Devastating Garden Diagnosis 😨 & Harvesting Potatoes 🥔🥔
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ย. 2024
- In this video I have to come to terms with my bad tomato year and even worse I get a garden diagnosis that I've been afraid of and have to figure out the next steps forward. On the bright side, I have a pretty good potato harvest and get to spend some quality time with our lambs.
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#tomatochallenge2024 deadline is today. Please tag a video on Facebook, Instagram or TH-cam with #tomatochallenge2024 by Saturday. In the video show at least
at least two pictures showing the tomato growing on the vine and the same tomato on a digital scale with weight visible.
You can also send an email with the above content to tomatochallenge2024@yahoo.com
GOOD LUCK!
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Hi I'm Brian with Little Homestead - Big Dreams. If this is your first time here... welcome! I'm glad you're here! If you're a longtime friend, welcome back!!
For most of my life I was a city boy, gardening in the suburbs. I was the first generation in my family to not grow up on a farm and somehow it was still there inside me. So now my wife Emilie, son Noah and I have moved to a small farm (at least it will be) and we're documenting our journey on this channel. Building gardens and chicken coops, a livestock guardian dog, buying a dairy cow and babydoll sheep who knows what else lies in store. But we can't wait to take you with us!
SHADE CLOTH. The TH-camr The Millennial Gardener uses that in his North Carolina garden to save his tomatoes from dying early. He also had some sprinkler hoses in a video that you can use face up to sprinkle or face down to use as a drip tape.
Thank you!
Just a note, Brian….you can also harvest and eat those leaves from the sweet potato vines! They cook down like turnip greens but they’re delicious. I normally pick the leaves, wash them well, and sauté them in a skillet with a bit of butter until they’re dark green and wilted (literally about 5 minutes or less) then give them a splash of coconut aminos. Done! You have way too many to just go to waste. They’re so yummy! (I promise!)
I didn't know that! Thanks for the tip.
@@xpurg8d you’re so welcome!
Great idea!!
A lot of people in a lot of California (I was born and raised there) think they are great gardeners!! Just like people in the Midwest too. South Texas and like where you are the challenges are more. We have hot days and hot nights which tomatoes don’t like. My best chance of a tomato harvest is a fall harvest. I started seeds last week. We have almost all our garden under shade cloth. This summer only got a few tomatoes 🥲
You do know there are tomato varieties developed just for hot climates?
So far this summer I was doing great here in NTX but some but not all are getting that curl leaf thing going. while I have some that are doing just fine. All my cherry ones love it but those that tend to be on the lager size like my beefmasters not doing good at all I too am think about setting up a shade cloth for the garden for next year!
Idk I might just suck at gardening but I think Missouri is hard to garden in too. So many pests and the up down weather & rain for days in a row makes it super difficult
I tried for 3 years in a row to establish strawberries. First year, planted them too close together and got a lot of rain, they all got a fungus and died. Second year, they got aphids and died from that + heat. Third year they did really well until fall, when squirrels dug them all up to hide nuts under 😂
@@MichaelRei99even with those varieties of tomatoes don’t stand a chance with the heat and sun in Texas. I’m in N Central Texas and they produce until the end of July and then start dropping blossoms. All you can hope for is fall after that. It’s brutal out there now , 100 plus degrees for 10 days right now with no rain in sight
The best light you can use to grow anything comes from the sun! I believe it is possible to grow indoors, but I think outdoors is a better place to grow. If you use the wrong type of lighting, or not good enough lighting indoors then you might end up sacrificing whatever you are growing.
Regarding how you are watering, I think you might be overwatering what you are trying to grow. Overwatering can end the life, or lives of what you want to grow. I know from experience how easy it is to end the life of plants just by overwatering.
Plants have a desirable temperature that they need to grow, and develop food. If it gets too hot then you could try providing shade, and something else you could try is reducing the temperature of what you want to grow. Anyway it's you who is going to have to think of a way to grow what you want, so this means you are going to have to do troubleshooting!
South Texas (zone 9a). I have been gardening in this area about 6 years, and for the last 3 the climate pattern seems to have changed leading to a cool spring that suddenly flips to extreme heat in mid to late May, which mostly sticks around through at least late August. This year I tried a few “heat tolerant” tomato varieties, which are doing terribly. The only tomatoes I’ve gotten so far are yellow pear tomatoes - they seem to do OK in this heat. I’m figuring out how to adjust my gardening in terms of what I grow, adapting with shade cloth, position of beds, etc. and will also be doing more fall and over winter gardening.
I have planted tomatoes every year for the past 3 years and had a hornworm issue. Plant basil every year too. Until this year! No hornworms! The only thing different is the amount of garden spiders we have. They are everywhere and they are huge with huge webs! I'm wondering if they are catching the moths? I KNOW they have made a huge difference in the grasshopper problem we've had before. Yeah for garden spiders! (Except they sure make for difficult harvesting with their massive webs!)
Wow finially I don’t feel like giving up! I live in Lake Elsinore and it’s hot! What happened to you is EXACTLY what happened to me! Even my squash was bad. Thanks for being honest!
Relieved! And I will be watching you help me figure it out!
Sorry about your tomato woes. I, too, have tomato issues due to the AZ heat - Even using shade cloth, flowers drop off. I was told tomatoes here should be grown in the fall, and if planting in the spring - use ones that have a short season. Everything suffers here in the summer. Tough lesson for me, as I planted a lot of grow bags...
I’m in Zone 9B Sacramento valley. I have great success with Celebrity tomatoes. I’ve tried many kinds with little success.
Celebrity is one of the numerous RKN (root knot nematode) resistant tomato varieties. Johnny's Seeds has seeds for a number of RKN resistant varieties.
i’ve been battling nematodes for two years now. I purchased the beneficial nematodes, put the marigolds in as well as a cover crop of ryegrass that I plowed under once it was fully established. I also added Neem meal and crab meal to the beds. Nothing worked. I still had a terrible infestation of nematodes.I am now solarized my beds.
Have you tried mustard meal? Pescadero Gold is one we have here intended as an amendment.
(Knock on wood) I wonder if that's why I have had good luck with the bad nemotodes. I've always planted Marigolds in amongst my basil.
We've been having triple digit highs for the last 2 weeks in Louisiana with 5,000% humidity. Cali weather sounds amazing but I'm afraid of the earthquakes and wildfires 😢
Cherry Tomatoes produce through summer in Louisiana even if it`s 98 degrees. I keep cuttings alive indoors in winter and as soon as they go back in the ground in spring they`ll begin blooming right away. If a late frost comes cover them with dry leaves, pine straw, plastic, bed sheets etc.
I like a good experiment. Moving to a new growing area is challenging, it has taken me a good 4 years at least to get to grips with it.
I’ve not tried it yet, but Laura from Garden Answer swears by Amazel Basil. She says that when it flowers it does not change the taste. Also, I have planted tomatoes in containers for three years and always plant marigolds in a ring around them and have never had hornworms yet,🤞I don’t jinx myself now! Also,I’ve seen several articles that say if you have hornworms that have what looks like rice on them to leave them on. They may be parasitic wasps that are beneficial. At the point they have them the worm is already dying.
And white mustard planted then chopped n dropped is supposed 2 b best 4 killing bad RKN but i could only find tri color or type mustard seed but it worked 4 as fall planting of mustard seed n no more RKN for my spring plantings. Good luck. Interested in beneficial nematodes but they r expensive.
Hey Brian- Look into water walls for tomatoes. My tomatoes are doing great and I put them out 2 months before it was above 50° I cut the bottom out of a 5 gal. Container to help it stay upright, planted them low, and added soil to fill the buckets The water wall are on the outside and collect heat during the day.
Hornworms have been crazy this year. We have picked off at least 100 this year 😩
Oh wow!
Next year, try Everleaf Emerald Towers Basil as it never bolts and grows continuously. I've made several batches of pesto and it tastes great. This is the best basil plant I've ever grown and it wards off moths that produce tomato hornworms as well.
@Mistyme7 Where do you buy this basil seed?
Thanks for the tips!
Re the french marigolds - from LSU Ag - Varieties of the French marigold appear to be the most effective in suppressing nematode populations. The variety 'Tangerine' appears to be an exceptionally effective selection since it doesn't appear to support any reproduction by the root-knot nematode. Unfortunately, one type of marigold (Signet) lacks this natural resistance and shouldn’t be used when root-knot is present.
Although planting marigolds as companion plants for susceptible crops sounds like a good idea, it just doesn't work. The nematodes that enter the marigolds are killed but not the ones that enter the susceptible crops. Eventually they will build up on the suitable host and cause problems. The best way to use marigolds is as a cover crop in the rows or area that you want to reduce the nematode problem. After about three to four months of being in continuous marigolds, you can successfully plant a susceptible crop. Don't expect the influence of the marigolds to be good for more than one crop or maybe one season. Nematodes are quite prolific and populations will quickly return. Yeah, I was interested in getting rid of nasty nematodes as well.
I have heard that when the marigolds are finished, chop and dig them into the soil.
We are in Central Illinois, and it gets hot. We hardly water our Tomatoes once they start to produce and we grow them on so called ultra mulch. sadly just red plastic and we do reuse it but that only lasts so long. We were in California last week and it was pretty warm, the same as our temp at home. Interestly our tomatoes and peppers never drop their flowers much when the heat comes.
Sorry about the tomatoes 😢 I feel your pain. I have all these little trees that started showing up in the garden a year or so ago and I've dug them out before planting because they were in the way and using up valuable nutrients. This year I didn't pull them out and instead, I made living trellises with them and it worked out better than I could have imagined. They give the tomatoes something to hang on to and I trim back the new growth on the trees to provide overhead shade during the hottest hours of the day. I lost everything BUT the tomatoes and am making this my permanent strategy ❤
Florida here, I have nematodes, common in Florida. The French Marigolds do not work, we use crab meal and Land and Sea Soil by Espoma. I do not solarize for it kills everything. Tomatoes and Okra are highly susceptible, Kohlrabi, Kale, Swiss Chard are not affected. We use shade cloth starting June 1,
I live in FL also. Do you have raised beds or plant Darin the ground?
I tried to solarize one year and ended up with a huge fire ant colony under the plastic.
@@que5359 In the ground.
We have had many more days in the upper 80's and 90's that have impacted tomatoes and cucumbers. I was thinking the same thing to use a shade cloth that can be retracted if it is not too hot.
Try growing hybrid tomato varieties that are heat tolerant and grown in the south like Grand Marshal, Jolene, STM-2255 etc - I grow those in Hawaii
This was my worst year almost everything except cherry tomatoes. I’m in New England and this summer feels more like Florida. Hot and humid for weeks on end. Although my basil went wild! lol no tomato horn worms but then very few tomatoes. I covered everything with shade cloth but it wasn’t very successful unfortunately. I’m replanting several of my vegetables to see what will happen. 😊
Aww, they're so cute!
I live in a 6B zone of NW Montana mountains. We deal with too cool temps spring and fall but summer can slam us with upper 90s and sometimes over 100°. So that shade cloth comes in handy.
i have raised beds... and use the metal water trough and turn them into SIP (self irrigating planters) with water in bottom.. i still do drip but this combination has been great for me as it keeps the soil evenly moist so no big swings from dry to wet and my tomato harvest is always good.. I also grow vertical with the string so it keeps good aeration thru the plants. ... I am in Clairemont area of San Diego so a bit more coastal than you.. i would think it would work even better for an area like you that is a good 10+ degrees hotter than us. Moving to NW Washington next year and i am going to have to learn all new gardening as they are long day up there.. always something new to learn!!
Brian, maybe consider using black buckets of water left in the sun. Have them next to the tomato plants to provide warmth during the night.
You can also use a 100w solar panel and a 12v DC immersion water heater for cars. Get whatever length of MC4 cable to plug into the panel with bare wires on one end. Cut the car plug off the water heater and wire it to the MC4 cable. This will get the water in the bucket hot after about an hour and it can provide slower release heat to one of those small greenhouses if you insulate the bottoms and sides and maybe part of the top. I want to try this with those big plastic barrels and fruit trees.
Thank you Brian for link to Potatoes 🥔 They are too expensive at the stores. We have got to get Potatoes 🥔 growing. 😮❤
In Florida we get root knot nematodes due to the lack of winter that normally kills off many pests.
I have root knot nematodes in several beds. I have planted sun hemp and marigold cover crops. I will chop and drop the cover crop in my beds before my fall planting hoping it eliminates the nematodes. 🙏🏼
Good luck!
I'm in Toronto Canada and I have the same problem with tomatoes dropping flowers in summer and starting again at the beginning of the fall. This year I tried shade clothes and still didn't help much
But one tomato Plant I didn't prune and this one is full of tomatoes compare to the same variety which is growing in single steem . My suggestion is try not to prune some plants or slightly prune and see the difference.
In india we have really hot summer so i grow tomato in our winter....but since last two years i am not getting tometo because of nematodes....so i can feel your pain.... don't worry we will get good harvest next year 😊
Kodiak brown mustard is a great cover crop for root knot nematodes.
San Diego is so hot this summer. I feel for you Brian! I lost all my cukes to nematodes this year! As you said your tomatoes started out strong but then died off and that's what happened with my cukes. When I pulled them up the roots were covered! My tomatoes did fantastic and I wish I knew why but I was overwhelmed with so many Romas and beefsteaks! Even my yellow cherry tomatoes went crazy with fruiting. I gave up on my pumpkins they kept drying out in the smart bags and also flea beetles were awful this year!
Keep on growing and did I mention I can't tak anymore heat🥵
Brian,
I'm w/ you on the preferred treatment choice for Root Knot Nematodes--predator nematodes. 😊
Austin, Texas here and we've been reaching 100 every day for the past 3 weeks. Roses, zinnias, red bird of paradise, sunflowers, lavendar, coneflower, jasmine, snapdragons, peach tree, hollyhock, potatoes, basil, cherry tomatoes, Cherokee purple tomato, cucumber, melon, and peppermint have been hanging in there as long as I keep them deeply watered.
I MAY be getting some Habanadas and Nadapeños this year too. But it is very difficult here in the PNW (Zone 8b) to get enough heat to ripen them.
Have you ever tried growing Yacón? I love Jicama, but absolutely cannot grow it here. From what I have read, Yacón is more forgiving in a cooler climate and can overwinter if the crowns are dug up and preserved in sand in the garage until time to plant in spring. That will be my next big challenge experiment.
Grow your tomatoes in the shade whenit gets hot out. Mine do fine.
Yes, it hasn’t been a great year for tomatoes here either. The tomatoes with the shade cloth are surviving. Some fruit, and some new blooms, so, we’ll see. I have found some nasty brown worms on them too. The potatoes looked good. Thanks for sharing Brian. God bless y’all.❤️✝️🙏🇺🇸
I live in Northwest Arkansas and have had a garden of some sort for the past 50 plus years and this year my garden is the worse it has ever been. I don’t think I got enough out of it to pay for the seeds. I don’t think many gardens produced like usual this year.
Don’t beat yourself up ❤
This gardening year has been my worst by far. Infrequent harvests and extreme high heat.
Welcome to blossom drop! This was my first year growing tomatoes here in the Midwest, and I learned about blossom drop this year as well. My dad still lives on the central coast of California and he was loaded with tomatoes as always, and I'm over here grateful for each piece of fruit!!! 🙏 = 🏵 = 🍅 = 😁
Oh Brian, mid nineties It so hot there, then going to drop into the 80's sounds so terrible ......not....from your favorite subscriber....lol. It is triple digits here in "Texas" might drop down into the high 90's lol. My tomatoes and beans said some really bad words and then said they are done!!!!! Now you are going to hate me but I planted habanero pepper this year and in a spot I call the dead zone as an experiment. I have already mad several harvest with more to come. 😁 I did give you a thumbs up!!!!!!
I finally had to do the shade structure this year. Put the shade cloth across it the end of June. I think it's 40% or could be 60% shade cloth. And also now I was able to use your tomato hooks which are great. BUT it has been the best thing for my tomatoes. FINALLY i have wonderful tomatoes!!! Now for last 3 weeks I've had to lay shade cloth over my peppers to during day. I'm furthest North San Diego county....Fallbrook which in May and most of June we had fog in the morning then the end of June it went to hot. So the structure and shade is a must in this area. It will work for you.
Awesome! Great to hear!
Today's High temp in Glendale Arizona is 111! I will take your high temps any day! Lol
Oh wow!
IF IT IS HOT OUT, WEAR WHITE SHIRT NOT DARK.
Hahahahaaaaaaaa... the tomatoes don't care what color shirt he's wearing!
Tomatoes in 6 B this years had a struggle due to rain. Lost alot of plants
Here in Minnesota it is time to start growing green in house. Makes for great salad all winter.
This is my second year growing Habanero peppers for my husband. I dry them, crush them, and then he adds them at the table, uses them for hot honey or will occasionally cook with them. Because of our weather (Northern KY) & limited space I buy nursery plants. Both years a bumper crop. I can't handle hot peppers so this year I'm trying a habanada pepper for myself. So far, so good as it's producing a lot of fruit. They're not ripe yet so I looking forward to trying, And I'm loving my Hot Sweet Thing pepper. First time this year and a definite for next year.
Our last frost is mid April. I start tomatoes in the end of January, close to March I pot up and if the weather is not too cold, they go in the greenhouse to get more light. If the nights get too cold, I make a small poly tunnel inside the greenhouse to keep them warm. Once the ground warms up (inside the greenhouse this could be late March or early April) they go in the ground (still in the greenhouse). And at the start of June a shade cloth goes on top cause otherwise they'll get cooked. And I remove a lot of leaves from the bottom and further up to reduce evaporation.
Yes we’re north of Houston area. I got my tomatoes extra early so they beat the heat and had a great harvest. But next summer I want tomatoes all year. So I will be doing what I have already bought which is shade cloth 40 %. But because of construction work on our home I’m doing ourselves and a family trip I decided to not put in a second round of tomatoes for the hottest part of the year. Actually had to not plant anything this summer season due to work but will be doing an extra large winter planting in all 15 raised beds along with a ton of propagation. Best of luck your channels are great ! Have a blessed day
Thank you! You too
Middle Tennessee here. We had to put up shade cloth this year. First time ever. This time it was a quick, rescue job. Next year, we're thinking about putting up a better structure.
How about big greenhouse, in your yard? I see videos, tomatoes growing healthier in the green house than outside❤
That's the plan!
The Lambs are so cute. You do so well with them. I miss Daisy. Brian you do great with all your planting. . So many plants and I have learned so much from you. Thanks It's been hot here also in Colorado and I got hit with GRASS HOPPERS, they eat your leaves of every thing, my marigold flowers are ok , and I had to spray a few times, it was crazy. All my work so I could enjoy my flowers, etc and this is first year we were attacked by them. Oh well. take care
Eww. Grasshoppers. Sorry
I got sun shade here in NC too. Moved it around as needed, depending on the week. We had hurricane Debby and I didn't lose but 5. The heat is going to be a continued challenge. Thank you for sharing your experience and I look forward to how you put your shade cloth up. Also, sorry about your tomatoes.
Yikes! In the 70s in Western Oregon. Loving the cooler weather. Stay cool.
For my tomatoes, I erected some six foot poles on each end of my raised bed planters in the center and then just draped the 50% shade cloth over the poles and secured the sides over the plants and used plastic clips to attach loosely to the bed rims. I could loosen the clips as the plants bushed out. I also doubled up on liquid fertilizer at every watering. I found sticking bananas and eggshells in a blender and adding a half cup per gallon of water onto the roots of each plant about once a month helped to keep the plants less stressed in the heat. I used BT spray at least twice a month and Bonner's Peppermint soap and aspirin twice this summer. I have sweet and thai basil and giant orange and lemon drop marigolds planted in front of the tomatoes. Right now, I have wonderful green vines and green fruits with no sign of leaf damage. I have better boy, early girl, san marzano, red pride and mountain magic growing. I am putting fish liquid on them weekly to add more phosphorous to get the fruit to ripen. I have had several ripen on their own, but I want to speed this up a bit to finish these plants out by the end of September so I can use the space for my winter crops. I have not had as good a luck as this year. I hope this helps!
I don't know exactly why this works, but for many years I have put a 5 gallon plastic bucket around my tomato plants when I set them out. This year I was pretty worried about the first plants I set out because it was still cold---like 45 degrees. The plants did just fine. In a week they filled the bottom of the bucket. In a few more weeks they were growing out of the tops of the buckets, so it was time to take the buckets off and stake them. I pinch the suckers, so the stems grow strong and stout. The main stem is over an inch in diameter.
Maybe next year I'll get my trellis built and buy tomato hooks!
I live in N. FLORIDA it is so hot my tomates stopped producing 3 weeks ago. Thanks for all your information it helps. God bless you and your family.
Thank you
So sorry about the infestation of RKN there. Been battling them over 4yrs in Chula Vista CA. They just killed 3 of my tomato plants in one raised bed. I posted pics of the knotty roots on San Diego Gardener on facebook. I got some very helpful comments regarding dealing w/RKN. Way toooo many to try to list here. Maybe check out the post & comments. For the 1st time in over 4yrs, I feel hopeful with the suggestions I got. It was suggested to check on Johnny's Seeds for their RKN resistant tomato & veg seeds. Also.... here's my 2cents worth of advice: Be extremely careful when digging up those infested plants. Carefully place the roots in a large TRASH BAG & put in the trash. ...not yardwaste. Be careful when putting those roots in the trash bag that the infected soil doesn't fall in the bed or in your garden. Anything, ie: digging tools, hoes, rocks, garden decor, posts or stakes or tomato cages, hose, pots, etc that touched that infected soil will have the RKN on it & will be spread to other garden areas that way. Clean tools or other affected objects with anti-bacterial wipes, and/or douse with 80-90% rubbing alcohol. Check out the comments on the San Diego Gardener facebook group for other great tips. Carol McCollum
Thank you so much!!
Thank you Brian. Different areas different struggles with vegetable gardening 🥺 and sometimes it’s just darn right frustrating ! Basil has been working for me keeping hornworms away, as much as I HATE hornworms and really don’t like basil I will continue to grow basil next to my tomatoes. Excellent potato harvest ! I’m going to be digging mine soon 🤗 I love going potato hunting ! Thank you again ! 🌺💚🙃
Thank you
We here not enough sun this year
While at the site, this sounds (and looks!) "brutish" and "industrial", installing livestock wire fencing hoop tunnels (pergolas) creates greater vertical gardening options, shade-loving, sun-loving plants, up to 2x veg planting and fruit production, and the increase of options for installing bird nesting sites on the sides of the pergola(s).
Using 2 rows of (raised ?) veg bedding, bend and overturn livestock fencing and firmly install in the beddings. Adequare size and width of the bedding provides superior pergola features for vertical and overhead gardening. Any vine veg species can be pinned up to the vertical fencing sides (cucumbers, armenians, summer squash, zucchini, tomatoes, kiwi, passion flower, sweet potatoes, yam vines ... even up to the big boys (pumpkins, winter squash, gourds, melons) in mesh hammocks. Grape vines, berry vines, vine roses, ... all have great options. One could even consider espaliering vines and other fruit trees onto (both sides of !) the strong livestock wire fencing vertical sides.
Using a 2-row bed + 2-row bed technique, ... one can grow 2x more fruit production than a single flatlander ... or a single vertical fence with single planting row per single bed method. Keep especially apart, the double-planting rows of nightshade toxic plants (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants). One can plant shade-loving plants on the inner rows of the pergola, while sun-loving (bigger leafed species) are planted on the outer rows. One can harvest fruit production on the outer and inner rows with ease, versus losing massive opportunites with increased back-and-knee problems with flatlander gardening (even raised beds without vertical gardening). Other options also include hanging baskets from the overhead locations for increased production of smaller and shallow root herbs, etc.
Such pergolas also provide massive options for vertical and overhead tweety nesting sites, keeping down insect populations, while earning some needed nutritional support services (berries) for their efforts. "A workman deserves proper income, food, shelter, and procreation opportunities for their services." Hanging baskets are notorious for dove nesting sites.
A proper landscape and climate control includes proper forestation, proper meadow and wetlands, proper soil cultivation, proper tweety and wildlife populations, ... controlled bug and insect populations ....
Thanks for the info on wilting squash leaves during a hot day. I have a couple of butternuts in gro-bags climbing up a trellis. I noticed the same thing buy now I'm not as worried. Thanks.
I live in Central North Carolina and I have to use shade cloths most of the summer on my tomatoes. It's very hot and humid here.
Our garden here in Northwest FL was dismal, it’s been extremely hot and humid, we were able to get veggies from AL so I’m done trying summer gardens here. We have a greenhouse to grow in fall/winter. Too old for this heat/humidity 🤣
Sorry to hear about your tomato issues, Brian. I'm not having luck with them this year either. Late start and then battling heat here in Michigan too. Had a lot of blossom end rot with most of them, even though I don't usually have that problem. I love to see that you bring plants home from vacation as well! I have baby ferns that I sprouted from spores I brought back from a trip a year ago and a tree sapling from this year's travels. Good luck on the new tomato bed! Something with a frame that could double both as cold frame and shade cloth structures, as needed, sounds perfect.
Thank you
What a harvest, it's amazing !!!!!! your potatoes and your peppers look great
Thanks so much
It would be interesting to try some tomatoes in an area that is naturally shaded in the afternoon. Maybe a different side of the house that blocks the high heat western sun. Always fun to experiment. That was the advice I got in a tomato class from a biodynamic farmer that sells to local high end restaurants here. I’m in the Bay Area, so like you was used to being able to give full day sun, but we had some from Sacramento in class and she said, it’s too hot there for full all day sun and beds should be placed for afternoon shade there because it’s 10 degrees hotter there.
Take it from us down in South Alabama, use shade cloth. The heat and humidity gets so bad starting June that if you want to have anything, we have to use shade cloth. It works and will get you through a season. I commented too soon 🤣. You just mentioned shade cloth
😁
I gave up on tomatos because of the hornworms. This year I decided to try Broccoli. I'm not having good luck. I've been picking off little green worms, about 1"long, that can completely deleaf the plant in one night.
I'm hoping I got them all.
My Basil went to seed in early July. I was really bummed by that. It doesn't usually flower until September. We're just down the road from you Brian.
Habanada peppers!! Just checked my plant! Wish I could post a picture! They have the BEST FLAVOR!
So good to hear. Can't wait!!!
I just sprayed all of my raised beds with Beneficial Nematodes... I put in a brand new bed and purchased raised bed soil from a local nursery and the dang soil had freaking termites... UGHHHH. So frustrating but I'm excited to see how well the Beneficial Nematodes work... I've heard awesome reviews of them.... Fingers crossed...
Thank you. Sorry about your struggles
Thank you! I am having the same problem with heat! And mites.
Thank you! Great informative video!! I learn so much from you. I’m here in Fallbrook too and having a great garden this year. I just keep learning and mine isn’t super big. All raised beds. Thanks again, I really look forward to these.
You are so welcome!
I am in Florida and plant my tomatoes in November and they are gone by May
So weird, I, too, am fighting those root knot nematodes, here in Tucson.
I read a bit about brassica tea to treat the area. I’m trying that. I’ll keep you posted
Thanks!
Best of luck that your habanadas make it! Mine are just flowering. I finally had to shade them as it was too much sun for them here in NM. I'm hoping they actually form peppers!
Changing areas presents more learning opportunities.
And our weather patterns are changing.
How about the very pungent mustard as a very heavy cover crop and turn it under to deal with the Nematodes?
That's a pretty good relationship with the sheep! We had sheep on our ranch, and no way in h*ll would they allow human contact on their bodies! Yes, they knew who fed them and would follow the human, but no body contact. They also responded to us calling them in for the night. So you are doing well with your sheep relations! Interesting tomato story. I will be watching for your future test results....also could your fog be a factor too? Great info. No wonder my three tomatoes all dropped blooms a few weeks in last week of July. Now they are blooming again. Love the book also.
Thank you
I have about 10 to 15 volunteer tomato plants. Way too many for me, so I'll have to learn different ways to preserve them.
Tomatoes can be frozen whole. Wash, remove stem if it's sticking out. Put whole tomatoes in freezer bags to use later. Great for soups, tomato sauce, tomato bisque, spaghetti sauce, etc. No need to blanch/peel/remove seeds. Easy. I haven't tried it yet, but some people dehydrate tomatoes & then grind them till powder to use as seasoning in soups, stews, scrambled eggs, casseroles, etc.
My only tomato “ success” was with cherries - and that seems to be a trend. Other types fizzled. I’m in zone 7B in VA and was experiencing temps in high 90’s until this week when they moderated. Time for a shade cover.
This has been my worst garden year ever for tomatoes and peppers especially. Seeds I planted in March/April are still only 2-3 inches tall, IF they germinated at all.
Sorry
For the first time in 20 years, my tomatoes were not looking great at the beginning of July. The temperatures here in the Denver area were getting into the 90s at that time (which lasted the whole month!). I put 40% shade cloth on them and left it until about a week ago & it totally did the trick! The plants are huge and healthy with lots of tomatoes coming. I think part of it is that things have changed on earth and we are getting a lot more light from the sun. Anyway good luck with the shade cloth, I know it’s gonna work! I was so happy it worked for me!!! Love your channel Brian!!!
Thank you
Newer Sweet potato greens are elible. (Hollis and Nancy's Homestead TH-cam channel)
Thank you. Also, if you get a black light small flashlight, you can shine it on your tomatoes in the dark, and the worms will glow.
Just finished freezing my potatos and onions.
Awesome!
Funny you are doing potatoes in this video. I started harvesting about a week ago. Not real happy. Plants looked awesome. I have 4 containers and a corner of a raised bed. So far, i have harvested the bed and 2 containers. About 2 pounds. Most of that came from the bed. 2 containers to go but I'm not optimistic. I had some back problems which limited my activity and my corn all went to waste. Oh, well. Had some success in growing just bad timing in the harvest. My pole beans look great, tall, lush, green, and flowers by the bunch. Not 1 bean pod so far. My 1 tomato plant looks pitiful. Small and bushy. Some loss due to chickens, rabbits, deer, and hornworms, but not too much. However, I've gotten 6 good sized and very tasty tomatoes so far and about a dozen coming along nicely.
All in all, some big disappointments with, (thanks to you), some great successes. I've had fun and learned a lot. Keep posting your videos and I'll keep learning even more. TYSM Brian.
Thank you
Love the Vids. ever thought about doing a survival challenge. like 1 week eating only what you grow, or catch.
That would be interesting
Maybe Try hoop house with intense shade cloth for tomato growing?
I live in the desert, 120 degrees here 😎 harvested my tomatoes by July and canned, peppers are next. 🤔 Look for varieties that will grow in the micro climate of the canyon there. Tomato Fest has been selling non GMO heirloom seeds for over 30 years 👍 I think there's a organic seed swap 9/10-9/11 somewhere think it's Ventura County. 🤔 SHADE CLOTH! A green thumb of success to you in 2025 🍀🍀🍀 peppers look good!
Thank you!
Daffodils will help keep the nematobes away ❤
Last year was a bad year for tomatoes, but this year they are burgeoning!
Yay!
Brian, I found Habanada seeds because off you and after 1 unsuccessful year, I finally got a nice harvest this year. I grew more of them for insurance and they are doing very well. I love them. They are so mild and I eat them rightnout of the garden (not the seeds though). Thank you. Also, what do you guys do with all the food? Do you can, or freeze, or????? Would love bbn ideas on that, we dont have chickens in thw OC
We share with family and friends, but we are also going to start preserving this year
Hey Brian. The problems you had with your tomatoes sounds like you're gardening in North Texas. Spring cold and rain. Then rapid warmth/heat up. Horn worms. Pests. Diseases, etc. We have it all. This year was especially bad as we had a rainy, damp spring. I am considering planting my tomatoes later in the summer and (or) installing some sort of 40%-50% shade structure. Which would you suggest? With all that's going on, I will never give up my gardening passion.
I prefer 30 to 35% if possible
Having bad tomato year too.
So sorry
Root Knot Nematodes are a pain. Neem Cake, French Marigolds, Mustard green, green manure, and Beneficial Nematodes. Been dealing with them for years.
Thank you and I’m sorry you’re having to deal with them
@@littlehomesteadbigdreams Try growing mustard greens, Kodiak mustard is the best (but not worth eating). Chop and tilling it into the soil the same with the French Marigolds it will work to cut down on the number. Good news is they don't like most of the winter crops.
I sure wish I could send you pictures but don't know how. So I'll try to explain. When my husband built the tomato trellis he used PVC pipe in stead of the wood cross members you used. When the heat waves hit I got the idea to thread long garden poles through the pipes. They extended a couple of feet out on both sides. Then I threw the shade cloth over the top & clamped the 4 corners. That was very helpful for the tomatoes but also for me because next season I will not have tomatoes in that planter so the poles can be put back in the garage until they are needed again. I like the flexibility.
Currently the rodents are stripping my plants or digging during the night. They strip my basil plants, eat my tomatoes or dig in our pots and raised beds. I have tried chicken wire, lumber, and rocks but they push them out of the way. Cayenne seems to help a bit but I am very frustrated. Any suggestions?
Thanks
I learn so much from you so I would like to thank you for that. My health has not been that great and my plan was to make my garden smaller next year. I was going to mend my beds then cover them with plastic for a year in hopes my health would be better. Now you say the plastic would kill healthy things in the soil. You have any suggestions how to keep my beds healthy for a year while I take care of myself
I have a bad tomato year too. But not just tomatoes but all vegetables. Peppers do soft fruits and I haven't been able to eat them at all. I got three eggplant fruits but then it stopped producing. I have had some disease in the leaves so I assume that is the reason. Flower leaves looked the worst so I assume the flowers got it first and then the vegetables...😔
I forgot I love your channel
Thank you!