Shows pruning tomato plants, taking off suckers and removing lower leaves to prevent blight. This is one of many videos that will follow the gardening season chronologically in Kansas City. We hope that people can follow along and work in their own gardens. We feature organic no-till methods.
Vegetable Garden — Looks like rain, let’s go pick tomatoes Visit The Bayou Gardener in South Louisiana at www.thebayougardener.com
Video Rating: 5 / 5
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
My tomatoes always crack if i water irregularly, dry followed by a lot of water. I don’t think shading will help. To keep the soil temperature down i use a lot of straw as mulch. The mulch also keeps the soil moisture more constant.
So that’s what I did wrong. Some of my tomatos did crack. I’ll try shading them next time. Thanks!!!!
Chop the top of the crotch
I never thought to use pine needles. They are bad news for grass but I’ll give it a try for tomatoes. Someone told me carrots and tomatoes thrive together. Not sure if it’s true but I’m giving it a try.
You bet, straw, leaves, grass clippings etc. work very well to retain soil moisture, even wood mulch but it is important to place mulch after partial decomposition has occurred. Fresh mulch will rob the soil of nitrogen and in many cases, particularly with a thick mat of grass clippings, mold can enter the scene and introduce root rot to your tomatoes. I prefer pine needles as it supplies acid to the soil and tomato plants thrive in acidic soil. Enjoyed your video by the way.
… They recommend giving them a little fertilizer about every 3 weeks after they start making…….Donald
question. My plants are giving tomatoes like crazy. This year i used fertilizer that i got from the home depot and used it since i transplanted it on the ground. Now i have many of them. But my question is, do i keep using fertilizer or stop it and just water it? The fertilizer that i used was a blue-crystal like sand that i need to mix with water and attach it to a hose. So should I stop or keep using it?
The variety is a French Beefsteak Heirloom “Coustralee”. Picked some over 2 lbs. last year. Most run 1 – 1 1/2 lbs. and taste pretty good………. Donald
Birds around here love ripe tomatoes so I have to pick them when they start turning……. Donald
what were you doing? or was it just a time where it looks drie but like muskeg in the middle?
A 4WD cart would be nice. Got this one stuck a few times……… Donald
might have to put 4×4 tires on your golf cart haha
Hey Tim … this year I watered my tomatoes on a regular basis and had very few to crack on me. I believe that makes all the difference…….. Donald
I hate it when the rain isn’t consistent. My tomatoes always suffer from cracking. Great videos, Don.
Tim
It has been raining here for the last 5 days. I have both broccoli and beets to harvest but can’t get in the garden. Guess I will just have to pull them up and throw them in the compost pile. It’s ok though, I have more growing, I space out my plantings…… Donald
yea, I actually just stopped watering it as often as I was, and the tomatoes are not as large as I would like, but the rot has stopped. Its a sickly lil plant. The others that I had in containers, I just put into the ground, and that was a big risk, because they had some huge tomatoes, but they survives, and the maters are great :) thanks for the tip!
Changeofspace , it’s hard to water containers evenly so that will spur blossom end rot also, it’s very important to add some dolimite/lime to the soil before planting this will provide the calcium it needs when fruit starts forming. also cut back on nitrogen once the blossoms start forming. I deal with it every time in my container tomatos.
I agree with you on not being able to tell the difference between vine ripened and windowsill so there must be something to that. Something else to look into …. I wonder why a tomato stops ripening when placed in the frig?
hey webcajon,I heard that testing has been done and proven that as soon as a tomato blushes the stem grows an internal membrane that stops the flow of sugars and nutrients. I have ate vine ripe and windowsill ripe off the same plant and can’t tell the difference.
so I also like them when their still firm. theres no big difference . mabey just a little if any
Avoid setting out transplants too early in the season. Use mulch to help reduce fluctuations in moisture levels
Blossom End Rot: begins as light tan, water-soaked lesions on the blossom end of the fruit. These lesions enlarge and turn black and leathery. The cause is thought to be a combination of cold temperatures or excessive heat during blossom set, and fluctuations in water supply. When these two factors occur simultaneously, calcium often becomes unavailable to the plant. Hence, a calcium deficiency occurs during fruit formation. To manage the problem, fertilize and water properly. .
Its ok. :) My uncle told me that some people call it the “Blight” or something along those lines, but yea, every single tomatoe that begins to get of a good size, turns red and pretty, but the bottoms are rotten..they are not touching the ground or anything, but I have moved that plant away from the rest..dont want to kill the whole dang on yard :P
I plant the yellow squash. I prefer picking them when small and tender, don’t like all the big seeds. Just a little smaller than a soda can. I boil them with salt and pepper till the outside skin is tender, then I add butter on top.
Those tomatoes look yummy. Can’t wait til I have some…mine are growing…just slower than I would like.
By the way, about when do you normally pick your squash? I have a couple on a squash plant and just kind of curious when i should pick them?
Thanks for the videos!
I never really made an effort to learn all about the diseases and insects that plague us in the garden. When I see a lot of insect damage, I use insecticide. When I find a plant that appears to have some type of disease, I pull it up and get it away from the healthy ones. I should learn more about it but knowing how I am, I would purchase an arsenal of spray and chemicals and would do a lot of unnecessary spraying. Sorry I didn’t really have an answer for you.
I have an issue with one of my container roma tomatoe plants… All my tomatoes that are of decent size, are all rotting…starting at the bottoms of the tomatoes..why? :(
Hey I would never pass up a cold beer. If you ever get down to Louisiana I’ll cook you up a real Cajun meal that will knock your socks off. My big belly is proof of that.