Tomato Growing Secret an Old Farmer Made Me SWEAR Not To Tell
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ย. 2019
- In this episode I am sharing with you a secret to growing indeterminate tomatoes that an 80 year old farmer made me swear not to tell anyone. So here I am telling you. Check out our new clothing line! http:www.freshpickedapparel.com
When my father passed (Native American), we had him a sacred fire in his garden. The next year I tilled up all the ashes into the soil to spread them around. The center of the fire yielded that absolute biggest tomatoes I'd ever seen - and very prolific!! Best thing was I felt like my father was with me every time I went to work in the garden 💞
D Jones Beautiful story. Thank you for sharing 🙏🏻❤️
That's amazing. I have always said I'd want my family to spread my ashes in my own garden. I didn't know this was a Native American practice, so thank you for sharing. A beautiful sentiment
Man this is beautiful
What a lovely tradition!
Our ancestors are always with us
I'm never telling you a secret. 😂🤣 It's so important to teach people to grow their own food so they can feed their families and to save whatever money they can doing so, especially in this day and age. Thank you for your helpful and very informative videos. Always well done! Oh, and I completely agree that these types of secrets should not die with the people who kept them. 👏👍
If you don't wanna watch 13 minutes of footage:
Apply a cup of woodash to the base of your tomato plants. Determinate tomatoes only (might hurt indeterminate). Works by being alkaline and a good source of potash.
Confirmed by 2 different & independent universities too
He is science and information based which is why I enjoy watching his videos. Otherwise just read a gardeners horticultural manual. Very specialist and not easy for the amateur/home gardener.
I knew that but I didn’t know about the indeterminate part... thanks for sharing.
Can you reply to me so I can have your comment on me nonfictions 😁
Could I use ashes from woodburning stove? Ty
@@will8154 ash notification
The old school is the best school. Bless that old farmer. Imagine what else he knew
He knows what you did last summer too.
OATS are a Great trans planter boost.
Interesting note on this video....I am 59 and have spent my life teaching science and gardening among others....when I was young, an old farmer also told me to always use wood ash to help grow tomatoes. I have faithfully done this for years until recently. One day, as a high school science teacher I had an epiphany, knowing that ash is extremely alkaline and also that tomatoes love acidity, I questioned this age old practice. Because I trusted my old farmer, I had always connected ash to acid, even though as a science teacher, I knew this was not true. I had to laugh at myself for making this mistake for all these years. Today, this video popped up on my computer and I feel a sense of relief that I was correct for using wood ash but not for the reason I have always thought! Thanks for the clarification!
most of my huge pink tomatoes have rotted we had so much rain in tenn. i use lime, fert 13-13-13-, & epsom salts. any help? it hurts to throw away so many sweet tasting tomatoes!
@@patriciareynolds2729 hi 👋 from what I've learned and experience is heavy and constant rain causes crop to lose oxygen this they die. I used hydrogen peroxide and the plant perked up as it adds oxygen. When planting you want to be sure water can run off rather than hold in soil. Hope it helps ☺️🙏🇹🇹
One more thing I mix all the fertilizers in to the soil at the same time I sow seedlings.
When an old person tells you a "secret " its because they want you to learn, grow, and pass on.
S Mor it makes it more attractive
I
Telling it to a youngster that you don't know kinda confirms your point.
Anything that increases the food production of a plant should be shared. We have a lot of people to feed on this planet!
The government would rather feed them animal products to keep them weak, sick and dumb.
@@oh_k8 finally someone who realises this because you know this is why most of us have a lot of diseases and autoimmune disorders.
Thats for sure! And calaforia is being burned so that's less gardens there
@@oh_k8 actually Vegans get around the same amount of protein as “omnivores”
It’s only the animal protein that’s dangerous. Eat your beans ppl
@@phillippinter7518 Protein comes from plants. I'm not against eating meat, but it drives me nuts when people equate meat & protein. Cows eat grass, not deep fried bacon wrapped chicken.
Lol, if you have any Indian friends, they would have told you that a long time back, wood ash is alkaline and rich in calcium, but it, discourages pests and mites, good luck and happy gardening
It's a great source of potassium.
Asians know gardening that's for sure.
@@acolley2891 i think he meant indian as in native american?
I forgot about this. I learned about this from Rachel from Tenn. On utube. Thank you!!!😊🎵🙏
Can you just sprinkle it in the garden?
I am 58 and my father had the greenest thumb I have ever seen. And I have ALWAYS had a garden. My largest was 2 acres and I love listening to you. I have picked up many tricks from you.
I loved your story about the old farmer. So precious. It's amazing how gardening has become so complicated and expensive. We need to listen to our elders and learn.
I have been adding ash to gardens and compost since i could walk. My grand parents and parents have all ways done this. It works amazing. Wood ash, compost, and worm casting is all we use
How are you using? In the hole at planting, or worked into the upper soil?
My Mother used to tell me that back in Italy they ALWAYS put wood ash on the crops.
I used to have a “friend “ who was a good baker, and I asked her for a few recipes. She always left out some detail that med the recipe fail for me. I’m sure she did that to everyone who asked her for a recipe. I also gave her several intact recipes, I’m a good baker too, and that is ok. It’s nice the old farmer shared his secret which he really did not want to keep a secret!
Wow, just say she should just have said "I don't share recipes" instead of sharing botched recipes
Hi, do you still bake?
Was anyone else surprised to find out he is only 25? His maturity and wealth of knowledge had me guessing mid 30’s . Keep up the great content it’s definitely helped me in my garden already ! 👍
Yes, same here.
Yes!!! Incredible!
Mi has become my favorite garden tipster.
@@jeffd1919 I agree with all the above from the comment about his age on.👍👏
He doesn’t look “older” but by his knowledge and maturity, like you said, I thought the same thing 🤯
Haha. Anyone who has ever heated with wood has known this for centuries. Youngsters and city dwellers may not be privy. A lot of old ways are rooted in science and performance. We used to raise food as a necessity ,not an edible hobby. Take the time to learn from your elders about ways of old. Because before you know it,you will be that old person.
It is only a secret to those who don't have wood stoves...
My mom grew up on a farm and was born in 1912. In the 1950s when I grew up we we always took the ashes from the wood stoves in the garden
I believe that when an "old farmer" tells a "secret" to successfully grow food, the farmer WANTS you to think about why it would work. And an 80 year old farmer knows full well that any growing season could be his last at that age, and telling a passionate 15 year old boy a "secret" is passing on knowledge. He knew he'd tell the secret.
Wood ashes are actually minerals.
Wood ashes have been used for centuries for gardening in almost every culture.
My tribe uses them and have for a very long time. My other side of the family being European, have also used them.
I used to help my great grandmother and grandfather put the ashes on the whole garden before planting the seeds.
Then we would flood the garden with creek water coming from the mountain.
We also made a trip every year to acquire volcanic ashes and glacial till, all for the vitamin and mineral content.
The vegetables and fruit were always very large and very sweet!
It's amazing to me that not every person knows this information. I am a very big advocate for teaching this information in school.....along with home economics.
All of the children of this nation should know how to grow their own food as well as process it in as many ways as we can teach!
Thanks so much for your channel!
It would be a great one for classes in school!
My friend is a teacher and I showed her your channel.......needless to say, she is showing her students!!!!❤💛
I heard that after mount st. helens blew, the crops grew like crazy for several years afterward.
We lived in southern Alberta when Mt.St.Helens blew. Yes, everything grew better afterwards, and we were shocked because all the news and just general information we had said the ash would kill everything.
@@Foxkitten86 It was bad in some ways and good in others.
My Grandma used to tell me about the amazing tomatoes my parents grew after Mt. St. Helen's erupted. My Dad could have cared less about the tomatoes, he was angry about the fence he painted white just before the eruption. I feel my Dad's pain but I would have loved to have been old enough to appreciate those tomatoes!
For a natural disaster comes a precious gift in return 😊
It does work, I've used potash biochar from the wood stove on tomato plants for years. Not a huge secret but it has huge results
Even on indeterminates?
@@JulieSnowstudiojuliesnow3698 why not on indeterminants?
You’re covered ... That’s not a secret.
The real secret is to make you think it’s a secret. Shh ... but don’t tell anybody,
LOL
Love this, Luke! Lifelong learner right here as well ✋
Thanks for sharing the secret! Your tomatoes look great. I hope you don't get in trouble for sharing the secret. My tomatoes grew well this year too!
Wood ash also helps to reintroduce trace minerals. Heard this from a nutritional doctor talking about depleted soils.
I appreciate hearing the science why this “secret” works! Good job!
I haven't planted tomatoes in years but I get a bushel plus each year. An old Beefsteak Heirloom grows wild because I cold composted years ago and the seeds got transferred to all my beds. Now when I see a volunteer tomatoes in the spring, I just let it go. The seeds make it through the winter and still thrive in the srping.
Luke, I LOVE your videos and refer back to them often. You are smart and energetic! My father was one of those "old" people. Your description of the ol' guy sounds just like him. He grew tomatoes like you do without having the full scientific understanding that you do. He tied up the plants to the eve of the house. "Old" people like to "tease" kids...and asking them to "swear" doesn't mean to curse. It's to emphasize how special YOU are for him to share the information with you. And by asking you to "swear", he was hoping you would share the knowledge. And you did!
This past winter I put my fireplace ashes in my two 4x4 beds. I mixed it in this year with more bagged compost a little of Trifecta and 2 Tums by each indeterminate tomato. I think I have a pretty good harvest (also planted late) and the best tasting tomatoes yet! Thank you for all your knowledge, I'm definitely a spong🌞
The stories help the knowledge to stick. Well done, Sir. Keep it up..
This is my first year ever doing a garden and I've been following your videos! I started with tomato seeds in my basement and I have to say, you said your tomatoes got 6-8 feet tall, and I used the Trifecta fertilizer...mine got to 8 feet and showed no signs of slowing down! I ended up with 25 tomato trees!! Lol.
What is the trifecta? Mine are only 5' tall. I have room to improve!
@@TheRainHarvester It is his fertilizer that he sells on his website. It was still sold out the last time I checked.
Really enjoyed your video. I really like hearing stories of how things were grown and planted in the past.
Love your secret. Don't worry I won't tell him you told us. I am going to have to try this next spring.
Test your own soil first, wood ash is 'alkaline'.
@@Ms.Byrd68
Right, I live in the desert where I have to add oak leaf mold from the nearby mountains to get the soil acid enough to get the tomato to have flavor.
Thank you Luke! Does it work to bury a fish under a plant? I am gathering info to start my first container vegetable garden. I have no clue about even what to plant and when to sow the seeds, but I am going to plant spinach first! Yay! I am so excited and I love your energy. Thank you for sharing your wealth of information. God bless you for teaching us! 💕
Knowledge that's passed on by old-timers always carries a story with it, giving context to it. Successfully using this knowledge, or finding it doesn't work for us, still lets us have a conversation with history and gives us a sense of communion with growers over time. I'm amazed by the wisdom of people all over the world who have learned the peculiarities and preferences of what they grow for food. Thanks for sharing your experience. I imagine that, if the old guy is still alive and hears this, he would be blushing with pride.
Always like to hear of new things to try to improve productivity in the garden. Normally I only grow indeterminates BUT my husbands garden always has a few determinate tomatoes, might try it there. Thanks for the great vlog!
Love the info again Luke and look forward to this "series"! I think it will be another great source of valued info!! -Kristy in Missouri :)
I used wood ash in mine this year and they won't stop growing lol. I only have 2 plants.. And I have toooo many lol its incredible.
Good to know, thanks. Suggestion on an upcoming video: how you take down/tear down your garden. What plants you pull up and which ones you leave in the ground, for next year. example artichoke, peppermint..... Thanks for all you do! You've taught me a lot.
Pamela Sierzan
Peppermint comes back, leave in. A lot of herbs come back. Asperagus once established keeps giving for about 10 years I have heard. Strawberries about 3 years. Need to be replanted. Berry bushes stay many years, many kinds. Rubarb lasts years and years. Sage will last too. Don't forget fruit trees. Some can be purchased as mini dwarfs, meaning their are grafted to a compatible rootstock not to exceed a small size. Great for small spaces. Then there are the columnar varieties of apple trees. Tall and streight up. Like a column, hence the name. Need to be ordered at a nursery.
I heard beans come back. Cut these off above ground. Broadbeans, brownbeans
We use that method here in the UK........everyone at our allotment site uses the ash from any wood fire on their soil a month before they plant their tomatoes.
You are amazing. I wish I knew what you know. In Australia we have bush fires, more often than I like. It’s abnormal for them to come where I live. Anyway, one did recently and took my fruit and nut trees with it. Can I use that ash? There is a lot of it.
Hi there so delighted to hear you say that about ash, I keep shaking my head when I hear people saying do not put a lot of ash around your plants because of the alkaline and yet that is one of my major ingredient in my compost and I grow fantastic plants thanks for the video
I have been adding it to may garden for a few years now I have tested my soil. I have not seen my ph climb one tenth of a number still reads 7
good share, also people can use volcanic ash which has 60 different minerals
Thanks for the info, I will definitely give this a try.
God bless bro.
Thank you Luke, I knew this trick (just sprinkling on top of the soil but not under the plant. I will definitely try that. Thank you
Thankyou for the tip!! I think most of these people are joking Luke!! I love that you shared the story. Thanks
Wow you’re only 25. Such wisdom and wealth of information for such a young age...amazing!👍🙏
Besides this being entertaining and educational as always, I especially appreciate that you talked about the different nutritional needs indeterminate and determinate tomatoes have.
That is a very sweet and hilarious story! Thank you so much for sharing!
I'm gonna like this series. Good idea.
Haha, my dad puts wood stove Ashe into the compost. People share lots of similar thoughts/ideas.
Yes, please share! I LOVE this stuff.
I do a lot of wood working and used my wood scraps for fuel in our fire pit. The wood ash has definitely help my garden thrive!
In my part of world, wood ash is generally tossed over tomatoes and other plants. Helps to get rid of bugs. Bugs hate touching ash
I never knew. Does it hurt worms? Do you agree it's not great for indeterminate tomatoe plants?
My grandfather took all his ashes from the woodstove, and always mixed it into his garden...i remember this over 30 years ago
Fascinating, amazing what you can learn from us elders. I will remember to use on my determinate tomatoes. I actually, grew one this year and am worried as none of the fruit has ripened so far.
Nice to know, and thank you very much😊! I wish I knew it before I planted my tomatoes this season lol. Definitely will try it next year!
I have known this since I was a little girl. My grandfather would burn his tree trimmings on his garden bed and then dig it in before he planted his garden every year. That was 40 years ago. After I started a garden, I always saved my wood stove ash to use in my garden.
Back in the day I remember the farmers use to burn all plant waste and spread it around their fields ...such as dried out tomato vines,tree and grape vine pruning waste..ect good disease control as well...nothing was wasted☺
Awesome tip thank you for sharing!! Can you plant tomatoes just in straight compost?
Love your tips. We are constantly looking for ways to improve our tomatoes.
Yes Yes Yes. Thanks from Ontario Canada.
My parents grew up in South Dakota. They grew up with and went to school with the Sioux indians that lived near by. My Dad's mother did this all the time when she could not get the two ingredients for her fertilizer .
Virginia Reid
Ashes are a way better fertilizer anyway, provided they come from natural untreated woods. Contain minerals and trace minerals said trees pull up with their deep roots. Farmers used them yesteryear and collecting the house wifes leftover ashes from towns used to be an actual occupation before electricity came along.
Thank you Luke. Been at this home for 2 summer gardens, both failed. It is my soil, so this helps so much!
I'm starting my garden for next year by getting my planting area's soils ready in the next few weeks.
CAN I ADD ASH TO THE GROUND BEFORE I TILL IT? It will be spring before I can plant again because of weather. Should I wait untill I till then?
Any advice?
Oh, and my almost 6' sunflower is getting ready to bloom! My first ever😀
Hi Luke
Greetings from Flint
I am looking for some information on ginger for Michigan. Do you have a video on it?
Just so you know.....that Old Farmer's ghost will haunt you now. hehehe
Hey there I’m waiting for your video i wanna be a good gardener and planting plants 🤣
Sorry for grammar 🤣 I’m from Philippines
joanapot VLOGS hi I’m in makati and miss my gardens very much! It’s very important that your soil has fiber in it! Most people don’t know that! Leaves shredded or wood chips without the bark or best might be rice husk! Fiber retains the water and ph for hot days!
Your grammar was perfect 👍🏻
Great video and thank you for sharing🤗🤗
Gonna have to give this a try. Thanks Luke!
Remind me to never tell you anything
LoL!
😂😂right
Exactly
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂
The old scarcity versus abundance approach to life.
Obviously you're in the abundance camp or you wouldn't be sharing this great information on TH-cam.
People ask me why I share so much information on TH-cam when I run a company that does exactly what I talk about on TH-cam. The answer for me is that there is plenty of room people who want to learn and do it for themselves. There are other people who need our help or want us to do the whole job. Most of our customers are a mixture of the last two, they learn why we do the work.😎😎😎😎
I learned all my gardening lessons and information from my grandparents and my mom, plus a few friends when I was older. I have passed on the information to others who wanted or needed it.
I use it in the compost which goes in the garden next year. It does great
My secret to growing tomatoes is learning, persistence, and willing to experiment. I started gardening in South Florida which is arguably the worst place to grow tomatoes because of climate, root knot nematodes, pests, diseases and whiteflies carrying TYLCV.
I don't think there is any one magic ingredient, you just do it a lot and you get good at it, and you have to adapt the methods to your situation. I tried many things and ended up with organic matters, compost and mulching which makes the biggest difference. Grow bags is also amazing. Having big durable trellis and planting at the right time of the year are vital. And then experiment which variety is more productive for your climate. Eventually I got pretty good. Now I live in the north and not trying to be arrogant, but it's a walk in the park gardening up here compared to Florida.
Great advice.
Max Johnson
Plant chives, green onions and lots of marigolds too, as a lot of pests don't like them. Solves many problems.
Safe all your clean eggshells and crush them really small with the potato mashing device. Sprinkle all around your tomato plants, and goodbye snails and slugs. It cuts their little bodies, so they go elsewhere.
That old farmer probably told everyone this ”secret”. He invited you to his farm after all
Either that or he will be cursed for life for swearing a promise and breaking it.
Thanks for sharing. My father had certain plants he wanted the ashes from the wood stove to go to. He was from farmer stock --- orchard and dairy folks.
Great video! I personally am not a fan of tomatoes, but I enjoy growing them every year. I hope to try this helpful trick next year!
1 xc,
Thanks for sharing that Luke!
That kind of information isn't, and shouldn't be a "secret". That's ridiculous. Looking forward to the mini series!!
i have been finger pollinating my tomatoes this year and ALL blossoms are tomatoes, thank you. i do have those teeny white flies this year
Karen Lincoln
Try using an electric tooth brush to vibrate your plants. That too does it. Just a little while... and polination will have taken place. Do it often.
Fun listening to your stories. Ty for sharing your videos and information with us ALL
Thanks for the story and tips.
I always put a sprinkling of kelp powder under every tomato plant and never have blossom end rot when I do. (But do when I don't)
I learned this actually from my favorite Aussie farmer
I appreciate you sharing one thing I learned from
An old gardener is because I worked at a paper mill from the age of 19 after several burns and infections at a cast iron pipe foundary
Looking so sharp.
Useful Information.
It’s definitely not a secret lol
My mom has been growing with ash with her tomatoes, beets & radishes for years..
In fact I remember my grandma doing the same.
She swore it kept the pests off root veggies and would keep her tomatoes alive longer. Yes old Timer mini series!!🤭👍🏻farmers always have the best tricks and tips.
This will be fun, looking forward to hearing your stories! :)
And don't worry about secrets. Gardening and growing food is not just a "fun" thing that people do, it's about surviving and actually getting something to eat, so secrets are a no go!
Hahaha!!! What a trip!! I grew up in Marlette, been living in Nashville, TN since the late 70s. Love the tips and vids!
Funny timing for me on this same discovery about wood ash just this year and then seeing your video right after. I have been growing tomatoes for 25 years in my small raised bed and a few large grow bags. Never have I grown any as LOADED with tomatoes as the few volunteer plants that came up in my burn pit this year. The plants are pretty short compared to any others I've grown, but they are gorgeous! These few have by far out produced my other 8 giant plants in the raised bed. I know it has to be the ash because I had heard of the benefits it can bring to a garden. This "secret" is a definite keeper for my future gardening!
I wonder of he used it for indeterminate tomatoes? Something I did this year was put saved tea leaves under each tomato plant and in my cucumber bed. My tomato plants grew huge and my cucumbers produced more than they ever have. I may combine wood ash with tea leaves for the maters next year.
Chelsey Hartmann hello there I planted tomatoes for the first time ever this summer in my garden and Out of 5 indeterminate plants, I had 4 successes, the one variety that didn’t succeed is called “ cœur de bœuf” in French it translates to “ beef heart” in English and it was attacked by mildew. I would like to know how you used tea leaves please for me to improve my results for next year. Thanks.
@@fatou1975 I just saved used tea bags and buried one or two under each plant. They add nitrogen to the soil and supposedly raise the acidity a bit as well. They probably won't help with flower/fruit production though. But the plants should get some size to them.
I've never had problems with mildew so can't help you there.
Had a old farmer tell me this about 20 years ago to use when growing grass , pretty cool to know works on tomatoes Det kind
I think I've watched about 40 of your videos! Great energy & knowledge! Thank you!
Tkz fr the information.learnt a lot from u as a biginer and kindly let me know how often to use wood ash plz .
Am i the only one who wants to see his granpa in a video?!
He says it's his grandpa and then later he says it is an old farmer and he doesn't know if he's still alive. GEEZ. (I WAS INCORRECT WITH THIS STATEMENT!)
@@occamsrazor5376 Please go back to the beginning of the video and listen carefully, he did NOT say he got the information from his grandpa, he spoke of his grandpa.
@@laudya1 Then I apologize for my misinterpretation! Thank you for clarifying. :-)
Think about it...someone shared info with him
How do we see your mini series?
And thanks for sharing info that is necessary for alk to know esp in these times of food shortages
Definitely going to try this this year. Would it be a good idea to add it to my potato bed to ?
Thank you for being honest, and helping us novis Gardner’s to be better gardeners. My question to you is mid June to late to plant tomatoe plants. I am in Arkansas and it is getting hot! But l would love to try this method. Mainly because my tomatoes are not producing a lot of fruit. I pulled up all my squash plants to because all they are doing is flowering! I don’t want to give up. Please help.
My cousins tomato plants had blossom end rot. I told him to pour some buttermilk around the base. I was at his house a couple of weeks later and the blossom end rot was gone.
Wayne Leamon
Cool!!!
I had the same issue and I dissolved 2 Tums antacids in 1cup if water poured around the tomato plant and it totally recovered. I found it was a lack of calcium causing this.
Blossom end rot is VERY common in the first fruit set.
Your buttermilk and Tums doesn't have plant available calcium until it breaks down by 2021.
They recovered on their own.
Blossom end rot is caused by lack of calcium. We had the same problem with a patio tomato this year. Added calcium and the BER stopped.
We have put wood ash in our garden for years
Share the knowledge it's a wonderful gift to give ❤️
Also like the information and gardening knowledge you have.