Garden Fresh Tomatoes, No Dig Required: Flourishing in Temperate Regions
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- Опубліковано 15 чер 2024
- Success is not certain with outdoor tomatoes in damp climates. The previous year to this saw almost no harvest, before late blight arrived in August.
I'm sharing with you my success of 2022, which was a dry summer, just what tomatoes like. Temperatures were above average, around 24 C 75 F in July and August daytime, and 12C 54. F by night.
We start with transplanting tomatoes in mid-May /end of spring, and continue until autumn. I share ideas for super tasty fruits. The flavour is so much better when you grow them yourself.
00:00 14th MAY - I explain when is a good time to transplant tomatoes outdoors
01:07 Ground preparation (tomatoes are a second planting after purple sprouting broccoli) - harvesting, raking (optional), watering
03:16 Then spreading compost
04:59 Varieties of tomatoes for planting - Dorenia, Yuko’s Persimmon x Lilia’s Perfection, Sungold
06:08 Stakes for the cordon tomatoes
06:31 Transplanting the tomato plants, and info on watering, spacing, and late blight
11:07 Now 13th JUNE, tying the plants to the stakes
11:55 Why I take off the end of bottom-most trusses
12:13 The importance of watering at this stage of growth
12:54 Side-shooting (removing suckers)
13:28 My thoughts on feeding tomatoes
13:45 Two plants at the back, closely spaced
14:05 Removing lower leaves
15:15 18th JULY, harvesting some fruit, how tomatoes ripen
16:39 More maintenance - de-leafing, side-shooting
17:31 Taking out the tops, I explain the reason why
19:53 17th AUGUST after hot weather, and the results from just using compost mulch, no feeds
21:07 Coriander and Medania spinach interplanted among the tomatoes
22:20 How much longer for the tomato plants, and a reminder of the ongoing maintenance
22:51 Horizontal top bars across the stakes
23:29 Harvesting Sungold, Uluru Yellow, Dorinia
23:57 17th SEPTEMBER, and info on watering at this stage of growth
24:55 Leaf roll
25:40 Sungold with split skin - the reason why
26:14 Blossom End Rot, and more on watering at this stage
27:24 An F2 variety
28:06 Saving seed
28:24 Some more on ripening
29:00 How to clear a tomato plant, and how to compost
For detailed information on growing tomatoes, see my online From Seed to Harvest lesson: charlesdowding.co.uk/product/.... The lesson has more information about sowing, raising plants, and about growing tomatoes undercover.
My No Dig book has 6 pages about growing tomatoes - see this offer, with my Calendar of Sowing Dates
charlesdowding.co.uk/product/...
Filmed at Homeacres, Somerset, Southwest UK from May to September 2022 by Alessandro Vitale, @SpicyMoustache
You can join this channel by paying a monthly fee, to support our work with helping gardeners grow better, and to receive monthly videos made only for members:
/ @charlesdowding1nodig - Навчання та стиль
I learn something new everytime I watch a video from here. I've seen alot of planting video and read my fair share as a new gardener, but I find his discussions and methodology far more calm yet instructive. I appreciate this.
Great to hear 💚
@@CharlesDowding1nodig PLEEEASE ..hide your feet away, it spoils it, I'm sorry and I won't be the only one.
@@johnman559what an odd thing to fixate on
What an amazing video. MOST undervalued channel on YT. UA-cam WAKE UP !!!! Set your algo to promote this channel more !!!!!!
Thank you so much. I wish!
Wow what a special gift to let us see and entire season in just ne video. Thank you sir.
Charles, amazing advice. This year Im following an approach more in line with your own than I have in the past regarding tomato pruning.
I want you to know that your whimsy is not missed on us and is much appreciated, admired, and entertaining. You probably dont hear that enough. In addition, your dexterity and bodily strength is a true marvel and a real motivation to take care of my own body. Thank you for ALL the ways in which you enrich our lives :-) Blessings friend.
So nice to hear Ted thanks
This is what we all love about Charles Dowding. So honest in his growing and very happy to show any imperfections, just the way it is with vegetable gardening. Super video, thank you!
That's nice thanks
Great camerawork, starting with the awe-inspiring flyover of the garden and proceeding to the incredible close-ups. And I learned a lot too. Thanks again, Team Homeacres!
Many thanks! Yes fine camera by @spicymoustache
Gosh this video was fantastic!! It’s so immensely helpful seeing a vegetable grown from start to finish, with the entire process and growing season in one video. It’s like watching a story unfold, so the info really sticks and makes so much sense! eg. seeing how and why you remove side shoots or when you remove tiny toms from trusses or pinch out the plant tip, all makes sense when you see it in the context of the entire growing cycle. Thank you for this!!!! Would you consider the same type of video (start to finish) for other veggies?? Could be like... “The Tomato/Zucchini/Corn Story” etc. 😊🙏🏼 Thank you, all the way from Australia!
Ps. So flipping excited that we can get your module trays here now!! They’re going on my Christmas list!
Pps. Any chance you’ll sell your dibber here too?! 😁
Hi Lucy,
This is lovely to see and I appreciate your enthusiasm! Over the years I have done a few of these and this is the playlist ua-cam.com/video/HCHIjxcyciY/v-deo.html. It has beetroot, onions and a few others.
Enjoy the trays, and best make your own dibber from a tool handle, they are pricey to ship.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Oh thank you for linking the playlist!! Making a dibber is a good idea. Have a wonderful Christmas :)
@@lucyk4291 How do you get the module trays here in Australia please?
the joy on your face picking tomatoes!
This video was very helpful thank you. I struggled last summer with my tomatoes, 90% didnt have enough time to ripe. I will be applying those tips next summer. Cheers Charles it was a very well made video too, very relaxing.
You can do it I'm sure, and thankyou
Perfect timing for us here in New Zealand with summer starting next week. The tomatoes have had 7 days of persistent rain but seem to be ok🤞. Thanks Charles. Always informative☺️🇳🇿
I hope that the weather warms up for you, I hear that it's been a difficult spring so far. People are talking about emissions from the Tongan volcano and apparently they're crossing the equator now :(
Thank you ☺️
Yeah I heard there was lots of rain up north. Over here in Christchurch nz though it has been good so far! Apart from one day of heavy downpours, The mountains to the west has stopped the worst of it and it has been showers one day, sun the next for the past week. Perfect for my plants, no weed to water, while not getting waterlogged!
@@Constellado I'm in Southland and we had rain for a solid week but it seems to be settling now to showers now and then so hopefully a great summer is on the way. Happy gardening ☺️
Thanks, Charles. Fabulous video as always. Makes me really excited for the season next year!
Really useful tips and great video. Looking forward to next season!
I am planting out my 8 inch tall seed started tomatos today in Albury NSW Australia, because it has finally finished raining buckets and the soil may be warm enough. Because of no dig I barely even buy tinned veg at all any more, this year had winter soups three times a week from the garden. Spent the money I saved on good steak! Thank you Charles, I hope King Charles knights you soon!
That's so nice to hear, I love the sort of people eating better and being more healthy. I worry about your weather because I'm hearing a lot about it, and New Zealand too. I'm afraid that it might come here and some say that it's from the Tongan volcano, whose debris is crossing the equator.
Thanks for your suggestion to HM and I'm not interested in that!
Some gardeners (warmer climates/longer growing season) use the side shoots to start brand new plants during the season.
Easily rooted.
As I continued watching, I remembered my wooden trellis/cages I built as the tomato plants grew. Keep cages for future crops. Easy to place in garden each year.
In San Diego we didn’t have blight…tomato hornworms were the ones I kept an eye open for. Usually the big poop was 1st evidence. So fascinating!
Carolyn/Vermont Cat Lady (originally from San Diego)
Thanks Carolyn, yes I do that sucker trick sometimes!
love your vids you are so calm doing the jobs
🐝Thanks for the great video🌻 just watching old vids for inspiration
Thank you, very helpful from Woodend Victoria Australia. I gave up growing tomatoes some years back until I started growing in food forest/no dig. Using the principles from your experience I’ve managed abundant tomato crops the past few years and expect to in future. I am planting outside this time of year here now that the temperature is reaching 20 degrees Celsius.🍅
I'm very happy to read this, and wish you an abundant harvest this year!
Wow! Nice explanation about growing tomatoes. Thanks!
It's almost Summer here in Aus! Timely info for me 🍅🍅 thank you!
Enjoy!
The best advice anyone could give you, first class.
Lovely progression. You are an amazing teacher! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Really enjoyed seeing the time progression, great video.
Thanks Luke
I like these "long term" videos. Thanks,
What a fantastic video Charles, Thank you for such an informative video. Have a great week!!!
😀 cheers Neil
I’m a new gardener in Texas where we’re in a crazy drought and I’ll still be wearing shorts today at the end of November. Even with the different climate I’m still learning so much from you and appreciate all your lessons.
Oh my goodness! That sounds so extreme, and I hope that it rains soon.
Nice that you can see the underlying principles!
A brilliant video about the life of a tomato plant. I usually take my tops out after 6 trusses but your idea of pricking out earlier to beat blight is very sensible, as is the suggestion to prick out the small tomatoes at the end of the trusses. It would be helpful if the camera could zoom in more often, when you are describing what you are doing, especially for beginners. Saying that, it's still a very informative video and the sound seems to have improved a lot, theres no loss of quality when you bend down, or in; to carry out some work.
Thanks Julian, glad to help
I just watched this as I have my tomato seedlings indoors as it only mid March ,the outdoor ones I usually keep in the greenhouse until May and then plant the outdoor varieties in pots in the sunniest part of my garden . They did brilliantly last year in the hot summer , but it’s possible this year may not be so hot , so all the tips to speed up the ripening process were really useful , I’m in Cornwall so my last frost is usually late April . Thanks again Charles for all the advice you give .
Nice to hear Linder, and I wish you a hot summer! However, the government looking for it to go in the other direction! www.gov.uk/government/publications/geo-engineering-research-the-government-s-view/uk-governments-view-on-greenhouse-gas-removal-technologies-and-solar-radiation-management
Thank you, I started my garden in August 2021, lot to learn. Paused half way to go and "doctor" my tomatoes.
It's good to know that you don't know! I wish you fun and food, learning all the time
Crimson Crush looks to be a good variety for blight resistance.
Yes :)
Hey Charles! I really liked this format even if it meant that your wardrobe department was working overtime. I learned and relearned so much and it actually answered some of my unasked questions which, although I pose the question to myself, as my wife says "Just because you ask the voices in your head doesn't mean that you actually asked anyone". The question that you covered the best was when you were cutting up the old tomato plant to put into the compost. I did the same thing with my corn stalks early this morning which I cut down low enough to leave the roots in the ground but unfortunately did not see this video in time to do the angular cut to increase the surface area before putting the stalks on the compost pile. I actually put them on the bottom, so that when I turned the pile, they provided a nice air gap. I thought you were very responsive to the tomato's feelings when you apologized for speaking of how you were going to kill it off while it was still alive. I have been guilty of insensitivity towards vegetarians mostly (in my youth) when I asked them whether they knew that often, if you listen carefully, you can hear vegetables screaming as they are pulled from the ground ;-) Cheers!
Hi Craig, a lovely cheerful comment as ever! I'm intrigued that you have corn stalks already, before mid summer. And I hope your summer goes well with decent weather.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig This year I planted corn a little early in the season and as a result got cobs that had small but delicious kernels. I am hoping to plant another lot this week to see how they go. I think the secret is some well rotted manure which I didn't really have a lot of when I planted this last lot. This time I have a lot of well rotted cow manure, so I hope that this will be enough together with it being later in the season. My best results by far have been at my previous house where I grew corn in an old chicken run. Cheers!
Muy bueno son sus videos nos dejan una enseñanza vale la pena mirar sus videos yo no me pierdo ninguno un sa ludo de argentina
¡Muchas gracias, estoy feliz de ver esto! Espero que tu invierno esté bien.
Thanks so much Charles. Hoping to pop in more tomatoes here in New Zealand. Always learn so much from you
Wonderful!
@@CharlesDowding1nodig 🙂
Brilliant that. Thanks for sharing.
🙂
Wow I am on my way down to the vegetable garden to use what I have just learnt about tomatoes. Thank you Charles & this will be interesting to put into practice here in Australia. Cheers Denise- Australia
Do people really comment on digging a hole for new plants? Maybe call it "minimal dig" for the pedants.
Strangely down here in Melbourne AUS, I've just planted some more tomato seedlings.
I'm very space limited and just couldn't bear to pull out the lettuce that were still in good shape.
Normally they've gone to seed before now.
Lovely video as always, thanks for sharing your knowledge with us all.
Cheers Gerry!! 😀
Watching this in feb 27 2024. So sunny and warm. Roll on this summer
😀
Lovely tomatoes 🍅, Charles. I managed to get a nice harvest of tomatoes for the 1st time this year. Your no-dig method has really helped me a lot.
Nice to hear James
Brilliant Charles! After watching this I’m now really looking forward to next seasons growing! Thanks for sharing! and I’m liking the new 2023 calendar that I received a few days ago! 👍👍
Thankyou 🌱
You could put in a large olla pot for a grouping like this and it'll help keeping them watered with little effort.
Love this tomato video. A lot of effort has been put into making this. Thank you.
I love to see videos about what tomatoes varieties you are growing each year.
Our pleasure. And you are right!
I'm in Oregon USA zone 8B we are warmer in summer than you are. We broke a record and got up to 116°F a couple years ago with several days in the 80°'s & 90°'s and 100°'s.
I've never gotten blight but I dont pick all the lower leaves off like I see many people on You Tube do. This year I've grown lots of varieties. I had over 150 plants come up volunteer last year. Mostly Brandywine and a cherry variety.
Brandywine is my favorite. I'm just growing it this year sun gold and a Roma.
I hope it's not too hot for you going forward, and mostly it sounds like you have a good climate for outdoor tomatoes, more prolific than here! I like Brandywine varieties
What a wonderful summary for growing tomatoes and again I've learned more Sir Charles 😊
Oh, forgot to mention that last year I eventually managed to find an expensive seed pack sungold as you are so fond of this variety. Guess what: the sealed inner bag was EMPTY! I was so unhappy, but then found an heirloom called sungold select from deaflora (kind of a sibling) and it was plentiful and delicious and now I got my own seeds.
😂 is funny! Nice outcome and thanks
War ein , für mich, sehr lehrreiches Video. Danke dafür und wie immer
viele Grüße aus der Eifel.
💚
Glad you mentioned spacing, last year i struggled here in Southern Tasmania getting all to ripen, necessitating picking many and putting in paper in a box to ripen. I though maybe they were too close but looking at yours that wasn’t the problem, must have been weather. This year I’m behind the 8 ball as overseas, hoping as weather awful ill get some to grow and ripen. All a learning game.
Your weather, this summer sounds awful and don't blame yourself if the tomatoes don't make it! I would pinch out the tops in late January, so the existing fruits have time hopefully to ripen
Hola Charles,que lindo video una lección estupenda gracias Charles 🌷🌷🇨🇱
🍅 gracias
My tomatoes got to 12 feet last year. But we just ran an experiment, I’m in the states zone 6B and it was a lot of work but tons of tomatoes. Love to see this method though! Although I do feel bad topping them.
I'm always learning here, thank you! My tomatoes are still going and repening zone 9b Catalunya!
Wonderful to hear thanks
GREAT TO SEE A VIDEO SHOT IN MAY !!!! IT HELPS TO KEEP CERTAIN PEOPLE FROM SPIRALING INTO A DEEP CATATONIC DEPRESSION DURING THE WINTER MONTHS DUE TO THE TREMENDOUS DECREASE IN COMPOSTING MATERIAL AVAILABLE FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT !!!!!!
Yes, and I find it amazing to be reminded of summer at this time of year!
Hi Charles, this has been a good video for me. We love our tomatoes here in Arkansas Lots of good tips. Thanks (Old guy from Arkansas)🇺🇸
Glad you enjoyed it Stephen!
Dziękuję, dokładnie pokazana uprawa pomidorów. Pozdrawiam
Our pleasure Marta
I was very fortunate with my crop, they grew up and along the trellis on the wall
Hi Charles I noticed that my sungolds didn't split on the truss. When I picked them, if the stem came away with the tomato it was ok, but if the tomato came away without the stem they mostly split. Also some sungolds had pointed bottoms and tough skins even on the same truss as round soft skins, probably the heat waves. 😁👍💚🙏
We see the same!
beautiful!
Your dedicated work and recording of all changes, comparisons in order to find regularity, legality and, ultimately, possibilities, is equal to scientific work, precious.
Many thanks
Brilliant again!
Ate the last of my tomatoes last week, picked at the breaker point weeks ago.
Near Toronto Ontario Canada
Nice one!
Thanks Charles. You are so reassuring. I don't freak out anymore. lol. The time lapse is so helpful. USA. zone 6a. 50 feet above sea level gives us a little more time to grow and harvest. Wonderful videos. Thank you again.
Glad to help 💚
Hi I’m a big fan love your videos
Thankyou :)
I really enjoyed this video, although I can't grow (as I've already told you) much these days nevertheless it is of great interest to watch you planting all the different varieties. I am envious of course, and you're right = it is exciting to see how they all perform.....Nature is wonderful ! 30:27 ....beautiful 👌
Thanks so much, glad you like it
GREAT VIDEO!!
Glad you enjoyed it
Try using the back of the take for levelling...learned from Granny F.
💚 thanks
Very well described and will refer back to this throughout the season as its my first for tomatoes, peppers and cucumber so need as much advice as possible. Thanks Charles🖕
Glad it was helpful!
Will be trying sungold tomatoes this year for the first time. Really appreciate the full season videos as the plants and fruit develop.. Thanks to your camera and editing crew..
Best of luck, and that is @spicymoustache for this one
@@CharlesDowding1nodig thanks for the encouragement!
I collect green tomatoes and use them in stir-fries and make a variety of preserves.
It never occurred to me to take the ends off the trusses to help the fruits develop. So obvious once you point it out! Thank you.
💚
You’ve done a magnificent job on that garden. The hay and wood chip have worked way better than I expected. I’m going to give it a go. I’m really impressed that you got a fine enough till to start carrots.
Thanks Lyn, enjoy that
Nice to see a start to finish all in one video. Also what to plant next. I struggle to make the most of my growing spaces and tend to have one crop in a bed. I will try to be better next year. Thank you!
Sounds good Mandy
Best tomato video ever- the progress over time is what I crave😂 it really helps me I've grown tomatoes for a few years but I got a few new tips today. I'll be staking them more securely with thick wood instead of singular bamboo sticks or wigwams, I'm brave enough now to do the topping, & under planting for fall
N nice thanks Tasha
Here in Central Australia I have been picking my tomatoes for two weeks, a mix of determinant and indeterminate, heritage and hybrids. I think I am looking at my best crop ever and I put it down to what I have learnt from your generous teaching Charles. Thanks
I'm very happy to hear that! What a great prospect, so many harvests ahead of you
Great video showing the planting growing journey Charles! Love that you mention Calcium uptake! Also worth mentioning the key role Boron plays in relationship to Calcium:
Increases and guides sugar translocation to sugar sinks
Increases Calcium absorption and mobility
Increases plant resistance to Rhizoctonia, Verticillium, Fusarium and some viruses.
Cheers and that's kudos to boron!
very nice opening!
Thanks @spicymoustache!
Just when I think you've taught me everything about growing and harvesting tomatoes, I find out...nope, here's some more knowledge. Thanks Charles, years ago you talked about sun gold and I bought seeds, best tasting tomato ever, they've been in garden every yr since.
That's nice thanks
Great video once again. When I see the 4K icon, I know who's filming ;)
Allegedly the Primabella (Heirloom) is a very blight resistant outdoor tomato. She has a few brothers (Vivagrande, Sunviva, Resibella, Rondobella and Vivaroma) that all have an OpenSource seed licenses. The Mountain Magic F1 is also something to try outside. Then again, most other tomatoes do much better in a well ventilated greenhouse.
Thanks for the info! Funny about the icon 😀
Learnt so much from , this thank you Charles & team Got ten red alert cherrys , in my living room now, desperatly need potting on. Also 10 sun cherry premium , 12 quid for five seeds the latter, got two just incase , every single seed , germinated Tom & Morg cant fault the growth rate . they was all sown 5 weeks ago. Around .2.5ft high :) Hope everyone as a great summer, harvest . of everything...
Give 6 to my mum , and 14 going on my high rise balcony :) The thick toughened reinforced glass , even though open air at the top. half don't half make a make shift green house :) Views not to bad this high up either :) It get's that hot on the outdoor balony when i water , steam comes off the concrete beneth my feet , , in recent years, have , not pinched the tops, out till September . Was still picking Bonfire night morning madness . They was a varitey i. bough from a supermarket, piccolo , i saved the seeds from. some fruit , they was absoloutly PROLIFIC ! Croppers, Best tomato i've ever had. Never seen , them since, and the seeds i, saved, on a bit of old .. posted envolope have dried to the point they uselese.. Sorry for my grammar i'm dyslexic .. Thank you for sharing your invaluble knowledge . my old China plate.
Lovely comments thanks!
You are having great success with your propagation and I should grow some Red Alert again, I succeeded with it in the 1980s, and then kept trying new things. It's such a compact bush tomato without need for support, and a great flavour to the fruit.
In my mom's veggie bed (which is dug) actually the tomato is the best & well producing plant (could be our warm summer), everything else is way nicer in my NoDig patch (some of her plants are just sad; yes it did became a competition between us xD), so I myself did not plant tomato but I shall next time tho, to see the difference 😏
That is so interesting! I'm hoping that your mother notices, how you do not spend so much time weeding, as well as having mostly nice vegetables!
old habits die hard - but we shall see 😜 getting myself your Big Yellow Book for Christmas, can't wait 🌻🌻
The variety sunviva is very suitable for outdoor growing, too. I’m testing it this year 😊
Me too!!
What was that white cabbage with pink flecks at the very start? Stunning
Chicory (radicchio) Variegata da Lusia
I used a 2inch bulb planting auger to get beneath the 4+ inch crust I have here. Planted tomatoes about 6inches deep, in seed starter mix. Top dressed them with compost in a mound because rain comes in floods here. It worked well. Expanding on the plan next spring
Sounds hard work, glad it works for you
I plant a variety called Marmande the best tomatoe I ever had.Lots of disease resistance and great flavor the seeds are a bit expensive at 1.00 each.Great video Charles.
Thanks, and that's interesting because I used to grow Marmande but was not too impressed. Possibly the strain I grew was not as good as the one you have, they do very a lot
Great video. Thinking about growing some outdoor tomatoes next year. The biggest problem I had with tomatoes this year was splitting fruit, and then going moldy are attracting loads of fruitflys.
Oh no and that can be varietal issue, otherwise, it's from irregular watering and best leave no more than three days between each watering
I learned that I do it just like you, my timing a bit adjusted to german rhinelandian conditions... my season is a bit earlier & longer in ripening... but yes your way is kind of perfect
Thanks Sascha, and you are well organised!
Thank you
I put 3 or 4 generic tums in each tomato hole when planting to curb blossom end rot.
There is always green tomato chutney. 😊
Yes 😊
I recently moved from Missouri back to England and getting used to growing in a very different climate. I am experimenting with overwintering peppers, tomatoes and okra in the conservatory. The tomatoes are doing very well and I am harvesting a few a week. I have found that if I prune out the top and allow side shoots to grow I get a manageable bush that produces enough fruit for our lunch each day. The peppers and okra are alive but sleeping, hopefully I get a head start in spring with them.
That's amazing, Danielle, you have a very green thumb I reckon
Nice skills of an insider on outside tomatoes😶🌫Would you like to share tips and tricks of the sowing and potting of tomatoes? Sungold and the Sun Gold, orange are my favourite. I put the first shoots of Sun Gold in water and plant them when they get roots.
Thanks and similar here, see this for side shoots ua-cam.com/users/shortsiXLLRRencwk?feature=share
Wow, those tomatoes 🍅 look really good 👍 I just let them grow and don't take out any side shoots as you said it feels bad but I grow them under a roof. With the ones that I'm growing outside I might follow your example next year.
Thanks good to hear. Plants are easy to manage when trained like this, and it's quite quick
Thank you for sharing Charles. I love tomatoes and hope to grow a few varieties this year. I recently moved from Eastern Washington State to Essex NY. Zone 5
Learning to garden here will be a whole new learning curve. Our back and front yard are small and the whole 0.3 acre is lawn and surrounded in tress! Some maples, not certain on what the others trees are. All are deciduous. I'm assuming I'll have to make raised beds and keep them off the ground so they don't get full of tree roots. I've experienced that in Washington State with beds I had close to trees.
Yes, that is not easy, Shelly and I wish you well. I don't know in fact how you kept the tree roots out of your beds before because they pass through almost any barrier! I wish you success, and in a very different climate!
@Charles Dowding thanks a bunch Charles, I love a challenge. Ive been exploring the permaculture way of geowing the past 10 years. Morage Gamble is one of my favorites to follow. I'm wishing you a fun and successful 2023 gardening season. 🫂
How nice. I'm in the southern hemisphere so I've just come inside after planting my tomato seedlings into my no dig garden. I watered the area last night to be sure it would be nice and damp this morning, and it was. In went my little home sown and grown plants. I've hung string lines from a thick overhead wire, which will bend a bit later in the season but gives a bit of bounce for me to play with as they grow. I spread a generous inch of homemade compost over the surface around them after planting followed by a hand water to settle them in. Then came inside for a drink to see Charles has a video on tomatoes. How cool is that?
It sounds really good, what are you doing! And I love it that so many people here are from the southern hemisphere, and can use the timings now.
I hope your plants grow really well.
SUPER , pozdrawiam wszystkich serdecznie :-)
I have saved sungold seeds and replanted for 5 yrs now with no problems
That is amazing, and I wonder whether you are just lucky, or what!!
Miss summer already!
Hi Charles would you ever consider an interview with Dr Elaine Ingham? I think the science behind no dig is fascinating, a new frontier in soil science. Thanks Nick 👍🙏💚😁
Maybe one day, I know her and she has invited me to participate in her Regen summit next March 16th, I think
@@CharlesDowding1nodig That would be awesome if it happens.!👍😊💚🙏
It's so interesting to me that your first and last frost dates are the same as mine here in Zone 6a/6b, but our extreme temperatures are VERY different. We can get very hot summer highs (mid-90 F is not unusual at all) and very cold winter lows (we hit -8 deg F this winter!)
So right Jason. V glad not to have -8F!!
I was quite surprised to see you doing a lot of watering of tomato plants. Here in Japan it’s generally considered that you get better tasting fruit the less you water. People put plastic covers over their tomato plants and don’t water them. Maybe that’s because we get more rain and the moisture in the surrounding soil is perhaps enough to keep them going.
Yes good points and I'm not watering regularly, maximum twice a week if it's really warm and dry as it happened to be that summer. This year we gave them very little water.
7:21 you make the roots grow and go in search of the water instead of always having it on demand for them where they sit. with more mature plants you can do a 1-2 water cycle water one day off for 2 for example. cheers mate
Cheers
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Also why leaving water in the bottom of trays for watering will pull the roots down to the bottom and give a better root ball.
In my experience it leads to airless, waterlogged compost
That probably didn't come off how I wanted. I have the same experience with starting plants and smaller pots. That is just for mature plants. We grow some things in larger pots here. using a watering cycle and this method. Have you experimented with hydroponics at all? That will be your next endeavour if not, even better than no dig imo and right to aquaponics for the ultimate closed loop. Ive tried a few experiments but would love to make a large pvc hydroponic lettuce ladder for the backyard one of these years, months, weeks, days, hours. Get those ponds to work lol, cheers mate.
what a legend
Charles I think you worry too much about watering your tomatoes when they are producing fruits. Your temperatures barely qualify as summer. In Southern California I planted my tomatoes at the end of April and watered them while they were growing until the fruits were formed and green then in JULY I STOPPED WATERING the plants until frost in November... The temperatures in Socal were commonly over 100- 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The fruits turned out excellent and the flavor was very rich.I did this for the 8 years I farmed there.Consistent water makes the tomatoes bland tasting. Thank you for all your videos. They are superb!
Thanks and that's a very helpful comment. I shall try watering them less!
❤I’m sorry if my comment was sounding a bit harsh Charles. I think you are awesome. I learned so much from you! Thank you!❤️
Nice, I like your comment!
I had terrible trouble with blossom end rot with one particular variety called Matina. I had no issues at all with my sungold. I was watering each variety with the same amount of water. Are certain varieties more susceptible to blossom end rot?
I'm going to try more varieties next year. I'll probably look for a good cooking variety to add to the salad tomatoes.
I do enjoy these specific vegetable all you can eat videos. There is so much great information. Thank you again Charles.
That's nice, thanks, and I suspect the reason is because Matina grows very fast with bigger leaves and fruits than Sungold, therefore it just needs extra water, give it more!
Hello Charles! I like your recommendations, I continue to learn growing constantly. I live in the south of Ukraine, we have a favorable climate for growing tomatoes. I hope to get back to work next year. Health and good luck to you👌🌻🐦
I wish you a peaceful time in the garden! Such a healing place
@@CharlesDowding1nodig thank you
Lovely! How did the egg yolk toms come out? I love the name... I really love the flowers you've incorporated.
Thanks Melody and sadly it was a mislabelled plant! Turned out to be the F2 Persimmon cross.
F2 is when you cross an F1 with itself. You get lots of variation because it mixes genetics as far back as it's grandparents. It's a way to open up the gene pool and make interesting new selections.
Ah thanks!