As a professional in the field of growing veggie crops, I absolutely despise gardening tips on KZfaq. But this guy. Listen to what he says. Absolutely 100% knowledgeable

Wow...Master Gardener with 30 years experience including writing and garden TV...and I learn something every time I watch you... thank you!

So true about tomatoes and water needs. Last year I was in the hospital for the month of Aug. and the deep watering needed was not provided! I had 14 plants with gorgeous tomatoes on them except for the blossom end rot. When Mother Nature provides little moisture, water deep, water well!

You need to put your wisdom on a tshirt as it captures exactly why I grow 35 different foods: "The worst homegrown tomato is better than the best store bought tomato." So true. No wonder the US eats like crap-- food doesn't taste the way it used to! (Or should) Okay, getting off my soap box now. Love your channel, btw!!

Why couldn't Tomatoes 101 have been a class in high-school. Then I might have made it to honor roll. LOL Aced it! Finally a passing grade.

You are just toooo cute!!! Love the humor. Love the teaching quiz. Keep it coming Brian 👍 Glad to see you all better. No headaches or the ankle. ❤️🥰🤗

I don't grow tomatoes for sweetness, I grow them for saltiness. Great video as always.

I didn’t take the quiz but I did learn a lot. Trying to grow more tomatoes this year. I have three in the garden bed. And I plan on two in containers. All started from seeds. Thank you for sharing your knowledge 😉

I’m so happy I watched this it explained why I had blossom end rot last year for the first time. I had watched and read a bunch of gardeners who talked about the benefits of Epsom salts and decided to try using it when I planted my tomatoes. Now I know why that was a mistake and will go back to planting like I always have. Thank you!

I've just recently started a garden with little experience, so watching your videos (and others) has helped me immensely. My neighbor also helps me as he is a garden guy and has been for years. I have a very small garden this year because I wasn't sure this was what I wanted to do so did small this time. Next year however, I plan on doing several raised beds with several different kinds of tomatoes. Gonna turn the backyard into a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables 😋. Hope you and others like you keep making these very helpful videos because people like me need the help.

I used to love SUN-GOLD tomatoes until I discovered SUN-SUGAR. I did two years of Blind A- B testing done with friends, family and coworkers the SUN-SUGAR was/is the overwhelming preferred tomato. Year after year it’s my most requested tomato variety at harvest time. Add one to your beds next year And discover one of the sweetest-low acid-great tomato flavor varieties on the planet!

I find this series on tomatoes extremely helpful. True or false on more sweet tomatoes, my score is about 50/50. And I thought I can rely on common sense!! Our temperatures here in South Africa differs a lot from yours, bur it's easy to adjust a little bit... basic principals will always be the same. Thanks for this program, from a 77 year old lady!! (I regularly put your health-issues in our Lord's hands...)

My organically grown tomatoes have spoilt me, so now I never buy them. I would rather go without than have flavourless thick skinned ones.

Fortunately in the Sacramento area, “not hot enough” (for tomatoes) isn’t a phrase we’re familiar with. :D

Hoselink looks amazing! I am constantly winding and unwinding my garden hose. This would definitely be a game changer for this grandma gardener!!

My absolute favorite garden zen master. Great info and packs a lot of learning into compact time saving videos. I hate watching people spend half the video digging a hole or something. Bless their efforts and they mean well, but I am usually seeking answers to a question or just reassuring myself that I didn't forget an important step.

I was very impressed that I got 6 out of the 7 questions right. And I attribute that to watching as many of your videos as possible! I saw one of your early tomato videos this past year, when I moved to a property with a yard. I had a garden years ago, but had been in a 1 BR apartment for 9 years. Your videos have been my main 'go to' as I get back into veggie gardening. I've also been learning about companion planting because I want to avoid pesticides as I grow veggies for my family. So you book was perfect timing and is my reference source as I continue to plan my garden. Thanks for all your great videos!

I'm having tomato issues this year so of course I'm binge-watching @Next Level Gardening like it's a Netflix series. :p

More valuable info for my tomatoe care arsenal! Much appreciated for this 1st year container gardener in a small space. 😊

SO glad I found your videos. I always learn something from you. I can’t possibly thank you enough for your help & advice.

I missed the one about withholding water. I figured they would split, but I have typically lived in warmer climates. Got a greenhouse now in a high desert setting (New Mexico) and growing some yellow tomatoes. They're very tasty.

I just wanted to say thank you so much!!! With the school closure I had more time to spend at home this year and finally got my planter boxes built. I have wanted them for 5 years now. My tomato plants have never looked so good. I am so excited to taste them.

The description for Black Kremm tomatoes tells you it has a "hint of salt" flavor to the fruit. It does! My daughter and I love them. I am trying the Kellogg Breakfast for the first time this year. Thanks!

Thanks Brian, I'm enjoying all of your videos!

Great to see your videos. Been growing in Sunset Western Garden Book zone 14 for 35 years. Currently, I am watering my tomatoes for 10 minutes 3 times a day. Today it was 104F. I was surprised to hear you say "cut back on watering" but then I remembered you are coastal climate. If I did that, my tomatoes would crack. Love your videos, always something to learn. Been retired for 12 months so now my garden is getting larger with food crops.And shrinking from lawn :)

Missed one. Weather is high temps here so I put up a row cover to help shade them a bit. They get filtered sun overhead through the pergola. I put the filter up because of temps in the 90's... they are producing flowers and look green and perky. So far so good. I got my Neptune's Harvest Tomato & Veg this past week and fertilized everything on Tomato Tuesday. I told my neighbor it was liquid gold. LOL.😆

I live in southern New England. I haven’t had or grown a sweet tomato in at least 10yrs! I now only buy cherry tomatoes for my salads if any. I remember tomatoes in the 1970s. Delicious! I may try growing again but I hate to waste the money.

110 degrees in the shade here this week, tomatoes are starting to ripen, they are shaded50% now and still setting as per your advice. Your advice has been better than fertalizer for my new garden. Thanks. And that's no chicken manure.

Heat can also result in tasteless tomatoes. We had an unusually hot summer, with multiple days over 90 'F (32'C) per week, and even my best-tasting cultivars (Brandywine, Aunt Ruby's G Green, Paul Robeson, Black Krim, Black Cherry, Cherokee Purple, etc.) that were growing and ripening during this time had almost no flavour. I first thought it was just the extra water, but when I cut the water it made only a very small difference. I read up about it and found a couple of sources from similar climates that said excessive heat reduces tomato flavour. The same plants produced more flavourful fruit once the heat subsided, which indicates it was the heat. Has anyone else experienced this during prolonged hot weather?

I just made pot soil for my cucumbers, tomatoes, pole beans & bell peppers using miracle grow garden soil, coco coir, perlite, mulched grass clippings left under mower deck for months litly watered with 4 parts water 1 part hydrogen peroxide. Has work out beautifully.

This year I have 4 varieties of tomatoes growing in large pots. They are doing very well. I also planted 4 different varieties of dwarf tomatoes...and I over seeded because I wasn't sure how many would come up. Well, I'm pretty sure they all did, Lol! Am in the process of separating them from each other (which they tolerate very well) and have the little seedlings in smaller pots to get their roots strong. I can't wait to see how they do over the next 3 months. Thanks Brian for all your help and encouragement!

I'm not a fan of sweet tomatoes, especially the cherries...I go for a more savory salty tomato flavor. I often find it in the dark shouldered varieties. Thank you for the tips!

Thanks for the well explained tips you always do such a good job at doing.

Thank you, new to gardening and this helped! We're going into fall now and plan on planting tomatoes after the winter. Top tip for me is 50% water, we have a similar climate, December - February is hot as hell and most days not even the sea breeze makes a difference. For the rest of the year we can go from winter to summer in 5 minutes on any given day. But nights seldom drop to single digits, getting ready to plant winter crops. Already learned so much from you.

Love the info on coastal California! I’m a mile inland from the ocean in the far north. Rarely do we hit 70 degrees in the summer. Never heard of dry farming. Thank you!

Thank you again, Brian! I needed a refresher and reassurance! 3 Thumbs up!!!

Thanks for an informative video! Missed two, the one with Epsom salts and the basil question. Oh well, it’s great learning new tomato tips. A lot of tomato seedlings came up this year, after I put down compost. In addition to the six plants from HD, I planted about a dozen volunteers, lol. It will be interesting to see how they turn out and I’ll keep watching your videos!

Great job. I love your work.

I am so glad I found this channel 👏🏻

I got the third one wrong, always learn something from the best, thank you for another wonderful video! 😀

Great information! Thanks for the video

Wow I learned so much from this video. I liked the true and false format - it engages your audience and imprints the answer!

100% on the score. weather here is hit and miss, so we have to go with the flow in the UK.

Just found your videos, which have quickly become my favourite for gardening. Absolutely Incredible information!

I have learned so much from this channel. I am 75 thought I have gleaned a lott of information from this video. Neve to old to learn. Thank you.

Yep quite sensible information, thanks mate.

Great informative video, thank you!!

Hi. First, thank you for the thorough explanation. I have one more for you: how about adding ocean sand around the base of the tomato? Not the store bought sand but the actual real ocean sand from the beach? (I know I’m about a year late but if you get to this thanks in advance)

You added Celsius, you’re a sweetheart ☺️🙏 it’s the only thing I’m metric on lol. I got 4/5 ...basil lol, oh well still planting them like you say and I just love the smell of it let alone taste

I got 2 wrong answers... I am a new gardener this year but the more videos I watch the more I learn. I have a few little tomatoes starting on my plants so I must be doing something right. Thank you for all you do. May the Lord bless you and yours.

Thanks a lot watching you from Nairobi ,Kenya and have learnt a lot from you.

Great info, thank you for sharing

Very interesting the detail about watering less once fruit set I’m going to try that as I think I water too much! I grow sungold and love them! Thanks Brian learnt a lot as usual! ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️

I really appreciate you telling us what verities are sweet. I like tomatoes but just like you I'm not a fan of the red ones unless it's in a burger or just mixed with something. I will look for the yellow and orange tomatoes from now on. Thank you for this video!🥰🙏

Thanks for this, I got 4 out of 6. Ha ha. :) I have tomatoes growing ATM (our dry season in North QLD Aus). Cherry that come up by themselves and I have to pull out LOTS of self sprouted seedlings as they take ove!! Also Gross Lise, Tropic, Wapsapinicon Peach and Blueberry. This is my first year doing anything else than the Cherry variety, so I hope they all produce lots so I can share with my family, friends and neighbours. Thanks for your videos, keep them coming.

I did poorly on the test, but sure learned alot. A whopper big thank you...again🥰.

I grew basil everywhere this year and it's helped keep cabbage loopers off my tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Except I might not be able to have basil for pesto this year. 😂😭

Thanks so much for the tips bro!!

Wow Nice Information 👏

Thank you, Brian! Two thumbs up!! =)

Thanks for the tip. We are on water meter here in South London. I occasionally have Epsom salt bath. I then bucket the cool bath water on my container grown vegetables. I will try it in a sprayer. I have ripe plum tomatoes in July!! We had had a dry warm spring and so far a dry very warm summer. So my tomatoes are outside but I might put them in my greenhouse if the temperature starts to cool.

My understanding is that calcium deficiency is the cause of blossom end rot. Here's a guess on why putting in sugar may help: Normally the plant has to release sugar to get mineral ions back from the mycorrhizae. If you feed the myco's sugar then the tomato can retain more sugar. I put myco's into my hydroponic reservoir and then sugar. I see bubbles at the top which suggests that the bacteria etc are flourishing.

Thanks Brain great info. See in the next video.

Good solid information

Sounds like good information Thanks

Thank you so much for your fantastic information.

Tomato Saturday for me, as I'm also a couple of days late...lol

looking forward to reading the composting book.

Not my favorite format but still thumbs up for my dude. Keep it up!

This is exciting. Going to have to get some.

Very interesting video.

South-Central WI weather just starting to warm up. Plants are growing. Early signs of fruit. Stumbled on the "Not watering" question. Not lacking water here. Had fun listening to the quiz. Using all your planting (Neptune's Harvest), fertilizing (Neptune's Harvest Tom/Veg fertilizer - it smells), pruning. Fingers crossed!

Oh man! wish I had known this BEFORE I sowed and planted my tomatoes! But I will know for next year. THANK YOU...Again!

I got two wrong. Thanks for this video and every video you post. I’m really learning a lot. Here’s to hoping that I concur my problem of blossom end rot. Cross your fingers. Thanks again for all your great tips.

I am already making my lists and plans for next Spring. I have a few of questions. 1. Can you successfully grow two tomato plants in a 17 gallon container? If so, do they have to be the same because of cross pollination. 2. Do you refertilize during the growing season. 3. How do you start your tomato seeds? Do you have a video? 4. Is there a way to determine if a tomato is determinate or indeterminate if the seed description does not indicate.

Haha, my problem is too hot. Plants look great but flowers dry and fall, even when I attempt to hand pollinate. Placed some shade fabric today and I hope that helps.

Cool info!!!

Very informative!

I had always second guessed the benefits vs the problems that come with using epsom salts. I will def try it as a foliar feed

Living in the Deep South where it is 100 plus most of the summer, I got all the questions right except for decreasing the water to 50%. I haven't grown tomatoes anywhere else other than the Deep South and I would not ever decrease the water 50 percent which would kill them. I'm going to default on that question and say I got them all right. Very good video though

Well I got 4 correct so not bad for newer to this. But definitely always appreciate your help!

I only missed 2. I loved the bonus info on yellow tomatoes

Missed 1 THANK YOU , FOR ALL YOU DO !

Great tips, as always! Blossom-end rot is my nemesis. I err on the side of more/regular watering and that usually works :) I got 4 on the quiz.

Great video! I always enjoyed a good true and false test in school back in the day. The multiple choice including none of the above use to drive me crazy though.

As usual learned a lot!! I got only 1 wrong thanks to your earlier videos 😁

I love ailsa craig, this variety is the perfect balance of sweet and acid, more important than sweetness is the taste explosion when you bite into a tomato!

Temps have a law of diminished return I believe. I totally believe tomatoes go into a survival mode which doent necessarily include wrippening. Maybe ironically if u were in a hotter area u might find it to be true. Thanks for the vids

Hi Brian...Your presentation and helpfulness is always great. I always love your tomato videos and receive something everytime I watch them. I was just wondering what happened to the aspirin question ??? Have you read the book "Grow for Flavor" by James Wong, the botanist ?

I think I need more to learn( I fail didn't pass the quiz) but my Garden is thriving so good and a lot of produce and all I do is prune and water my plants and enjoy watching them growing.

Great video. I always learn something! I noted that you did not talk about your aspirin tip...?

I got 4 out of 6 correct. I live in a hot climate so withholding water for sweeter tomatoes was definitely out of the question since I struggle with consistent watering to prevent blossom end rot. I am going to try new varieties and check out the sweeter yellow tomatoes. :)

I have to disagree with your first comment. In season , store-bought tomatoes in my area are delicious, but my garden grown tomatoes are flavorless . I grow cherry tomatoes, heirloom , determinant and indeterminate varieties. I apply fertilizer to both the soil and foliage , my plants get 8 hours of full sun per day . Daily summer temperatures where I live are often above 90 degrees, with some days in the triple digits . Could it be that my climate is too hot for tomatoes?

Only missed one, yay! Would've missed more if I hadnt been watching your videos though. Thanx--

Missed one, but I've been watching your other videos!

5 out of 6..thanks!

I missed one on your quiz. I would not know if my tomatoes are sweet or not. I have had 5 start to ripen and something has eaten the sides or stolen the fruit before I can harvest it. I have noticed squirrels in the yard for the first time in years, so I am guessing that they are the culprits As always, great information and excellent presentation. Thanks for all your research land common sense. Brix is pronounced Bx, just like the chimney material. .

I live in Texas, it’s very hot in July, Aug, Sept. at that point the plants stop producing and I just shade them and water them to keep them alive. Once it starts cooling off again - 80-90 degrees, I use a epsom salt foliar feed and it does get them going again for another round of fruiting before the first freeze.

Very interesting Brian. In theory, reduced watering would only really work for bush varieties with all fruit ripening together I imagine? With vine you might help the ripening fruit but at the same time, hinder the growth further up the vine? Temps is a really interesting subject. I am in UK and am experiencing high temps at the moment, I have one small greenhouse where yesterday the temp maxed at 50c!! I have another larger greenhouse with shading and fan cooling which maxed at 35c. And then I have a few varieties in open air raised beds. Will be interesting to see how things compare.

When you said the animals "plant" the seeds a few days later, I giggled like a school girl. Because I'm mature. 🤪 Not sure how you said that with a straight face lol.