Gardening my entire life 50plus years and have never used any store bought fertilizers. All our tomatoes get planted a good foot deep with a crushed duck or chicken egg, crushed egg shells and some homemade bone meal. Sometimes if we go fishing we drop a fish head in the base. All the garden beds and containers have lots of organic material and homemade compost. Hoping to break our record of a 2 1/2lb beefsteak this year.
This is exactly what I needed to know! Always wondered if I could just use straight compost and natural fertilizers like food to my garden which I have been doing since fall. So far so good.
@@Amilli182 In the fall we put a good 4 to 5 inches of shredded leaves, topped with our chicken, duck and quail poo on top. In the winter I grind up all our kitchen scraps with some water and pour that over the beds as well. In the early spring we mix it all into the beds and then top them with a good 3 inches of our compost from our heaps. All the pathways have 6 to 8 inches of wood chips we put down. Get them free from the local tree company in our area. During the summer we make comfrey tea as well as weed tea and let it sit for about 6 weeks, strain and add a little of it diluted when we water. We use grass clippings and rabbit poo with paper bedding as our mulch around the veggie plants.
That's fine that you have the ability to do that, but keep in mind you're spending hundreds of manhours and collecting hundreds or thousands of dollars in raw materials to do that. Most people don't have the ability to own chickens or livestock, and people that work for a living are not going to be able to make this process economically viable. For 99% of the population, you're not going to be able to make fertilizer for cheaper. A bag of fertilizer is $5-10, which is going to be enough for most backyard gardeners for a couple months with only 1-2 beds.
You among a very small group of people being able to do that. It is illegal to own livestock of any kind in the vast majority of residential areas so this only applies to people with farmland. I make my own compost but compost just feeds your soil, not your plants so that vast majority of us have no other choice but to use organic/synthetic fertilizers. I have 3 plum tomato plants that have a combined 350+ tomatoes and they are only 5 feet tall. I use this man’s method and it works amazingly and cheaply.
I am also glad I came across this channel as well. I started building a small garden bed in the backyard. I had to enclose in with chicken wire since there are a lot of cats around the area. I did not want the four beds to become a glorified litter boxes. I have a cat myself and he is trained to be on a leash. Owners of cats should never let their cats roam free since it causes a population explosion of feral cats.
My best tomato transplants this year are the pots where l dug deep and dropped a trowel-full of worm compost (with worms) right under the tomato and amended with compost and chicken manure. Last year the same varieties in the same pots were spindly and this year they are deep green, stocky, and bushy. I'm doing this much more often from now on! 💚
Wow, this really is a complete transplanting guide.👍 MG, you should try growing 2 pepper plants in one hole. Folks seem to have great results doing so.🙂 Thanks for all your hard work to help us become better gardeners!👍💕 Dad jokes!😄 "Hey" sweet Dale!🐕💕
One of the things I try to do with my plants is keep the spacing consistent. The reason why is it makes it much easier to drip irrigate and stake. Because I use drip line, I keep the spacing consistent to the spacing of the irrigation holes, and it makes it a lot easier to do things like Florida Weave. If I planted 2 plants in a single hole, I would struggle to support them. Unfortunately, everything I do I have to think about Hurricane Season 😰
I set up my very first raised garden bed today after watching you and a few other of my favorites! I’m so excited. Did basil, 2 tomato plants, thyme, and bell peppers
Thanks for the tip on the shellfish fertilizer! I’m renting a plot at a community garden and found when I cleaned my beds at the end of the season, the roots of plants in one area suffered from nematodes. A farmer here recommended marigolds so I am putting them out as well. I’m so anxious to plant my starts but it’s been too cold here! I’m in 8b, southeast Virginia. Thanks for a timely and informative video!
A trick I have done very successfully when my tomatoes get that lanky is lay the pot on it's side outdoors for a few days or even a week and the tip of the plant will turn upwards. Then dig a trench instead of a hole and plant the tomato that way. As noted in the video, strip all leaves that will be buried.
Bro, you rock. I'm in Ontario and have some Beefsteaks, Hungarian Peppers, Jalapenos and green & yellow beans about to go. I have no clue what I'm doing, but your channel helps and is encouraging!
Have you ever planted leggy tomato starts almost horizontally after removing the lower leaves as you demonstrate? The stem is completely covered with soil and the flush of true leaves at the top is directed upward. When I do this, I usually cover the transplant with an open one-gallon vegetable/fruit can or open one-gallon milk or water jug until the plant shows strong growth upward. This offers some protection in wind to new transplants.
When you lay the transplants sideways, you are forcing the roots to stay near the soil surface. The roots won't be able to reach very deeply for what it needs. The root structure will also not be very strong because of this. Try digging transplant holes vertically, and just dig them deep as they need to be covered. Deeper transplanting is key.
I tried 9 inches one year. The smaller-fruited peppers like habanero and cayenne did great. I'd recommend at least 12 inches for larger fruiting peppers.
Thank you for all the details. Last night it was freezing in Southern Ontario, Canada. I had to bring all my seedlings inside the house for one more time. According to the the weather forecast, we should have no frost for the next 2 weeks. But I am not holding my breath. I have my indeterminate tomatoes in 750 ml yogurt containers. The plants are already 12" tall and they are touching the A-shaped roof of my cold frame. Today, I decided to excavate about 6# layer of soil to lower the floor of the cold frame to give my tomatoes some head room. I usually transplant them into the ground the 3rd weekend in May. I hope that this year, I might be able to do it by Mother's Day. One of my pepper plants already started to bloom. This spring, I bought heating pads to help with seed germination. That's probably the reason why my tomato and pepper plants are so far ahead of my normal schedule. I think that next year, I will have to start germinating seeds at least 2 weeks later than I did this year.
for tomatoes i transplant directly from cell trays, which are started later than if potting up. that way seedlings not too large, and planted out into warmer weather. my weather is very unreliable. might not get frosts but can get cold weather spells right up to summer. Going to dunk most seedlings in trichodermas next spring (is autumn here) as had root knot nematodes. also going to try using weed barrier fabric, to keep veggies clean etc have a wonderful warm veggie season
Your video is perfect timing for me. I have tomato and pepper plants in dire need of transplanting. This weekend, I planned to put them in the ground since I had been hardening them off for two weeks. This is my second year of summer gardening. I didn't have any success last summer. It's past my last frost date in Georgia, but the unexpected cold nights made me cautious to put anything out. My tomato plants look like yours. You're showing them put me at ease that I can still expect success if I take similar steps. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I like the extensive use of quality landscaping fabric that you are using. It greatly reduces weeding, and heats the soil. I use it here in central Minnesota for my rows of tomatoes, peppers, and peonies. It makes the whole garden much less stressful and looks organized. I am sold on black landscaping fabric!
73 years old and apparently never to old to learn new tricks.Much of your advice were practices I have done for decades. But many new things for me to try this season. Have downsized my garden as it is now just my wife and me at home. (but if you have kids or grandkids, you know that situation could change in a heartbeat !). I have purchased raised beds and watched your videos on how best to utilize them. And your fertilizing tips, esp the liquid instant acting fish fertilizer tip are all something I will incorporate into my routine this year. Thanks for clear concise explanations for all steps. You have a new loyal follower for as long aa this" determinate" old guy can continue to work in the garden. ATTENTION POTENTIAL SPONSORS: This guy is the real deal !
I learned a lot of these strategies last year from your videos and this year I planted in beginning April. I already got tomatoes growing. Love your videos.
Im a new subscriber to you! I plant my tomatoes almost all the way up to the top leaves. They love it so much. With some triple 13 down in the hole covered with soil. They do so good
A quick question re fertilization with the Alaska/Jack's solution.... do you water it into the soil around the plant after pouring what looks like 4 oz. of the solution onto the soil?
This is my 20th year gardening and specifically, growing my own tomatoes. I missed a few years in there because of work, but I'm pretty sure I'm about to plant tomatoes everywhere. I am very partial to grow bags in dappled sun, but I'm pretty sure I'll be planting some in my cottage garden again this year.
Always grow my tomatoes and eggplant in containers in backyard microclimate. Good success each year with 25-50 plants. Had staking issues with grow bags. Love growing tomatoes and fig trees 💕
In warm climates with long growing seasons, planting tomatoes in dappled light works very well. After all, they're forest vines. They don't grow in full sun in their native habitat. We only plant them in full sun because we need them to fruit very quickly before it freezes. This is what leads to a lot of our disease problems.
I used your method of adding bone meal to my tomatoes last year, and had the best year ever for my tomato plants! Thank you for your advice. Great video
Grana Padana as dog treats?!?! and BIG chunks? Dale's a lucky dog! Thanks for the tomato tips! I'm seriously considering switching from Florida weave (which always got out of hand by late season), to the string trellis method.
Amazing video! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! A quick question regarding step 7. After transplanting you say to water with only regular water. How soon after the transplant should I use the fish fertilizer/jacks 20-20-20 mixture to water the plant? I know to use it only twice a month, just wondering when to use it for the first time. Later that day? The next day? Thanks so much! Keep up the great work!
The crab shell stuff works because of chitin, the sugar that is the shell. Look into water soluble chitin for plant virus cure/preventative, and disease control/preventative. Bug exoskeleton is some good natural stuff.
Do you have a way to use your string trellising method on the PVC pipe you use for the hoop house on your raised beds? It seems like the hook wouldn't be big enough to go over the diameter of the pipe.
I live just north of the NC/SC line in Shallotte. I transplanted my tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts into raised beds about a month ago. They are all doing wonderful. A few pepper plants were transplanted at the same time. Some are doing great, others are getting a slow start but all is looking good.
I like to add amendments to the compost. They take time to break down. The latest I add is when I mix soil. After mixing soil, I compost the whole thing if I have time and if not let it sit for a month+.
I string trellis 16 indeterminate tomatoes in a 2'x8' bed every year and they do great, I just add leaf mulch at the end of the season and compost at the beginning. I put a couple determinate romas in that bed last year and was impressed how many tomatoes those 'little' plants produced. Also I agree-Alaska fertilizer is gold.
We can’t thank you enough for your channel. Our go-to source for our vegetable gardening questions. We’re in zone 6a in upstate NY, but like you we’re Jersey transplants! Keep at it, we’ll keep watching and thank you again.
I love your channel! For some reason I always think of the 'Real people, fake arms' skit w/Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake when I watch you & it makes me smile! Keep up the great work! ❤
I learned a lot in this video. Please post updates as this season goes on as I like to see the real progress, especially when things are harvested; also the duration from time of transplanting to first mature fruit. :) My transplants have always been poor and this year they will be better.
Another excellent and informative video. A better use for tomato cages IMO is for most pepper plants. They're actually the perfect size unless you're growing very tall varieties. TBH I find they don't work for tomatoes that well except for the shorter determinate ones. Oh and I always love watching 'Adbentures with Dale'. 👍😎
Never had a problem with toms before but this year I have a few that have unusual lime green leaves. It grows like crazy and even flowering but very light green color leaves. What do you suggest please
Thanks for all you do to provide us content that’s easy to follow & useful! I’ve learned so much from your videos! I’m planting out my garden but still babying my peppers & tomatoes. I can’t wait to plant them out!
Our growing season is much shorter than yours. My grandfather taught me to dig a trench and lay that lanky tomato done in the trench. This helps to keep the roots warmer and still allows for rooting along the stem when the soil is still cool. Later I mulch with straw to help keep it moist. Always works for me.
I buy both tomato and peppers in the 4 packs and put them in 4 inch pots till it is warm enough to put in garden - The quadruple in size in a couple of weeks ! I use potting mix !!!
That would require your pepper plants to be really far apart to fit the cages. I think you'd get *much* better production switching to the Florida Weave method. It's easy to do for peppers and holds up well, and you can plant things much more closely.
@@tiff6264 I’m from Cincinnati as well. Our last frost date just passed like yesterday but I was looking at next weeks forecast and it seemed okay. My transplants were getting root bound so I needed to get them in the ground asap. I also have little patience and it was a pain to continue moving my plants inside and outside. Didn’t have space under my grow lights anymore
@@maddyroybal7656 thank you for the reply! Interesting that you're also from Cincy. I appreciate the info. I will probably start hardening my plants off this week, so I can transplant next week. Thank you so much :)
Thanks so much for the great instructions on planting tomatoes and peppers 😊. I noticed you’re no longer using 5 gallon buckets but instead 10 gallon grow bags. I’ve been using 5 gallon buckets many years and hate the thought of filling up a 10 gallon grow bag of dirt instead. Maybe you’ll have a video explaining the difference.
I think I've watched all of your tomato and pepper videos. I took lots of notes and followed those instructions carefully (except for the trellising) and my tomatoes are doing AMAZING. I started planting sacrificial tomatoes in mid January and kept planting them through mid March; I've been harvesting tomatoes for over a month now on the earlier varieties. They are doing SPECTACULAR. Such good advice! Thank you so much for making it simple and straightforward.
I had a couple brandywines go that long last year. I decided to try planting them in absurdly long trenches to see what the roots would do. They grew phenomenally, survived July in full sun and produced until frost, but the fruit never got very big. going to see how the volunteers do this year and trying some new varieties.
What do you think about companion planting in the tomato bed? Also what about wood shavings? For example small animal bedding; no chemicals or anything since it was meant for indoor pet cages.
I've had hit or miss results. Tomatoes tend to crowd out other plants, so you need to be careful. If you space them too close, tomatoes can choke out smaller plants. I tried interplanting tomatoes and basil before, and the tomatoes choked out the basil and they died off. You'll need to make sure you give the plants enough room to grow. I did have fantastic results interplanting peppers and onions. They enjoyed each other's company.
I basicly do the same except I prep my soil with fertilizer and Ammendments 6 weeks before planting, to give it time to break down so the plant can eat from day one, MG for tomatoes is a nice healthy snack for most all plants.
Tomatoes from my tomato plants dropped down to the soil after first frost last winter. Those fallen tomatoes were the first to sprout this spring. Early May and they're loaded with golf ball sized cherry tomatoes!
I believe you're the first YTer that mention Topsoil instead if Garden Soil (sticks & bark). Thank You!!! I've been sifting the garden soil & its just horrible how much sticks & quarter size bark comes in that! Manure: So I bought Evergreen & 4 out 4 bags we opened had huge baseball size moist, compacted manure clumps, pure manure. I'm afraid to use this compost manure. I think its not had time to compost or break down, like its unfinished. YOUR THOUGHT? Secondly, after using mulch for years & visually seeing eggs on the bark, I decided to try PINE SHAVINGS. YOUR THOUGHTS? We're also using a white bug screen on the brassicas for the first time, after seeing yours last year. Thanks for this video. Great job!!
Can you help me out? I watched two of your videos using Bone Meal & Fertilizer. One video I watched you applied both products separately when planting tomatoes. The other video you mixed both products in a container and applied it when planting your tomato plants. So which method is more effective?
Thank you for showing us all what you do on how to grow health crops. I do have one question. Do you have to protect your tomatoes from the cut worm when you plant in raised beds? I plant my tomatoes in direct ground and I put 4 nails around my tomatoes and when they grow and are strong enough I pull them out. I always look forward seeing Dale at the end of your videos please don't stop.
I love your channel…you know what you are doing and are great at sharing that information with us. Are you able to do your gardening as a full time job? That would be so good since it is obvious that you love what you’re doing…and the results you get show how hard you work at it.
So I want to try string trellising w/my indeterminates this year but I just watched your video about allowing some suckers and will be trying that as well. I am wondering how string trellising will work with all the branching that will happen though.
This is such a helpful video. I’m not sure if I’ll do every single step you mentioned I’ve got different things already in my repertoire like warm, castings and different kinds of fertilizers. But I really found this to be a fantastic resource and thank you for this!
I basically do exactly what you do. I use the Crab and Lobster, Bone meal and organic fert . I’m going to try the Miracle grow along with the fish fert and see what a difference it makes. Also I have the tomato hooks and I love them! I have 2 or 3 more weeks before I plant so I’m chomping at the bit to go! So Dale is a cheese connoisseur . Did he request any Grey Poupon??
What's funny is, I have plucked up tomatoe plant "weeds" growing around my garden and basically shoved them in a true garden bed, with great success. Very little fertilization too. My peppers do take a bit of care to get going, but then are awesome... again, no extra fertilization. I use tomatoe cages for the peppers and cattle panel trellises for my tomatoes. (I'm in the north Georgia mountains zone 7b)
Sure you can! Just check in on it every morning and every evening to make sure it's OK. Plants are like kids. You need to keep a watchful eye on them, but don't spoil them too much or you can kill them with kindness. The best way to grow a pepper plant is to grow as many as you can until you get the hang of it.
I've been growing red snapper for the last 3 years. I've given up on indeterminate varieties here in the Florida panhandle. Mine are half as tall as yours but thick as your little finger. So vigorous. Since you like growing organically look into Coop Gro chicken litter fertilizer and Agrothrive Fruit and flower. You will not be disappointed.
To get ahead of the slow release additives like bonemeal, powdered egg shells, not-quite finished compost, I will work them into the beds weeks ahead of planting out, basically as soon as the ground thaws. Added bonus, the tree rats (squirrels) will do the work of digging things in and the worms will love the compost with a few bits still in it.
Do you prefer the Plant-tone over the Garden-tone? Or is the Tomato-tone better? Also, when you top dress with the compost, could you use Black Kow instead? And could you use worm castings instead of the bone meal? Great video! Thank you
Hi MG, I've been following your method with my tomatoes and peppers since last year when I started gardening, and at first, it was hard, but the more I did it It became almost "robotic," like you said, on one of your videos 😊. Love to see Dale he's so smart. Thank you! for sharing your knowledge about gardening
Nice vid as always! I’m in zone 7b in the central US. I plant, too, in raised beds. Starting early March, I start aiding the warming the soil by putting down black landscape fabric over the planting areas. By early April, I usually have not problem with soil temps to plant tomatoes/peppers. I plant the tomatoes even deeper than you show, and always add bone meal into the planting hole along with top dressing with fertilizer. Very easy to cover if temps dip back down (which is usually the case). They’re all doing great! Happy planting!
Our soil is very sandy, so I don’t want to plant them in a the nematode layer. The compost keeps them away, but once the roots break into the sand, they’ll get nodules. Gardening in the southeast is rough. Everything tries to kill your plants.
Thanks for the step by steps info. Know wonder your gardens are so prolific. Sir. Do you feed again mid season for more blooms a liquid fertilizer? I backed up video to listen again.. I'm in zone 6b ct. valley. Hey That was a nice throw. Dale's thinking What? Where? Oh there.
If I recall correctly, the Cotyledons (false leaves) also provide the energy to create the first true leaves and get root formation started :D Great vid!
That is my understanding too. I generally add blood, fish and bone when up potting after the second set of true leaves as by then the cotyledons have exhausted their initial nutrients. I always see it like how new born chicks absorb the yolk/ placenta just before they hatch. Nature is cool isn't it!? :)
I think I have watched all you YT videos on on planting peppers and tomatoes. I’m in SE Michigan, so still have a few weeks before planting ( I think )😅. I have gathered all my supplies and ready to go. One question, how often do you fertilize, after the initial planting, and with what portion of fertilizer. Thanks so much for you videos.
Everyone is so experienced here, so I'm going to ask how often do you use the soluble fertilizer? I just planted some lanky tomato plants per your video instructions but just didn't know if the soluble fertilizer was used once, just in the beginning for a few weeks or throughout the season.
Im in central NC and I love your vids! You've helped me grow my container garden the last few years! Thank you. Love your puppy. What breed is that. Plotthound? Beautiful buddy
I'm glad the videos are helping! Dale is a rescue mutt. He's mostly American foxhound, but he gets his stripes from terrier mixes. He's part pit bull, so that's where the striping probably comes into play.
If you enjoyed this video, please “Like” and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching😀TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 Tomato And Pepper Plant Size
1:25 Step #1: Prep Plants For Transplanting
3:29 Step #2: Prepare Fertilizer Blend
5:20 Step #3: Layout & Container Sizing
6:15 Step #4.1: Planting Tomatoes In Containers
8:38 Step #4.2: Planting Tomatoes In Ground
9:55 Step #4.3: Planting Peppers
10:55 How Far To Space Transplants
11:57 Step #5: Watering Transplants
12:33 Step #6: Compost And Mulch
15:42 Step #7: Fertilizing Tomatoes & Peppers
19:03 Step #8: Supporting Plants (Trellising)
23:03 Adventures With Dale
❤😊
What about someone who has chickens and horses? You can get that for free. Doesn't sound like you compost.
Gardening my entire life 50plus years and have never used any store bought fertilizers. All our tomatoes get planted a good foot deep with a crushed duck or chicken egg, crushed egg shells and some homemade bone meal. Sometimes if we go fishing we drop a fish head in the base. All the garden beds and containers have lots of organic material and homemade compost. Hoping to break our record of a 2 1/2lb beefsteak this year.
This is exactly what I needed to know! Always wondered if I could just use straight compost and natural fertilizers like food to my garden which I have been doing since fall. So far so good.
@@Amilli182 In the fall we put a good 4 to 5 inches of shredded leaves, topped with our chicken, duck and quail poo on top. In the winter I grind up all our kitchen scraps with some water and pour that over the beds as well. In the early spring we mix it all into the beds and then top them with a good 3 inches of our compost from our heaps. All the pathways have 6 to 8 inches of wood chips we put down. Get them free from the local tree company in our area. During the summer we make comfrey tea as well as weed tea and let it sit for about 6 weeks, strain and add a little of it diluted when we water. We use grass clippings and rabbit poo with paper bedding as our mulch around the veggie plants.
That's fine that you have the ability to do that, but keep in mind you're spending hundreds of manhours and collecting hundreds or thousands of dollars in raw materials to do that. Most people don't have the ability to own chickens or livestock, and people that work for a living are not going to be able to make this process economically viable. For 99% of the population, you're not going to be able to make fertilizer for cheaper. A bag of fertilizer is $5-10, which is going to be enough for most backyard gardeners for a couple months with only 1-2 beds.
You among a very small group of people being able to do that. It is illegal to own livestock of any kind in the vast majority of residential areas so this only applies to people with farmland. I make my own compost but compost just feeds your soil, not your plants so that vast majority of us have no other choice but to use organic/synthetic fertilizers. I have 3 plum tomato plants that have a combined 350+ tomatoes and they are only 5 feet tall. I use this man’s method and it works amazingly and cheaply.
A lot of man hours fishing for carp to use hahaha!!!!
Thank you for everything you do! Your channel is the most helpful UA-cam channel I’ve ever came across!!!
Thank you! I really appreciate that, and I'm happy to hear I can help.
Agreed!
I am also glad I came across this channel as well. I started building a small garden bed in the backyard. I had to enclose in with chicken wire since there are a lot of cats around the area. I did not want the four beds to become a glorified litter boxes. I have a cat myself and he is trained to be on a leash. Owners of cats should never let their cats roam free since it causes a population explosion of feral cats.
My best tomato transplants this year are the pots where l dug deep and dropped a trowel-full of worm compost (with worms) right under the tomato and amended with compost and chicken manure. Last year the same varieties in the same pots were spindly and this year they are deep green, stocky, and bushy. I'm doing this much more often from now on! 💚
Wow, this really is a complete transplanting guide.👍
MG, you should try growing 2 pepper plants in one hole. Folks seem to have great results doing so.🙂
Thanks for all your hard work to help us become better gardeners!👍💕
Dad jokes!😄 "Hey" sweet Dale!🐕💕
One of the things I try to do with my plants is keep the spacing consistent. The reason why is it makes it much easier to drip irrigate and stake. Because I use drip line, I keep the spacing consistent to the spacing of the irrigation holes, and it makes it a lot easier to do things like Florida Weave. If I planted 2 plants in a single hole, I would struggle to support them. Unfortunately, everything I do I have to think about Hurricane Season 😰
I set up my very first raised garden bed today after watching you and a few other of my favorites! I’m so excited. Did basil, 2 tomato plants, thyme, and bell peppers
Thanks for the tip on the shellfish fertilizer! I’m renting a plot at a community garden and found when I cleaned my beds at the end of the season, the roots of plants in one area suffered from nematodes. A farmer here recommended marigolds so I am putting them out as well. I’m so anxious to plant my starts but it’s been too cold here! I’m in 8b, southeast Virginia. Thanks for a timely and informative video!
A trick I have done very successfully when my tomatoes get that lanky is lay the pot on it's side outdoors for a few days or even a week and the tip of the plant will turn upwards. Then dig a trench instead of a hole and plant the tomato that way. As noted in the video, strip all leaves that will be buried.
Bro, you rock. I'm in Ontario and have some Beefsteaks, Hungarian Peppers, Jalapenos and green & yellow beans about to go. I have no clue what I'm doing, but your channel helps and is encouraging!
I have a question bro. In Canada, do you call it a garden hose, or a garden hoser?
Your garden is gorgeous!
Thank you!
My new favorite YT channel. Good, and timely advice. Thanks!
Thanks so much! I really appreciate it!
Have you ever planted leggy tomato starts almost horizontally after removing the lower leaves as you demonstrate? The stem is completely covered with soil and the flush of true leaves at the top is directed upward. When I do this, I usually cover the transplant with an open one-gallon vegetable/fruit can or open one-gallon milk or water jug until the plant shows strong growth upward. This offers some protection in wind to new transplants.
When you lay the transplants sideways, you are forcing the roots to stay near the soil surface. The roots won't be able to reach very deeply for what it needs. The root structure will also not be very strong because of this. Try digging transplant holes vertically, and just dig them deep as they need to be covered. Deeper transplanting is key.
Thank you! Perfectly timed for my tomatoes, awesome video!
I appreciate it! Thanks for watching!
I have tried planting peppers less than a foot apart and they support each other and grow well. Thanks for sharing your experience ❤😊💚
I tried 9 inches one year. The smaller-fruited peppers like habanero and cayenne did great. I'd recommend at least 12 inches for larger fruiting peppers.
Thank you for all the details. Last night it was freezing in Southern Ontario, Canada. I had to bring all my seedlings inside the house for one more time. According to the the weather forecast, we should have no frost for the next 2 weeks. But I am not holding my breath. I have my indeterminate tomatoes in 750 ml yogurt containers. The plants are already 12" tall and they are touching the A-shaped roof of my cold frame. Today, I decided to excavate about 6# layer of soil to lower the floor of the cold frame to give my tomatoes some head room. I usually transplant them into the ground the 3rd weekend in May. I hope that this year, I might be able to do it by Mother's Day. One of my pepper plants already started to bloom. This spring, I bought heating pads to help with seed germination. That's probably the reason why my tomato and pepper plants are so far ahead of my normal schedule. I think that next year, I will have to start germinating seeds at least 2 weeks later than I did this year.
for tomatoes i transplant directly from cell trays, which are started later than if potting up. that way seedlings not too large, and planted out into warmer weather. my weather is very unreliable. might not get frosts but can get cold weather spells right up to summer. Going to dunk most seedlings in trichodermas next spring (is autumn here) as had root knot nematodes.
also going to try using weed barrier fabric, to keep veggies clean etc
have a wonderful warm veggie season
Your video is perfect timing for me. I have tomato and pepper plants in dire need of transplanting. This weekend, I planned to put them in the ground since I had been hardening them off for two weeks. This is my second year of summer gardening. I didn't have any success last summer. It's past my last frost date in Georgia, but the unexpected cold nights made me cautious to put anything out. My tomato plants look like yours. You're showing them put me at ease that I can still expect success if I take similar steps. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Everytime I see a garden vid the starts and cells/pots are all different sizes. Even my wife and I differ on what size pots to use..😊
I like the extensive use of quality landscaping fabric that you are using. It greatly reduces weeding, and heats the soil. I use it here in central Minnesota for my rows of tomatoes, peppers, and peonies. It makes the whole garden much less stressful and looks organized. I am sold on black landscaping fabric!
73 years old and apparently never to old to learn new tricks.Much of your advice were practices I have done for decades. But many new things for me to try this season. Have downsized my garden as it is now just my wife and me at home. (but if you have kids or grandkids, you know that situation could change in a heartbeat !). I have purchased raised beds and watched your videos on how best to utilize them. And your fertilizing tips, esp the liquid instant acting fish fertilizer tip are all something I will incorporate into my routine this year. Thanks for clear concise explanations for all steps. You have a new loyal follower for as long aa this" determinate" old guy can continue to work in the garden. ATTENTION POTENTIAL SPONSORS: This guy is the real deal !
I learned a lot of these strategies last year from your videos and this year I planted in beginning April. I already got tomatoes growing. Love your videos.
Great, very comprehensive video and source of information! Thanks!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Im a new subscriber to you! I plant my tomatoes almost all the way up to the top leaves. They love it so much. With some triple 13 down in the hole covered with soil. They do so good
A quick question re fertilization with the Alaska/Jack's solution.... do you water it into the soil around the plant after pouring what looks like 4 oz. of the solution onto the soil?
This is my 20th year gardening and specifically, growing my own tomatoes. I missed a few years in there because of work, but I'm pretty sure I'm about to plant tomatoes everywhere. I am very partial to grow bags in dappled sun, but I'm pretty sure I'll be planting some in my cottage garden again this year.
Always grow my tomatoes and eggplant in containers in backyard microclimate. Good success each year with 25-50 plants. Had staking issues with grow bags.
Love growing tomatoes and fig trees 💕
In warm climates with long growing seasons, planting tomatoes in dappled light works very well. After all, they're forest vines. They don't grow in full sun in their native habitat. We only plant them in full sun because we need them to fruit very quickly before it freezes. This is what leads to a lot of our disease problems.
Yesterday I had to put 13 tomatoes in ground for a lady in Wrightsville Beach. Good to know I pretty much did it right.
Excellent! In Wrightsville Beach, you could've put them in a month ago 😄 Nice micro-climate.
I used your method of adding bone meal to my tomatoes last year, and had the best year ever for my tomato plants! Thank you for your advice. Great video
Grana Padana as dog treats?!?! and BIG chunks? Dale's a lucky dog! Thanks for the tomato tips! I'm seriously considering switching from Florida weave (which always got out of hand by late season), to the string trellis method.
Brilliant video. This is my first full year of vegetable gardening and this is very helpful. Thanks, mate.
You're welcome! Glad you hear you're growing!
Have you ever tried doing the Florida weave for your tomato plants?
I love the systematic approach employed
The Alaska fish fertilizer has been a game changer for me. Thanks for recommending it!
You're welcome! It's top notch.
This is the first year I am gardening, Your video is so helpful. It makes me even more excited to learn.
Glad to hear it! Happy to help.
Amazing video! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! A quick question regarding step 7. After transplanting you say to water with only regular water. How soon after the transplant should I use the fish fertilizer/jacks 20-20-20 mixture to water the plant? I know to use it only twice a month, just wondering when to use it for the first time. Later that day? The next day? Thanks so much! Keep up the great work!
The crab shell stuff works because of chitin, the sugar that is the shell. Look into water soluble chitin for plant virus cure/preventative, and disease control/preventative. Bug exoskeleton is some good natural stuff.
i use my own compost egg shells, part of a banana and coffee grounds mixed together with some native soil.. works great.
Your lawn mower is so clean!
This video fits for educational purposes. Thank you.
You're welcome!
Do you have a way to use your string trellising method on the PVC pipe you use for the hoop house on your raised beds? It seems like the hook wouldn't be big enough to go over the diameter of the pipe.
Great video full of information, thank you!
You’re welcome!
Loved the Dale answering to you cutting the cheese 😂
😄
I live just north of the NC/SC line in Shallotte. I transplanted my tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts into raised beds about a month ago. They are all doing wonderful. A few pepper plants were transplanted at the same time. Some are doing great, others are getting a slow start but all is looking good.
I like to add amendments to the compost. They take time to break down. The latest I add is when I mix soil. After mixing soil, I compost the whole thing if I have time and if not let it sit for a month+.
Thank you, you are very informative
Glad it was helpful!
I string trellis 16 indeterminate tomatoes in a 2'x8' bed every year and they do great, I just add leaf mulch at the end of the season and compost at the beginning. I put a couple determinate romas in that bed last year and was impressed how many tomatoes those 'little' plants produced.
Also I agree-Alaska fertilizer is gold.
We can’t thank you enough for your channel. Our go-to source for our vegetable gardening questions. We’re in zone 6a in upstate NY, but like you we’re Jersey transplants! Keep at it, we’ll keep watching and thank you again.
Always appreciate your information and shared knowledge from your experience. Thank you very much.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
I love your channel! For some reason I always think of the 'Real people, fake arms' skit w/Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake when I watch you & it makes me smile! Keep up the great work! ❤
I learned a lot in this video. Please post updates as this season goes on as I like to see the real progress, especially when things are harvested; also the duration from time of transplanting to first mature fruit. :) My transplants have always been poor and this year they will be better.
Another excellent and informative video. A better use for tomato cages IMO is for most pepper plants. They're actually the perfect size unless you're growing very tall varieties. TBH I find they don't work for tomatoes that well except for the shorter determinate ones. Oh and I always love watching 'Adbentures with Dale'. 👍😎
Never had a problem with toms before but this year I have a few that have unusual lime green leaves. It grows like crazy and even flowering but very light green color leaves. What do you suggest please
Thanks for all you do to provide us content that’s easy to follow & useful! I’ve learned so much from your videos! I’m planting out my garden but still babying my peppers & tomatoes. I can’t wait to plant them out!
Your Wisdom & Knowledge is a Blessing, We appreciate you over here at Yashaya Farms.
Finished watching the whole video. BOOK MARKED it!!
Thanks again!!
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much ❤. Love all your videos and appreciate the limited commercials ❤❤
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Our growing season is much shorter than yours. My grandfather taught me to dig a trench and lay that lanky tomato done in the trench. This helps to keep the roots warmer and still allows for rooting along the stem when the soil is still cool. Later I mulch with straw to help keep it moist. Always works for me.
Yes, you can do that. Eventually, the plants will correct. All my tomatoes have since corrected and look completely normal.
I buy both tomato and peppers in the 4 packs and put them in 4 inch pots till it is warm enough to put in garden - The quadruple in size in a couple of weeks !
I use potting mix !!!
Usually I use tomato cages on my peppers, lol. No trellis I’ve used for tomatoes has ever worked so I will give this a spin. Another great video!
That would require your pepper plants to be really far apart to fit the cages. I think you'd get *much* better production switching to the Florida Weave method. It's easy to do for peppers and holds up well, and you can plant things much more closely.
@@TheMillennialGardener Yeah, but I put two pepper plants in each cage, sometimes three.
I just transplanted my tomatoes yesterday here in Ohio! Your videos have helped me completely upgrade my gardening. So grateful!
Where at in Ohio? I am also in Ohio and I am afraid to transplant yet. I'm new and don't know if it's to early
I'm near Cincinnati
@@tiff6264 I’m from Cincinnati as well. Our last frost date just passed like yesterday but I was looking at next weeks forecast and it seemed okay. My transplants were getting root bound so I needed to get them in the ground asap. I also have little patience and it was a pain to continue moving my plants inside and outside. Didn’t have space under my grow lights anymore
@@maddyroybal7656 thank you for the reply! Interesting that you're also from Cincy. I appreciate the info. I will probably start hardening my plants off this week, so I can transplant next week. Thank you so much :)
@@tiff6264 of course! Would love to see your set up!
Thanks so much for the great instructions on planting tomatoes and peppers 😊. I noticed you’re no longer using 5 gallon buckets but instead 10 gallon grow bags. I’ve been using 5 gallon buckets many years and hate the thought of filling up a 10 gallon grow bag of dirt instead. Maybe you’ll have a video explaining the difference.
You get me so excited about planting! I just started seeds indoors & can’t wait for garden planting.
Nw high desert Nevada 🇺🇸 👵🏻👩🌾❣️
AWESOME AWESOME GARDEN!! Thank you for all this great info. Central NC.
You're welcome! Thank you for watching!
I think I've watched all of your tomato and pepper videos. I took lots of notes and followed those instructions carefully (except for the trellising) and my tomatoes are doing AMAZING. I started planting sacrificial tomatoes in mid January and kept planting them through mid March; I've been harvesting tomatoes for over a month now on the earlier varieties. They are doing SPECTACULAR. Such good advice! Thank you so much for making it simple and straightforward.
Great information and very helpful. Thank you MG! 😊👍👍
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!
I had a couple brandywines go that long last year. I decided to try planting them in absurdly long trenches to see what the roots would do. They grew phenomenally, survived July in full sun and produced until frost, but the fruit never got very big. going to see how the volunteers do this year and trying some new varieties.
What do you think about companion planting in the tomato bed?
Also what about wood shavings? For example small animal bedding; no chemicals or anything since it was meant for indoor pet cages.
I've had hit or miss results. Tomatoes tend to crowd out other plants, so you need to be careful. If you space them too close, tomatoes can choke out smaller plants. I tried interplanting tomatoes and basil before, and the tomatoes choked out the basil and they died off. You'll need to make sure you give the plants enough room to grow. I did have fantastic results interplanting peppers and onions. They enjoyed each other's company.
I basicly do the same except I prep my soil with fertilizer and Ammendments 6 weeks before planting, to give it time to break down so the plant can eat from day one, MG for tomatoes is a nice healthy snack for most all plants.
Tomatoes from my tomato plants dropped down to the soil after first frost last winter. Those fallen tomatoes were the first to sprout this spring. Early May and they're loaded with golf ball sized cherry tomatoes!
I believe you're the first YTer that mention Topsoil instead if Garden Soil (sticks & bark). Thank You!!! I've been sifting the garden soil & its just horrible how much sticks & quarter size bark comes in that!
Manure: So I bought Evergreen & 4 out 4 bags we opened had huge baseball size moist, compacted manure clumps, pure manure.
I'm afraid to use this compost manure. I think its not had time to compost or break down, like its unfinished.
YOUR THOUGHT?
Secondly, after using mulch for years & visually seeing eggs on the bark, I decided to try PINE SHAVINGS.
YOUR THOUGHTS?
We're also using a white bug screen on the brassicas for the first time, after seeing yours last year.
Thanks for this video. Great job!!
Can you help me out? I watched two of your videos using Bone Meal & Fertilizer. One video I watched you applied both products separately when planting tomatoes. The other video you mixed both products in a container and applied it when planting your tomato plants. So which method is more effective?
Thank you for showing us all what you do on how to grow health crops. I do have one question. Do you have to protect your tomatoes from the cut worm when you plant in raised beds? I plant my tomatoes in direct ground and I put 4 nails around my tomatoes and when they grow and are strong enough I pull them out. I always look forward seeing Dale at the end of your videos please don't stop.
Thank you so much for all this info. I'm already learning. Wonderful video
I love your channel…you know what you are doing and are great at sharing that information with us. Are you able to do your gardening as a full time job? That would be so good since it is obvious that you love what you’re doing…and the results you get show how hard you work at it.
Simple ❤and easy to follow.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
with all those large grow bags, what do you use to move them around for off season.
I appreciate your videos very much......a lot of helpful information and no cutesy, small talk! No nonsense, that's for me!
So I want to try string trellising w/my indeterminates this year but I just watched your video about allowing some suckers and will be trying that as well. I am wondering how string trellising will work with all the branching that will happen though.
Great video! Been planting for years, but always like to learn! Thanks 👍🏻
This is such a helpful video. I’m not sure if I’ll do every single step you mentioned I’ve got different things already in my repertoire like warm, castings and different kinds of fertilizers. But I really found this to be a fantastic resource and thank you for this!
I basically do exactly what you do. I use the Crab and Lobster, Bone meal and organic fert . I’m going to try the Miracle grow along with the fish fert and see what a difference it makes. Also I have the tomato hooks and I love them! I have 2 or 3 more weeks before I plant so I’m chomping at the bit to go! So Dale is a cheese connoisseur . Did he request any Grey Poupon??
What's funny is, I have plucked up tomatoe plant "weeds" growing around my garden and basically shoved them in a true garden bed, with great success. Very little fertilization too. My peppers do take a bit of care to get going, but then are awesome... again, no extra fertilization. I use tomatoe cages for the peppers and cattle panel trellises for my tomatoes.
(I'm in the north Georgia mountains zone 7b)
This NC weather is getting on my nerves! Stay warm!
As always a great video! I'm jealous tho bc I couldn't keep a pepper plant alive even if the soil was perfect lol
Sure you can! Just check in on it every morning and every evening to make sure it's OK. Plants are like kids. You need to keep a watchful eye on them, but don't spoil them too much or you can kill them with kindness. The best way to grow a pepper plant is to grow as many as you can until you get the hang of it.
This is funny because i literally forgot about pepper plants in my backyard in a an unwatered box all summer and they just kept producing lol
I've been growing red snapper for the last 3 years. I've given up on indeterminate varieties here in the Florida panhandle. Mine are half as tall as yours but thick as your little finger. So vigorous. Since you like growing organically look into Coop Gro chicken litter fertilizer and Agrothrive Fruit and flower. You will not be disappointed.
To get ahead of the slow release additives like bonemeal, powdered egg shells, not-quite finished compost, I will work them into the beds weeks ahead of planting out, basically as soon as the ground thaws. Added bonus, the tree rats (squirrels) will do the work of digging things in and the worms will love the compost with a few bits still in it.
nice nice enjoy watching good Job
Thank you!
Do you prefer the Plant-tone over the Garden-tone? Or is the Tomato-tone better? Also, when you top dress with the compost, could you use Black Kow instead? And could you use worm castings instead of the bone meal? Great video! Thank you
Hi MG, I've been following your method with my tomatoes and peppers since last year when I started gardening, and at first, it was hard, but the more I did it
It became almost "robotic," like you said, on one of your videos 😊. Love to see Dale he's so smart. Thank you! for sharing your knowledge about gardening
Thank you! I appreciate the time and effort you put into your videos!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Nice vid as always! I’m in zone 7b in the central US. I plant, too, in raised beds. Starting early March, I start aiding the warming the soil by putting down black landscape fabric over the planting areas. By early April, I usually have not problem with soil temps to plant tomatoes/peppers. I plant the tomatoes even deeper than you show, and always add bone meal into the planting hole along with top dressing with fertilizer. Very easy to cover if temps dip back down (which is usually the case). They’re all doing great! Happy planting!
Our soil is very sandy, so I don’t want to plant them in a the nematode layer. The compost keeps them away, but once the roots break into the sand, they’ll get nodules. Gardening in the southeast is rough. Everything tries to kill your plants.
Ahh, that makes really good sense. Very much enjoy your technical, yet practical, approach to successful gardening.
Good afternoon. Just came in from cleaning yard. Tilling up tonight and I got plants to place in my raised bed tonight.
Wonderful!
I love your channel! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Hello my friend ❤❤🎉
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the step by steps info. Know wonder your gardens are so prolific. Sir. Do you feed again mid season for more blooms a liquid fertilizer? I backed up video to listen again..
I'm in zone 6b ct. valley. Hey That was a nice throw. Dale's thinking What? Where? Oh there.
If I recall correctly, the Cotyledons (false leaves) also provide the energy to create the first true leaves and get root formation started :D
Great vid!
I’m sure they are cannibalized by the plants, sort of like a palm tree. They wither and drop eventually.
That is my understanding too. I generally add blood, fish and bone when up potting after the second set of true leaves as by then the cotyledons have exhausted their initial nutrients. I always see it like how new born chicks absorb the yolk/ placenta just before they hatch. Nature is cool isn't it!? :)
I think I have watched all you YT videos on on planting peppers and tomatoes. I’m in SE Michigan, so still have a few weeks before planting ( I think )😅. I have gathered all my supplies and ready to go. One question, how often do you fertilize, after the initial planting, and with what portion of fertilizer. Thanks so much for you videos.
Those first leaves are called cotyledon leaves. Thanks for the great videos!
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!
Everyone is so experienced here, so I'm going to ask how often do you use the soluble fertilizer? I just planted some lanky tomato plants per your video instructions but just didn't know if the soluble fertilizer was used once, just in the beginning for a few weeks or throughout the season.
Great video, well explained. Thanks a million. I appreciate you. God bless you and your family.
Im in central NC and I love your vids! You've helped me grow my container garden the last few years! Thank you. Love your puppy. What breed is that. Plotthound? Beautiful buddy
I'm glad the videos are helping! Dale is a rescue mutt. He's mostly American foxhound, but he gets his stripes from terrier mixes. He's part pit bull, so that's where the striping probably comes into play.
Thanks for the information . Hi Dale !!!
You're welcome!