About 75 years ago my uncle taught me to grow tomatoes.. his were huge, lush, and very high producing, with virtually no problems. The method is simple: dig a very deep hole, half fill with good soil, water deeply. Add enough soil so the tomato plant is properly deep in the ground, a bit deeper than the first leaves, which are pruned. Firm the soil and fill as needed, water well. Cover with a deep layer of mulch (he used straw, hay, or grass clippings). As the vines grow, train them to circle closely the original planting spot, making sure there's always plenty of mulch beneath the vines; this keeps them in reasonable bounds and makes it easy to check, prune if needed, and harvest. Water generously weekly. That's it. The deep mulch prevents weeds, keeps the vines high and dry preventing rot, and keeps plenty of moisture evenly in the soil between waterings. The vine leaves shelter the tomatoes themselves so there is never sunburn. I've never found a better way -- or better tomatoes; mine always outproduced and produced longer than my neighbors' carefully tended and assiduously watered and staked/caged ones, and with a fraction of the effort. I always tried to place the tomatoes where no tomatoes had been grown before so the soil is "fresh".
Thank u so much for this tip! I've been racking my brain trying to figure out a cost effective way to control my tomato plants. Can't wait to try this this summer!
Interesting as usual . I will have you know that my tomato plants here in the UK are growing better than ever before thanks to your in depth but simply explained methods. "You cant feed a steak to a baby" kind of comments are just what I needed! I went with your high potassium fertilizer just as they started to flower and my god what growth and vigor they have. They are a colour green that just smells healthy and and looks great. I have 20 % growing outside, not doing as well as the ones indoor ones about half the height , all indeterminate ( I know know what that means)the majority are in the polly tunnel and green house all in pots. Small garden not commercial like yourself, but the plants dont know it! Had everything into 1 outdoor plot last year , 25 or so plants and lost them all to early blight or something else that was brown rot on the stems before flowering, all died within 5 days! Enough about me, when do I "top" the plants as they are outgrowing the green house and plastic tunnel and I am very concerned about airation and spacing this year. Sorry I blabed on
We had an unusual Spring & the weather here fluctuates, as well. Upstate SC. Because of everything happening the way it did, I didn't stake up my tomatoes. They're doing great. .....now I'm off to fight the squash 🐛. Love your high tunnels.
Where exactly are you? Also southern MO and want to find some local you picks for produce. Also fyi, i emailed you thru your website, hope to see you soon
I have 500 tomato plants I haven't gotten to yet on trellisin up.. I'm going with you on this one and just letting them lay on the plastic as field tomatoes.. I'll send you the bill if it doesn't work. lol
Dre I'm getting ready to make a big tomato farm with 80k plants only heirloom tomato.Do you think I should do the same as you with the tomatoes outside?
He seems to not care to much about those outside tomatoes. I suggest you put in more work then he does outside:] and I do believe outside crops work great!
@@corymiller9854 I've grow tomatoes all my life but for home only and now that I have bought 20 acres I want to grow for a business. I don't mind the work at all.I just want to make sure I get good harvest and any info I collect is always helpful!
As long as you harvest your heirlooms when they are just turning color you should be fine, but make sure they don’t stay on the plant past their first color. They will crack with ease
He got his high tunnels using NRCS EQIP grant , as far as I know as long as you have eligible land it isn't too hard to get approved. You can apply online
@@joshh9090 thank you. We currently buy to supplement our low crop, but we use: syrup, jelly, fresh, mix with other berries for these things as well and dried. It's a lot. We do about 1-2lb/wk fresh in summer and about .5-1lb in off seasons alone.
@@DreamweaversHomestead so it really depends. I think this year we were at about 5 and a half acres. 2 acres of berries on plastic and the rest matte row. Berries on plastic are roughly 10k plants per acre. Depending on what you want to do, you need to get a good few varieties. Super early like Sweet Charlie, follow with Galletta or Earliglow and AC Wendy, then with 2-3 mid seasons, and finish with a late variety like AC Sunset or Malwina. If you really want to push it you can plant some day neutrals (we do not). The difference between plastic and matte row berries covers about a week to 10 days.
@@joshh9090 finally a really solid answer. So appreciated! Another question. We are working through permaculture food forest. Thoughts on this as a ground cover layer? I will add substantial amounts per year until get up to where we need to be. I was way off
@@DreamweaversHomestead That I can't answer. We kill off with roundup 2 or so months before planting then about 2 weeks before we put down pre emerge. I don't want anything between rows other than dirt. Strawberries need to be raised up since they don't like wet feet and they start to lose berry quality after year 1, so if you plan on keeping berry size up you have to replant every year. I know the permaculture thing is really in, but in my experience, anything living you put next to a desirable plant acts as a weed an robs nutrients.
I don't stake F1 determinate bush tomatoes anymore; no need too. I cover the rows with dry leaves, do the planting and pretty much let nature take its course. Yields are about 10% lower but there's zero labor and no added infrastructure..
Ok I dont know squat about high tunnels BUUUTTTT dre you dont know what your missing . See you are so focused on keeping up with what Kroger or publix what ever big box grocer in your area is and your doing it great . You are missing the mark on field tomatoes though . Yes , stake them give them just as much love as the high tunnel . The only difference is if its gonna rain alot go pull your tomatoes once they get a good blush on them , because your right an almost ripe tomato that gets a full days rain is gonna split because the water it sucks up through the plant has to go some where . So next year take one row and treat them right and you will see a difference. However if easier way of growing and less time consuming is what your after than well you got that down packed.
About 75 years ago my uncle taught me to grow tomatoes.. his were huge, lush, and very high producing, with virtually no problems. The method is simple: dig a very deep hole, half fill with good soil, water deeply. Add enough soil so the tomato plant is properly deep in the ground, a bit deeper than the first leaves, which are pruned. Firm the soil and fill as needed, water well. Cover with a deep layer of mulch (he used straw, hay, or grass clippings). As the vines grow, train them to circle closely the original planting spot, making sure there's always plenty of mulch beneath the vines; this keeps them in reasonable bounds and makes it easy to check, prune if needed, and harvest. Water generously weekly. That's it. The deep mulch prevents weeds, keeps the vines high and dry preventing rot, and keeps plenty of moisture evenly in the soil between waterings. The vine leaves shelter the tomatoes themselves so there is never sunburn. I've never found a better way -- or better tomatoes; mine always outproduced and produced longer than my neighbors' carefully tended and assiduously watered and staked/caged ones, and with a fraction of the effort. I always tried to place the tomatoes where no tomatoes had been grown before so the soil is "fresh".
Thank u so much for this tip! I've been racking my brain trying to figure out a cost effective way to control my tomato plants. Can't wait to try this this summer!
@@thebungalow7952 Your comment is a year old so I assume you've had a chance to try this method. How were the results?
I’m going back to trellises for tomatoes. I found if it gets wet at harvest you lose a ton of the ones underneath the plant.
Interesting as usual . I will have you know that my tomato plants here in the UK are growing better than ever before thanks to your in depth but simply explained methods. "You cant feed a steak to a baby" kind of comments are just what I needed! I went with your high potassium fertilizer just as they started to flower and my god what growth and vigor they have. They are a colour green that just smells healthy and and looks great. I have 20 % growing outside, not doing as well as the ones indoor ones about half the height , all indeterminate ( I know know what that means)the majority are in the polly tunnel and green house all in pots. Small garden not commercial like yourself, but the plants dont know it! Had everything into 1 outdoor plot last year , 25 or so plants and lost them all to early blight or something else that was brown rot on the stems before flowering, all died within 5 days! Enough about me, when do I "top" the plants as they are outgrowing the green house and plastic tunnel and I am very concerned about airation and spacing this year. Sorry I blabed on
You are fine. Your comment wasn't "blabbing on."
We had an unusual Spring & the weather here fluctuates, as well. Upstate SC.
Because of everything happening the way it did, I didn't stake up my tomatoes. They're doing great.
.....now I'm off to fight the squash 🐛.
Love your high tunnels.
Over here in the UK we would call a high tunnel a polly tunnel and a greenhouse would be made from glass
Where exactly are you? Also southern MO and want to find some local you picks for produce.
Also fyi, i emailed you thru your website, hope to see you soon
did you construct these high tunnels or are they kits you assembled? would appreciate a video on these and your approach to irrigation.
I have 500 tomato plants I haven't gotten to yet on trellisin up.. I'm going with you on this one and just letting them lay on the plastic as field tomatoes.. I'll send you the bill if it doesn't work. lol
With 500 I would for sure stake them, I have found it is worth it. Granted I pay some guys to help, but we do 28k and stake them all.
Dre I'm getting ready to make a big tomato farm with 80k plants only heirloom tomato.Do you think I should do the same as you with the tomatoes outside?
He seems to not care to much about those outside tomatoes. I suggest you put in more work then he does outside:] and I do believe outside crops work great!
@@corymiller9854 I've grow tomatoes all my life but for home only and now that I have bought 20 acres I want to grow for a business. I don't mind the work at all.I just want to make sure I get good harvest and any info I collect is always helpful!
As long as you harvest your heirlooms when they are just turning color you should be fine, but make sure they don’t stay on the plant past their first color. They will crack with ease
How for apart do you plant your outdoor tomato rows
At least 4 feet. I do 5 tho
Your the man Dre 👍
From Queensland Australia
Are the field tomatoes indeterminate?
Ask your sisters to make tomato pie with the #2 tomatoes.
Tomato pie, never heard of it
Exactly. I bet you will like it though and so will your customers. I promise.
Looking that up rn.
did you inherit that farm or buy it?
Do you grow mountain fresh in high tunnel? Wonder how they do?
where do you get your High Tunnel?
Hey Dre, great stuff as usual.
I was wondering where you guys get your high tunnels from?
He got his high tunnels using NRCS EQIP grant , as far as I know as long as you have eligible land it isn't too hard to get approved. You can apply online
Probably build them
No trellis ?
💪🏼 Good video 🇺🇸
I need to know how to prune my peaches 7 broke big limbs red have peaches west central indiana
nc state has some videos on youtube to look at. Everyone prunes differently, but thats a pretty standard version
I am having trouble figuring out how many strawberries to grow. Especially with the runners.
what is your goal with them. If you get a good crop you are looking at about 1lb per plant
@@joshh9090 thank you. We currently buy to supplement our low crop, but we use: syrup, jelly, fresh, mix with other berries for these things as well and dried. It's a lot. We do about 1-2lb/wk fresh in summer and about .5-1lb in off seasons alone.
@@DreamweaversHomestead so it really depends. I think this year we were at about 5 and a half acres. 2 acres of berries on plastic and the rest matte row. Berries on plastic are roughly 10k plants per acre. Depending on what you want to do, you need to get a good few varieties. Super early like Sweet Charlie, follow with Galletta or Earliglow and AC Wendy, then with 2-3 mid seasons, and finish with a late variety like AC Sunset or Malwina. If you really want to push it you can plant some day neutrals (we do not). The difference between plastic and matte row berries covers about a week to 10 days.
@@joshh9090 finally a really solid answer. So appreciated! Another question. We are working through permaculture food forest. Thoughts on this as a ground cover layer? I will add substantial amounts per year until get up to where we need to be. I was way off
@@DreamweaversHomestead That I can't answer. We kill off with roundup 2 or so months before planting then about 2 weeks before we put down pre emerge. I don't want anything between rows other than dirt. Strawberries need to be raised up since they don't like wet feet and they start to lose berry quality after year 1, so if you plan on keeping berry size up you have to replant every year. I know the permaculture thing is really in, but in my experience, anything living you put next to a desirable plant acts as a weed an robs nutrients.
My back would give out 😂 I can barely lean over my bed.
I don't stake F1 determinate bush tomatoes anymore; no need too. I cover the rows with dry leaves, do the planting and pretty much let nature take its course. Yields are about 10% lower but there's zero labor and no added infrastructure..
Does having “lazy” field tomatoes next to the high tunnel increase risk of pest/pathogen transfer?
Might be a little early blight on the lower leaves. IMHO
Grow empire they are the most crack resistant that's the main tomato grown here in east Tennessee
Ok I dont know squat about high tunnels BUUUTTTT dre you dont know what your missing . See you are so focused on keeping up with what Kroger or publix what ever big box grocer in your area is and your doing it great . You are missing the mark on field tomatoes though . Yes , stake them give them just as much love as the high tunnel . The only difference is if its gonna rain alot go pull your tomatoes once they get a good blush on them , because your right an almost ripe tomato that gets a full days rain is gonna split because the water it sucks up through the plant has to go some where . So next year take one row and treat them right and you will see a difference. However if easier way of growing and less time consuming is what your after than well you got that down packed.
Closed captioning please please
Would be a lot easier to cover the bed from pests of there is no stake
40% chance of rain just means that 40% of their viewers in that area will experience rain. They can't be accurate for every acre under their forecast.