I learned something today. Many years ago when I was a mid teenager my dad decided we will have the best tomato harvest yet. Dad, brother and I went to a neighbors barn and filled the 1960 Ford F100 pickup bed full of cow manure. Built a above ground garden bed then filled it up with the cow manure and planted tomatoes. The plants grew and grew with the darkest green. NOT one piece of fruit not one flower to pollinate. We surmised it was too much of a good thing. But now I know.....overwhelming nitrogen. Thank you
i wasted 10 years trying to grow tomatoes the "organic" way. it's the most unreliable way of growing veggies but, i didnt know anything else, until i started watching farmer's market growers. no more wholesale guessing of what (magic) concoction to throw on once and hope for the best. using 20:20:20 i grew loads of tomatoes the whole season, and eggplants etc. When i didnt know how to fertilize (or knew that you need to buy real fertilizer not from box stores) i had pitiful if any harvests from each crop. the other thing is to use pro mix and cell trays, and treated seeds from companies that know about their product more than a photo from somewhere. keep up the good work. would be good if you could put additional lighting in your videos, as bit dark in tunnels.
I saw your last tomato video last year, I didn't buy the commercial fert but instead bought a bag of potassium and another bag of phosphorous. I'm applying it separate for each stage... We'll see. I have 8 indeterminate closely planted and am going to trim the branches below for air flow. I'm also saving half a bed for several determinate and grow bags for front.
Hey Dre!! you said you were using a pound and a half per week of the 4-18-38. can you tell us your dosage per gallon and how much water a day is going through the drip lines???
2 grams 4-18-38, 2 grams Calcium Nitrate, 1 gram epsom salt. Make sure you dissolve the calcium in a quart of water and the epsom salt in a quart before adding it to a half gallon of water with the 4-18-38 to prevent nutrient lock. Everything needs to be dissolved in water before mixing together.
Your a great teacher , nice to have someone who has done the science and share with people. OK I got the 4/18/38 once a week when there are flowering and onward, but what ratio fertiliser before then and last question do they self pollinate ? thanks
If your tomatoes are outside the bees and the wind will pollinate them. Otherwise you’ll need to pinch them ever so slightly to self pollinate them, but sometimes this can kill the flower if you pinch it too hard. So I just use an electric toothbrush and touch the flower for one second each flower for one second and that will pollinate them and you’ll get tomatoes guaranteed from each flower. Tomato plants the majority of them are self pollinating they need vibration to release the pollen inside the flower pistol. #Enjoy #Gardening #Happy
I’ve been impressed with Bella Rosa and Brickyard. Next year I’m looking at Red Duece, Red Rave, and an old favorite Tycoon against the Bella Rosa. Florida 91 I’m looking at for my dad as he prefers a more compact plant, and that variety also seems to really produce too.
Looking good! Ive been raising MT. GLORY & MT. MAJESTY for my main crop of reds here in NC. really pleased with them. Might incorporate red deuce next year. My best selling tomatoes are Cherokee purple and June pink heirlooms. Experimenting with low nitrogen high potassium fertilizer this year. Bad thing is heirlooms are more susceptible to disease especially blight. What fungicide do you recommend.
Ty for your videos I have learned a lot. I have 24 tomato plants rn but no drip irrigation I use a soaker hose for now. Where can I find the fertilizer to place manually? No big box stores have it. Also having better results this year I placed a fish with lime under them when I planted so far very happy with the growth and flower production now I need to do the fertilizer.
Hi dre by the title of the video I thought you were going to talk about pulling sucker leaves off the tomato then I saw you were showing the 1 leader grow you should to video to show how you do the 1 leader grow. Also I know your all about fertilizer which I am to but to get the most out of mine I do a airated compost tea concentrate then water down and feed my tomato plants works awesome because you are multiplying the microbes beneficial and live cultures. It's a little bit extra work but big pay off. I do 750 tomato plants for seeds and market just added beans and some flowers this year I'm small I only do 1 acre by hand. Had to edit to add this with your system using a compost tea I know you would worry about the dirt from the compost you add you can put the compost in like a laundry bag drape the bag in the bucket or can and put a cover on it airated it with your molasses for 24-72 hours pull the bag ring the excess water out and feed with your system. No dirt will enter your lines cause it's in the bag
I am growing in self watering tubs. I am using masterblend. I did have some blossom rot on a few tomatoes. Would you suggest calcium nitrate? The hydroponic blend is masterblend, epsom salt and calcium nitrate.. once a month I have been adding the epsom salt to water, but have not added the calcium, but added lime to soil when panting..what would you suggest?
I might try Red Duece for my early. Currently Primo Red is my go to. The thing I don't like about it is it's an ugly plant and doesn't cover the fruit too well. bhn589 I didn't find productive. I preferred Dixie Red over 91s. They have a better disease package. You must have good Mg in the soil, I'm always tissue testing and trying to keep up, your plants are nice and green.
I've had good luck with both defiant and mountain fresh plus as my early disease resistant determinates. Thanks for the info on the BHN589, I was considering trialing that this year but it was a bit expensive
Wow your tomatoes look incredible!! So far I’ve just been growing leaves and then I end up cutting/pruning back the branches that have leaves that are curling or have brown spots of yellow tips. I’m not sure why that happens but now I’m suspecting I’m not giving them enough fertilizer to actually produce tomatoes. So I’m going to do some research and modify my amounts of fertilizer to get them flowering more. How do your tomato plants get pollinated? 🙏🏻🥰🇨🇦
Hello Dre from the United Kingdom. I'm wondering how you get such good pollination of your tomato flowers when they're inside in the high tunnels away from pollinating bugs?
F91 is a good heat tolerant tomato, it grows BIG tomatoes bit the flavor is just so-so. I no longer grow it, for me it is all about the flavor. If you have great tasting tomatoes then you will have plenty of customers
@@IntentionalHomesteading you probably won’t like the answer, but whenever I actually get to it. Could be 1. Maybe 2 times. I do my best to plan with the weather and the pumps I have available on our ponds. I’m watering something 24/7 but it may only be 1 time a week that a certain field gets water.
How do you pollinate them? Does fans blow the pollen around or is that why you have the flowers to attract pollinating species of insects but how would they get in , or do you keep bees lol
I am extremely happy that you are trying to keep us up on the tomatoes. I would like more videos on them myself.
Same
Great video! I really like to watch your videos.. keep it up..
I learned something today. Many years ago when I was a mid teenager my dad decided we will have the best tomato harvest yet. Dad, brother and I went to a neighbors barn and filled the 1960 Ford F100 pickup bed full of cow manure. Built a above ground garden bed then filled it up with the cow manure and planted tomatoes. The plants grew and grew with the darkest green. NOT one piece of fruit not one flower to pollinate. We surmised it was too much of a good thing. But now I know.....overwhelming nitrogen. Thank you
i wasted 10 years trying to grow tomatoes the "organic" way. it's the most unreliable way of growing veggies but, i didnt know anything else, until i started watching farmer's market growers. no more wholesale guessing of what (magic) concoction to throw on once and hope for the best. using 20:20:20 i grew loads of tomatoes the whole season, and eggplants etc. When i didnt know how to fertilize (or knew that you need to buy real fertilizer not from box stores) i had pitiful if any harvests from each crop. the other thing is to use pro mix and cell trays, and treated seeds from companies that know about their product more than a photo from somewhere.
keep up the good work. would be good if you could put additional lighting in your videos, as bit dark in tunnels.
I saw your last tomato video last year, I didn't buy the commercial fert but instead bought a bag of potassium and another bag of phosphorous. I'm applying it separate for each stage... We'll see. I have 8 indeterminate closely planted and am going to trim the branches below for air flow. I'm also saving half a bed for several determinate and grow bags for front.
How did it go? 🤔
Hey Dre!! you said you were using a pound and a half per week of the 4-18-38. can you tell us your dosage per gallon and how much water a day is going through the drip lines???
2 grams 4-18-38, 2 grams Calcium Nitrate, 1 gram epsom salt. Make sure you dissolve the calcium in a quart of water and the epsom salt in a quart before adding it to a half gallon of water with the 4-18-38 to prevent nutrient lock. Everything needs to be dissolved in water before mixing together.
always giving Free knowledge Salute bro
Great Job Dre! Thanks for the effort!!
THANK you 👍😊
Better Boys
Hi gut love your passion bro
Okay. I'm listening. Thx for what you do. Keep pushing.
The tomatoes look amazing ...please update when you pick the first ones.
Awesome looking tomatoes
Your video about using potassium to increase 10x tomatoes was a huge benefit to me. Thanks.
Your a great teacher , nice to have someone who has done the science and share with people. OK I got the 4/18/38 once a week when there are flowering and onward, but what ratio fertiliser before then and last question do they self pollinate ? thanks
If your tomatoes are outside the bees and the wind will pollinate them. Otherwise you’ll need to pinch them ever so slightly to self pollinate them, but sometimes this can kill the flower if you pinch it too hard. So I just use an electric toothbrush and touch the flower for one second each flower for one second and that will pollinate them and you’ll get tomatoes guaranteed from each flower. Tomato plants the majority of them are self pollinating they need vibration to release the pollen inside the flower pistol. #Enjoy #Gardening #Happy
2 grams 4-18-38, 2 grams calcium nitrate, 1 gram epsom salt per gallon of water during flowering. Adjust as needed.
Honestly depends on your soil tests. Doesn’t matter what the fertilizer is. Fertilize based on what your soil needs not what others use
I’ve been impressed with Bella Rosa and Brickyard. Next year I’m looking at Red Duece, Red Rave, and an old favorite Tycoon against the Bella Rosa. Florida 91 I’m looking at for my dad as he prefers a more compact plant, and that variety also seems to really produce too.
Looking good! Ive been raising MT. GLORY & MT. MAJESTY for my main crop of reds here in NC. really pleased with them. Might incorporate red deuce next year. My best selling tomatoes are Cherokee purple and June pink heirlooms. Experimenting with low nitrogen high potassium fertilizer this year. Bad thing is heirlooms are more susceptible to disease especially blight. What fungicide do you recommend.
Dre, after growing tomatoes in a high tunnel, how do you rotate the soil so you can grow tomatoes again next year in the same tunnel?
Dre, how are the tomato flowers pollinated inside your High Tunnel if insects are kept outside? Thanks.
Ty for your videos I have learned a lot. I have 24 tomato plants rn but no drip irrigation I use a soaker hose for now. Where can I find the fertilizer to place manually? No big box stores have it. Also having better results this year I placed a fish with lime under them when I planted so far very happy with the growth and flower production now I need to do the fertilizer.
Red duce, Florida 91👍when they start flowering 4-18-38 every week
Hi dre by the title of the video I thought you were going to talk about pulling sucker leaves off the tomato then I saw you were showing the 1 leader grow you should to video to show how you do the 1 leader grow. Also I know your all about fertilizer which I am to but to get the most out of mine I do a airated compost tea concentrate then water down and feed my tomato plants works awesome because you are multiplying the microbes beneficial and live cultures. It's a little bit extra work but big pay off. I do 750 tomato plants for seeds and market just added beans and some flowers this year I'm small I only do 1 acre by hand. Had to edit to add this with your system using a compost tea I know you would worry about the dirt from the compost you add you can put the compost in like a laundry bag drape the bag in the bucket or can and put a cover on it airated it with your molasses for 24-72 hours pull the bag ring the excess water out and feed with your system. No dirt will enter your lines cause it's in the bag
Absolutely awesome.
Thanks Dre
Hey what size high tunnels do you use and who do you order them from? I’ve been trying to find a good quality 40x120 high tunnel.
Hi Dre, After you have turned over manure into soil, do you wait a few days or weeks until black matting is applied and plant seedlings?
How do you pollinate your tomatoes inside the closed tunnel?
Do you not roll up sides on cooler days? Or do you leave them down and not worry about ventilating on chilly days?
Hey Farmer Dre, can you a short video on the Florida 91 tomatoes?
Are there any negative effects of such a strong fertilizer? Do you have to do anything to wash the soil of built up salts? Thanks in advance.
I am growing in self watering tubs. I am using masterblend. I did have some blossom rot on a few tomatoes. Would you suggest calcium nitrate? The hydroponic blend is masterblend, epsom salt and calcium nitrate.. once a month I have been adding the epsom salt to water, but have not added the calcium, but added lime to soil when panting..what would you suggest?
Always soil test. Without knowing what’s in it you can’t properly fertilize.
Nice video that shows how to grow tasteless tomatoes on an IV.
💪🏼 Good video 🇺🇸
Great info!!🍅 Thanks!👍
I might try Red Duece for my early. Currently Primo Red is my go to. The thing I don't like about it is it's an ugly plant and doesn't cover the fruit too well. bhn589 I didn't find productive. I preferred Dixie Red over 91s. They have a better disease package. You must have good Mg in the soil, I'm always tissue testing and trying to keep up, your plants are nice and green.
I've had good luck with both defiant and mountain fresh plus as my early disease resistant determinates. Thanks for the info on the BHN589, I was considering trialing that this year but it was a bit expensive
Primo red are tiny plants but they are a great first. Red deuce is more a second slot. I also use scarlet red 589 and red defender
GOD IS BLESSING YOU BROTHER DRE!!!!!
Wow your tomatoes look incredible!! So far I’ve just been growing leaves and then I end up cutting/pruning back the branches that have leaves that are curling or have brown spots of yellow tips. I’m not sure why that happens but now I’m suspecting I’m not giving them enough fertilizer to actually produce tomatoes. So I’m going to do some research and modify my amounts of fertilizer to get them flowering more.
How do your tomato plants get pollinated? 🙏🏻🥰🇨🇦
Tomatoes are self fertile
@Leanne K. I was asking myself the same question, perhaps wind or insect do the pollination when he opens the side walls.
do you need to pollinate them to get more.
still waiting for that market video cuz!
Hello Dre from the United Kingdom. I'm wondering how you get such good pollination of your tomato flowers when they're inside in the high tunnels away from pollinating bugs?
If you walk through and shake the trellis strings, they will pollinate just fine
Dre can you run your fertilizer injector thru Maxi-jet nozzles?
Any issues with salt content in your soil? I'm assuming that high phosphorus fertilizer is synthetic.
F91 is a good heat tolerant tomato, it grows BIG tomatoes bit the flavor is just so-so. I no longer grow it, for me it is all about the flavor. If you have great tasting tomatoes then you will have plenty of customers
HEY DRE YOU PRECIOUS GIFT FROM GOD. YOU GO DRE WITH GOD.
Great video
Why do some tomatoes like Big Beef do not make the large fruit like they are suppose to?
Nice information 👍🏻
I’m curious to know how much water one of those plants take a day/week. They look really good, no leaf curl, nothing.
Always shoot for an inch of water a week If you use drip there are calculators. I have to run between 6-8 hours a week to get here
@@joshh9090 what is your watering schedule? I've been doing MWFSu for 50 minutes on Hoss drip
@@IntentionalHomesteading you probably won’t like the answer, but whenever I actually get to it. Could be 1. Maybe 2 times. I do my best to plan with the weather and the pumps I have available on our ponds. I’m watering something 24/7 but it may only be 1 time a week that a certain field gets water.
@@joshh9090 that's good to know. The former icu nurse in me can't help but try to precision calculate my drips 😉
Where's your light in those tunnels? Looks dark in there.
Bring it up with Mother Nature
hi farmer drey try jet star i live in ohio and the yeild is great, your pal mike lance
Start at 8:00 for answers to subject line.
4: 36 into a 11 min and nothing on the subject.
How do you pollinate them? Does fans blow the pollen around or is that why you have the flowers to attract pollinating species of insects but how would they get in , or do you keep bees lol