[00:01] grow in the vegetable garden. But can you grow amazing tomatoes? Although my room for improvement. I picked up a few things since planting my first plant back in 2012. This comprehensive guide will show you how to grow tomatoes
[00:15] successfully in your garden. Just like this.
[00:35] Starting from seed is an inexpensive way to grow the varieties of tomatoes you love. You can order seeds from a catalog online or skip the ship and buy them at your local garden center. Heirlooms are cool and have great flavor, but I
[00:48] well, which are more vigorous and more likely to ensure a good crop. I recommend starting tomatoes indoors 6 weeks before the last frost in your area. Start with a plastic cup. Good drainage is important, so cut holes in
[01:01] the bottom. I find it easiest to snip off the edges in three places. Fill your that contains some fertilizer. Then get your tomato seeds. Sprinkle them on top, attempting to space them out somewhat.
[01:14] Add a pinch of mix to blanket the seeds and get busy misting with water. Do yourself a favor and buy an inexpensive seedling heat mat. Tomatoes prefer a consistent temp of around 70 to 80° F, and a heat mat will take care of this
[01:27] for you. Covering your cup with a plastic bag or plastic dome will help environment to speed up germination and conserve moisture. You should see germination in 5 to 8 days. And at this
[01:40] point, make sure you're giving your starts intense light, whether that be from a sunny window sill or a grow light. Remove the plastic and move the container off the heat mat. Now, it's time to transplant. And though it would
[01:53] help, you don't need to be a surgeon to pull this off. Grab a cell tray similar to this and fill it with potting mix. Gently tease the seedlings apart, taking care not to damage the roots or stems. Tomatoes grow roots along their stems,
[02:06] so bury the stem as deep as possible. Also, don't forget the label or it'll be a real pain in the grass later on. Place your fully transplanted tray in an area with filtered light or back under your grow light. Last year, I grew a massive
[02:20] garden, so I sewed my tomatoes in bulk rows in a seed tray. Then, I transplanted them into cell trays, and it was tedious work. Here's a hack I used to double the amount of seedlings under my grow lights. By keeping the
[02:33] lights on all the time, you can swap out the trays every 12 hours, giving each ceiling sufficient light. Sure, it's a bit timeconuming, but it works. Using a fan on low is also a great way to ensure good air flow indoors.
[02:47] days start warming up, I repot the tomatoes into cups. I keep them indoors at night when it's cold, but transfer them outside on warm days, gradually increasing their sun exposure until they're acclimated. Here you can see the
[03:01] grew for last year's insane halfacre garden project. least 6 to 8 hours of sun a day, it's time to prep your dirt. Good soil is key
[03:17] to growing tomatoes successfully. I found that out the hard way last year when my tomatoes completely failed at my halfacre garden, which had terrible clay soil. On my home garden though, I spared no expense, adding a range of amendments
[03:30] in addition to its native clay soil. These included lots of black top soil, bags of composted sheet manure and composted cow manure, 3in-1 mix, bone meal, and spagnum pete moss. One fall, I also sewed some cover crop. This is a
[03:45] protects the soil and adds nutrients when it's tilled under in the spring. I loosen up the soil and rake it flat. In recent years, I've covered the soil with temperature, preserve moisture levels, and keep the weeds down. You can secure
[04:00] it by tucking the sides into the soil or using ground staples. I haven't found it to be that useful in the home garden, so I won't be using it this growing season. [Music] Dig a deep hole or trench for your
[04:14] fertilizer that's high in phosphorus and potassium, but lower in nitrogen. The potassium are really going to boost flowering and fruing where an excess of nitrogen will give you a lush plant without many actual tomatoes. Nice root
[04:30] structure. Strip off the lower branches, planting the seedlings so that two/3s of allow the plant to develop a larger root network over time, making for a more robust plant that can produce more juicy mers. Of course, don't forget to give
[04:44] your starts a good drink. Spacing is important. Those plants look tiny at the start, but don't be fooled. They'll get huge. I recommend 2 feet between single stem plants and 3 feet between unpuned plants. More on pruning
[04:58] later. It is possible to grow tomatoes in a pot, but more difficult, and I only recommend using determinate or bush varieties. Start with a high-quality potting soil and mix in some compost, lime, and granular fertilizer. Snap the
[05:11] lower branches off the tomato and dig a central planting hole. If you're feeling generous, toss in a bit more granular f and some eggshells for extra calcium. Mix it up and introduce your green buddy to their new home. Firm up the mix. Add
[05:25] a pe cage and water it in. I'm not usually a neglectful gardener. Just forgot to film this. [Music] Most tomato plants get tall. Real tall. And it's important to be supportive of
[05:40] your tomato plants. Getting your plants growing upright will save you space, look a lot tidier. There are many structures you can use to accomplish difference between determinate and indeterminate varieties. Determinates
[05:55] typically only get around 3 to 4 ft tall and produce all their flowers and fruit in one flush. This type should not be pruned and does not typically require support. Indeterminates, aka vining tomatoes, on the other hand, will grow
[06:07] indefinitely until killed by frost or disease. They produce their tomatoes sequentially and should always be supported. Staking is a classic method where the tomato plant is tied up to a single pole as it
[06:19] grows. I find beef steak tomatoes get around 7 ft tall and cherries get around 9 ft tall in my garden, but it really depends on variety and how long your growing season is. Bamboo works well for steaks, but the 6' long ones you can
[06:33] find at your local garden center aren't really tall enough. I needed to add an extension by sliding in a thinner 5-ft piece. Wood stakes are also a good option. Vining tomatoes have a main stem, aka a central leader, leaf
[06:46] stem, aka a central leader, leaf branches, and jutting out at a 45° angle between the main stem and a leaf branch are side shoots, aka suckers. To train your plants to a single stem, simply pick off all the side shoots. These
[07:00] we're going for a one stem plant though, leave the top few inches of the plant alone. If the growing tip terminates for whatever reason, you can
[07:12] just let an upper side shoot develop into a new main stem. You can root suckers to create free new tomato plants if you so desire. It may be a good idea to remove lower branches that are close to the soil to reduce the possibility of
[07:25] disease transfer from the soil. When using pruning shears, it's best if you sterilize them with alcohol between plants. This may seem over the top, and maybe it is, but it decreases the chance of spreading disease from one plant to
[07:38] the next. Clip off larger suckers that will not snap off cleanly. Store-bought plant tape can be used to tie your plants to their stakes. One tie every 8 to 10 in should be enough. Strips cut from plastic grocery bags work as well
[07:52] and are a cheap alternative. Caging is another popular support method. With this method, you can let your plants grow unpruned. Just be prepared for a jungle. And I don't say that lightly. Conicle cages.
[08:07] No way. I use homebuilt industrial-grade concrete reinforcement wire cages. Strong enough to contain even the most boisterous tomato beast. They can be opened and closed with hooks for easier storage. 6-in spikes keep them anchored
[08:20] to the ground. No need to stake. Providing 360° of support and standing at 4 1/2 ft tall. These cages do the work so you don't have to. They're even tomato growing experience to new heights. Okay, enough with the sales
[08:35] pitch, but these cages are great. You can also prune selectively depending on the number of stems you want to have. Another support method is trellising. This is a concrete mesh trellis I built, but credit goes to Patrick from Oneard
[08:48] blueberries cherry tomato plants flourished on the trellis and produced a nice little crop of unique but unfortunately flavorless tomatoes. Last trellusing my tomatoes, tying two strings of twine to the top of the cage
[09:03] and to the stem near the ground. Throughout the season, I spiraled the stems around the string, and this worked pretty well. [Music] Watering with a hose works, and I've
[09:15] done it for years, but you'd better hope for some rain because if you have a dry season, it can become a very timeconuming task. If you do go this route, it's best to use a light shower setting so as not to erode the soil. We
[09:28] person, but it's not good to be a shallow waterer either since this will result in a small underdeveloped root system. Give your tomato plants a nice deep soak. And trust me, they'll thank you later.
[09:43] inches of soil dry out between waterings. I find once a week is a good rule of thumb. If you're experiencing a dry spell in your area, cover the base of each plant with mulch to conserve moisture. Avoid getting the leaves wet
[09:57] if possible by watering at the ground. And do your watering early in the morning to allow excess moisture to evaporate during the day. This should help minimize disease and keep your plants growing nice and healthy.
[10:09] Drip irrigation is a lot more efficient, and I've had good success with it over the last couple years. My system begins with a timer, which allows me to schedule automatic waterings. Next, there's the backflow pretor, which stops
[10:21] dirt and debris from entering the municipal water supply. The filter with particles that could possibly be coming from the tap, and the filter can easily be removed and rinsed off. Finally, the pressure reducer decreases
[10:34] the water pressure, so it is low enough for the system to handle. This rig might seem a little complicated, but in reality, it's pretty plug-andplay. From going from the inside of the garage to the outside and splitting off to each
[10:47] raised bed. I dug trenches and laid them underground. A central pipe runs down the middle of each raised bed and spaghetti tubing branches off to each this setup. Drip emitters control the
[11:00] And there are various types available for purchase. unfortunately I can't tell you from personal experience how well they work.
[11:17] [Music] After settling in their new outdoor environment, your tomato plants will begin to flower. Insects and wind will facilitate pollination. Fruit set is a magical sight. And as the
[11:30] fruits swell, so will your confidence as a tomato grower. Once the fruits are the with a bit of additional fertilizer to give them a boost. [Music] If you follow the steps in this video,
[11:44] chances are your tomato garden will have very few issues. Prevention really is the key. Some of the most common problems I've had are flea beetle damage early in the season, which I battle using an organic white powder called
[11:57] dietimmacous earth. [Laughter]
[12:15] most garden issues, it could be caused by a variety of factors. Insufficient nutrients may be the culprit if the rest of the plant looks unhealthy. Otherwise, preventing pollination. Planting at the right time and growing some flowers to
[12:28] invite pollinating insects may help you sidestep this frustrating occurrence. Cracking and blossom and rot usually occur when watering is inconsistent. leaves from the ground to maintain a clean growing environment. Choose hearty
[12:42] varieties and plant them at the right time. I'm not ashamed to admit that I, Lucas from Lucas Grows Best, usually turn to Google to identify and correct any unwelcome happenings in my garden. [Music]
[12:56] [Music] Harvest time is fun. Real fun. It's get a fancy shirt on and start dancing fun. Seriously, if you followed the had some luck on your side, about 2 and
[13:08] your hard work will have paid off in a bounty of fresh ripe tomatoes hanging bounty of fresh ripe tomatoes hanging from the vines. This is amazing. [Music]
[13:23] Heat. [Music]
[14:27] [Music] Heat.
[14:46] M fresh tomatoes. I hope this guide was helpful and that you grow some of your own. Thanks so much for watching and let me know if you have any questions or me know if you have any questions or comments. See you next time.