www.amazon.co.uk/Livestock-Fencing-Animal-Protective-Border/dp/B01C8NQB9K/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.YLXQDBb3YSzFVu7CQrQWbAXExMthe5bolB8QRnSLxZg4Mdu-yVZDlqEZ7KY0BX4DG3ph6vuHWtOifwPq-PWEGnHRuF6oaMm3wS-0pLzCy9xreNWBN-HNKt2GNAQVZl1I8OfI2v142Lm6f76UUeJLHBKy0C67hHalTN074OD090onFeNBkbEEquCwxVka5LO6LdPVrgPbl8vUiE3DSRkU2Pf2imLiLi1oll8PopWf14ZbwOM-ubgOEEEPFuMRmb3NeY2yx5FfdVKMb2dr0kLbVzTa_Gxii7AYcQ__LtjtSUA.FBOIqlKdJNHh_gKBf7bXt6xBUtT-qZA8oblfTrV9zlg&dib_tag=se&keywords=stock+fencing&qid=1713860837&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

[@dv1019.]

what temperature shut be in greenhouse to move plants from house to have more light ? many thanks

[@GrowVeg]

I move my tomatoes out quite early - once outside temperatures are above around 50F or 10C during the day, as I know it will be a lot warmer in the greenhouse. They are then brought inside for the first few nights to help them acclimatise, and if a frost threatens.

[@grrlpurpleable]

Had some success with a hanging basket cherry variety here in Scotland last year. (Ayrshire coast so it's warmer and drier than you would expect for Scotland but still has high latitude light issues) I'd love to grow Roma variety baby plum tomatoes. I can eat them like sweets but are pricey in the supermarkets. I assume I'd need a greenhouse and likely heating too. Any advice would be gratefully received. :) Awesome video again and Rosie clearly loves to help :)

[@GrowVeg]

You'd be absolutely fine growing Roma in an unheated greenhouse or polytunnel. You could try a blight-resistant tomato outside.

[@weedygardenerukweedygarden6981]

Great video - thank you. Is your video heated? I’m in Norfolk, zone 11, with last frost date of April 21. Wondering if I can plant my tomatoes out in my unheated greenhouse yet?

[@GrowVeg]

My greenhouse isn't heated - and can get quite fresh! I think you'd be fine planting them out in an unheated greenhouse now though. Mine have been planted for a few weeks. That said, maybe will till the weekend, when nights will be a touch warmer than forecast for the rest of the week.

[@carolyngonzalez9094]

Thanks much for the masterclass! I hope to be an A student someday soon. I love Tom's, usually do OK, tho I think I need crop rotation..... getting disease and cat face on my fruit. My question is about your hothouse. I would love to have toms all year, but don't know if a hothouse is the way. Do they taste the same as those grown in the sunlight? And what to do about pollination? Is there a best way? Or do you primarily start plants inside then move out? Hope for some expert guidance. Thank you!!

[@GrowVeg]

My greenhouse isn't heated, so I can really only grow tomatoes in the summer. Even if it was heated, the light levels in winter just wouldn't be high enough for tomatoes. The only way you could grow tomatoes year-round would be to grow them under grow lights indoors during the winter - in my climate at least. Greenhouse tomatoes taste just as good, especially as mine grow down into the soil itself. Pollination is still performed by bees, which can easily fly in and out via the windows and open door.

[@carolyngonzalez9094]

@@GrowVeg Very good info. Hmmm...it does get colder in my Northern CA. climate in the winter....maybe if I "insulated" a small space and heated? Have to think about that! And very good to know about the bees. I see lots of bumblebees right now (lots!!) and yes, I can leave the door open on the warm, sunny days. Thanks for the excellent guidance. ;-)

[@erkansaid8081]

Thanks for another great video Ben. Quick question, you like growing toms in straw bales...could I get the same effect with putting loads of straw/hay in a pot?

[@GrowVeg]

You probably wouldn’t get the same effect. The straw needs to be properly conditioned for growing in it. Growing in straw, bales should be viewed as more of a complete system of grey. But you could certainly use straw as a mulch over the surface of tomatoes growing in a pot. :-)

[@someblokecalleddave1]

A lot of this footage - recorded previously (last year) I guess as the plants are so well developed when you talk about 'Now'?

[@GrowVeg]

Yes indeed. A lot of the footage is from last year in order to show more of the process in this video. :-)

[@chiefredbird7315]

I prefer the STRONG BUSHY TYPE😊....also 🍅s

[@mazzy8216]

How did the hanging basket tomato go Ben! I'm very curious.

[@GrowVeg]

It established fine, but I actually gave it away to a neighbour as I find hanging baskets can be a bine to keep watered. My neighbour was very happy!

[@DungeonsLover]

I'm having trouble with choosing a tomato feed. I planted my tomatoes with a good amount of compost and some chicken pellets in. Now I'm looking at liquid fertiliser to use during the fruiting stage. I have a great organic one with a 3-4-3 ratio and I'm wondering if that would be fine. It feels like everyone has a different opinion about the ratios. What do you reckon?

[@GrowVeg]

I would probably want one with a slightly higher potassium ratio - the last number. I always by liquid feeds specifically sold for tomatoes.

[@MariThomas01]

can you do a video or short on water retaining gels. I have some and really want to use it but struggle with knowing how.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for the suggestion Mari. Usually these gels are just mixed in with the potting mix/compost according to packet instructions. I would consider using them in smaller containers and hanging baskets. :-)

[@MariThomas01]

​@@GrowVeg Oh? Ok thanks, maybe i have the wrong kind. Mine are small and get huge when water is added. Can you recommend a good gel?

[@wiwingmargahayu6831]

wow

[@IvanChengWeiJiaBartleyss]

I live in southeast asia so i can grow tomatoes whenever i want and i do not need to sow indoors

[@GraemeMcN]

What's the reason for avoiding watering the leaves? You said this at the end when watering with added tomatoe food. Cheers

[@GrowVeg]

The main reason is that wet leaves present a higher risk of attracting diseases. So keeping the foliage as dry as possible at all times will help to reduce the risk of diseases like blight.

[@christytschappat2592]

Question- when you use the green house for plants do you have less bug issues? Last year I struggled with many pest. Cucumber beetles, squash bugs White moths etc. I only got to eat one cucumber and one squash. Is there any preventative I can start out with? What’s your thought one BT??

[@GrowVeg]

I don't really get much in the way of pests here, but that's just my location and climate. Aphids and whitefly can sometimes be issues, but growing plants in the greenhouse doesn't reduce the incidence of these. The best way to prevent pests is to grow pest predator-attracting flowers and to cover plants early on to keep the pests off for as long as possible - till they need to be removed to allow for pollination. More in general pest control tips in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGrbdIRnosSritksi=cjSxH2tQ2Ysn4pyC

[@patricialee2711]

What is the best soil to use with amendments😊

[@GrowVeg]

In containers you can just use any multipurpose/all-purpose potting mix/compost. Then feed with a concentrated liquid tomato feed once plants start to flower.

[@zebedeevlogs32]

What do you suggest for blossom end rot please?

[@GrowVeg]

Blossom end rot is usually caused by irregular watering, so try to be consistent so the soil you are growing plants in doesn’t dry out to a crisp. Also, feed regularly with a tomato feed.

[@katyalupochev9589]

By any chance do you have a video of your favourite sweet pepper varieties to grow in the UK? Mine are having a slow time of it but we are finally seeing fruit set 😅 I’m growing AstorF1, ThorF1, Black KnightF1(longer horn shaped) and Sweet ‘Boneta’(a smallish Bell type). Surprisingly, all the long peppers are noticeably outpacing the Boneta, which were described as being specifically good for cold UK weather and early cropping. Curious if you’ve got any varieties that exceeded your expectations, or you felt performed a bit lacklustre!

[@GrowVeg]

I don't have any specific sweet pepper varieties to recommend, as I mostly grow chili peppers, which I find more satisfying to grow. :-)

[@DippyNikk1]

I'm trying an interesting experiment this year and growing Gigantomo's in my greenhouse. its up to 1kg per tomoato and they're the size of a dinner plate

[@Toffnm]

WHAT!! That sounds amazing!

[@GrowVeg]

Wow!

[@conantaylor2453]

I’m a beginner at this not started but want to only 32yr the garden beds can you do it on top of pavement slabs and how would I have to put cardboard or anything else underneath to stop a mess from coming out underneath

[@GrowVeg]

You could do it on top of paving slabs but I would line the beds with some sort of permeable membrane to avoid the patio staining. I would also aim for a depth of at least 8in (20cm) but preferably deeper still.

[@ClareOvaltine]

What was the grafted bush plant that you planted Ben?

[@GrowVeg]

The variety is Crimson Crush. It's technically an indeterminate variety (not a bush type) but I'm going to experiment a bit by growing two main stems off it, for which the cage will be really useful.

[@jaytoney3007]

I'd like to say that I'm already getting tomatoes, but I'm not. Some of my plants are starting to flower, Martino's Roma, Sun Gold, and Thronburn's Terra-Cotta. I'm growing a mix of determinant, semi-determinate, and indeterminate. Of nineteen plants, six are determinate and will be replaced with new plants after they fruit. I'll sow seeds for a second crop of six plants in a week, 2 Martino Roma, 2 Ace-55, and 2 Black Krim. By the time they are ready to go in the ground, I'll have harvested my first round of tomatoes. Cheers!

[@GrowVeg]

You'll have an abundance of pickings - great job! :-)