If you enjoyed this video, please “Like” and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching!😀TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 Introduction 1:24 Everyone Is Wrong About Growing Tomatoes 3:58 Wild Tomatoes VS Modern Tomatoes 5:58 The Real Reason Why Tomato Plants Get Sick 10:06 Stop Tomato Diseases Without Sprays 11:42 3 Secrets For Healthy Tomato Plants 12:10 When To Install Shade Cloth 13:03 Avoid Shade Planting Tomatoes 13:58 This Works For Nearly ALL Crops 14:41 Lessons Learned From Last Year 18:12 Adventures With Dale
@donnabrooks11733 ай бұрын
This is so logical and informative. Thank you for making these videos. It is so nice to learn from other's experiences to know what to do and what to avoid. I also absolutely love seeing Dale as well. He is a true ham, so handsome.
@rawhoney21993 ай бұрын
This was awesome thank you
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
@@donnabrooks1173 I'm glad I could help! Dale says hello
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
@@rawhoney2199 you're welcome!
@donnabrooks11733 ай бұрын
@@TheMillennialGardener Right back at him!!!!
@pontiac45672 ай бұрын
WOW... I have been organic gardening for over 50 years and I am so impressed with your pursuit of gardening knowledge! I have incredible gardens every year, but I always learn something from you. You are a model for humanity in these trying times. thank you
@TheMillennialGardener13 күн бұрын
Thank you! I really appreciate it. It is a tough climate down here. It’s been a fun journey cracking the tomato growing code in a place they don’t want to grow.
@kelseawade47373 ай бұрын
The form of pest control you described is called Integrated Pest Management (aka IPM). It’s an organic/sustainable practice used to strengthen crops immune system in order to make them more resistant to pests. I have a bachelors in wildlife sustainability and we were taught to use this practice, it’s very interesting to me that through experience and error you were able to come to your own conclusions and naturally integrated IPM into your system. Amazing work! I live in Texas and have struggled to find a gardening page that grows in hot temperate regions, looking forward to more of your videos!
@marvinbrock9603 ай бұрын
That confirms what I’ve been observing the last couple seasons. I live in ARKANSAS, close to the Tennessee/Mississippi borders. Wicked hot and humid. I grow 15-18 indeterminates in a 4’-8’ grow bed. Rough 24” between rows and 12”-14” between plants.. they are tall and bushy by the time it’s gets blazing inJuly. I’ve observed that all the leaves and shading kept each other alive as compared to my in ground plants that are 30” apart and 32” between rows… just an observation.. the grow bed plants were still producing into Oct/Nov… the in ground were cooked by August/Sept Everyone around me said they’ll never make it due to over crowding… they have been amazing! Tons of fruit and most are large!
@tomseiple32803 ай бұрын
This makes a lot of sense to me! Last year I had tomatoes in a full sun bed and also in a part sun bed. My full sun plants got massive, but ultimately got sick and died. My part sun beds yielded smaller plants, but they produced until mid fall. Ultimately, I actually got more fruit from my part shade plants.
@michelleslatton58623 ай бұрын
Lots of marygolds and basil work well for pests also companion planting helps
@TheMillennialGardener13 күн бұрын
Marigolds brought in a bad moth problem for me. I can’t grow them here. Sunflowers work pretty well as trap crops for a lot of our problem insects.
@Rubio_Eric3 ай бұрын
You basically summed up the pandemic and why telling everyone to stay inside was a bad idea.👌
@frankparis94083 ай бұрын
True. I live in Bulgaria, as soon as May comes, the sun starts killing everything. In the summer time, it is usual to see 55C or above at ground level, which is normal, but let's just imagine how difficult it is to survive it day after day for pretty fragile plants. Keeping tomatoes, peppers and aubergines in the shade is common practice here.
@kermitfrog16503 ай бұрын
You are my favorite gardening channel !!!!!
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
Thank you!! I really appreciate that.
@vickiewoodard31803 ай бұрын
Back in the day when our grandpas told us to grow them in full sun, the sun wasn’t this darn hot! Last year I grew my cherry tomatoes under a 60% shaded area. They are the only ones that lasted.
@freedomliberty76113 ай бұрын
The sun is hotter now?
@ragnar98863 ай бұрын
@@freedomliberty7611 Ya I am in Texas and I remember it was way hotter when I was younger. Have not seen hot weather like when I was a kid in years. But I suppose location means everything.
@ragnar98863 ай бұрын
@@freedomliberty7611 Lmao unless you were trolling and ment the actual temperature of the sun’s surface. 😂
@memph76103 ай бұрын
@@ragnar9886 Summers here aren't really warmer either. We still haven't seen anything near as hot as the 1936 heat wave in my area (Great Lakes). Winter has definitely gotten warmer, and spring and fall have gotten warmer too, but summer hasn't really changed. The exception is in the big cities where it's gotten warmer due to larger urban heat islands. Toronto summers are probably 4-5F warmer due to all the pavement. But in the surrounding countryside, it's basically the same.
@lisasunray64493 ай бұрын
I live in the deep South and same heat as always. However, what has changed is the sky. Weather being man.ipulated with chem.trails. The s.k.y used to be beautiful🔵 90% during summer, and now 🌥️☁️😢
@ashleys6373 ай бұрын
Lemme tell you, you have saved us SO MUCH MONEY w/ your research. I live in Hampton Roads, VA and shade cloth has proven to be an outright necessity for our climates. I appreciate the primo gardening knowledge.
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
Glad to hear it is also successful north of me! It blew my mind last year. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
@jociahsonranch3 ай бұрын
I agree, he is my go to when it comes doing things naturally. I love his knowledge. People do too much with all these big farmer products.
@marinadoyle75933 ай бұрын
Hi from Newport News!
@ashleys6373 ай бұрын
@marinadoyle7593 Hello back from south Suffolk!
@larsgustavson36293 ай бұрын
hey from Yorktown, Va. Thank you @themillennialGardener for all your content. I will definitely being employing the shade tent this year.
@stephenbrodeurАй бұрын
Man, these are the BEST gardening videos on KZfaq! My tomato harvest last year was phenomenal thanks to you! The regular fertilization and electric toothbrush pollination works wonders! I wish you a million more subscribers! You deserve it (and so do they!). God Bless
@AjArpopP523 ай бұрын
You are such a hard worker. It’s amazing all the great information you provide. I take notes on all your videos. I have learned so much from you. Thank you so much!
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
I'm so happy to know that my videos are helping you! It's a lot of work, but it's rewarding to know the videos are helping so many people/
@anthonycoffee76833 ай бұрын
I totally agree about the shade cloth. They protect from driving rain, high winds and hail if you tie them down well enough.
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
Running a clothesline through the grommets ties them down really well. I show how to do it on the video I linked in the video description. It held it in place all season with minimal shifting.
@dawnteskey32593 ай бұрын
We just had a freak storm come through here on Tuesday, it dropped 2" of rain and 2" of hail that ranged from pencil eraser size up to almost golf ball size. It was crazy. I must admit I'm glad we didn't have our shadecloth up yet. 😅
@JS-jl1yj3 ай бұрын
I used to be jealous of your warm climate. Not anymore. I remove 50% of the tomato leaves, cucumber leaves and pole beans, to improve air circulation and to expose the fruit to pollinators and to the sun, so it would ripen before the frost comes. I grow strictly indeterminate tomatoes. Half of my veggies are grown vertically on a trellis, with other veggies in between. I also employ successive planting to minimize the loss of plants due to bad weather conditions, or infestation. This way, I extend the harvest season. I have never had to use sprays on my plants. The most annoying insects in my veggie garden are earwigs and slugs. They love to eat Romaine lettuce. I stopped growing Romaine and started growing other varieties of lettuces that are not bothered by insects. For example, red leaf lettuce and oak leaf lettuce. I also manage to get healthy Boston lettuce heads if I plant the seeds early enough in my cold frame. This way, they mature before the heat comes and before the earwigs reach adulthood.
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
I always say if you're jealous of my climate, you've never lived here. Too cold in the winter, too hot in the summer, too much rain, too many bugs. I can't really complain, because as a human, we get well over 300 usable days a year, and I'll take the climate here any day over where I used to live in NJ and PA. *But,* it is really tough to grow food here for the reasons mentioned above. It's a beautiful place for people, but a terrible place for most plants. Shade cloth has turned my NC summers into something manageable. It's really incredible how it's changed how my tomatoes respond.
@helengabr57433 ай бұрын
Thanks for the great tips 👍
@brandywineblue3 ай бұрын
@TheMillennialGardener but NJ is the garden state! Thanks again for all the tips. You have helped me a lot back home here.
@EducatedSkeptic3 ай бұрын
Can understand the slug issues .. we've quit growing lettuce altogether for precisely that reason. In a wet summer, you can walk up the driveway in the morning and there'll be 4-6 slugs PER SQUARE FOOT just on the exposed gravel!
@noora77733 ай бұрын
@@EducatedSkeptic Is it possible to grow salads in structures the snails and slugs can't crawl into? I think of hanging baskets or tower planters with some unpassable slug traps underneath...
@4cysmith3 ай бұрын
❤But they taste so good when you grow them yourself
@ObsessiveAboutCats3 ай бұрын
Shade cloth for the win. Good to see you're planning for hot weather - both for your plants and for your furry bestie.
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
It seems we go from "too cold" to "too hot" too soon. Since we can't have the climate we want, we'll modify it.
@cmchatton16803 ай бұрын
Fantastic video! You did crack the code! All these years, we have been abusing our tomatoes with full sun locations! Thanks for sharing your epiphany! John McHatton
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
It's true! But, planting in shade doesn't work well, either, in most places. This has been my solution. It blew my mind last year. I'd never grown such healthy tomatoes down here.
@dawnteskey32593 ай бұрын
Our shadecloth here in Arizona has saved our tomatoes the last few years. We can get upwards of 115 in the hottest part of summer. Doing this has helped so much!
@EducatedSkeptic3 ай бұрын
115 tomatoes on how many plants? 🙂
@dawnteskey32593 ай бұрын
@@EducatedSkeptic Sorry, I meant 115 degrees F. 😅
@EducatedSkeptic3 ай бұрын
@@dawnteskey3259 Oh, yeah. Too hot isn't good for most things! Happy gardening!
@TheMillennialGardener13 күн бұрын
It’s absolutely mandatory in most of the south and southwest.
@davidbush64823 ай бұрын
Your exactly correct as I'm a 64 year old gardener and this dog did learn a new trick. Growing with shade cloth in southern alabama is a game changer. For the first time using shade cloth I was able to grow purple boy tomatoes til November without any major disease. Thank you for sharing this information with others as it's amazing using shade cloth. I use 40 % shade cloth.
@nicolelittle72183 ай бұрын
I live near Atlanta and share your humid woes regarding tomatoes. I moved from Wisconsin where my parents still live. Although I can brag because of my warmer climate, they always have tons more tomatoes than me. I bought a shade cloth end of last season because of your videos and am looking forward to competing with my parents who will get a better tomato harvest. P.s. I share your videos with everyone who loves gardening since our climates are so similar. Thank you!
@gailhonadle51823 ай бұрын
Zone 7, so high heat and little rain. This year the weather is crazy, 52 this morning, no rain till friday, when we go to 70, and maybe rain.
@cynthiathomas57543 ай бұрын
My Texas raised bed garden is under a tree. The tomatoes get AM sun and then spotty sun. People thought I was crazy.
@TheMillennialGardener13 күн бұрын
I’m sure it helps a lot.
@michelleslatton58623 ай бұрын
I found a lot of plants don’t like the hot summer sun part shade is great
@jenniferstafford15143 ай бұрын
I am going to do this, this year!! I am so tired of losing my tomatoes!! Thank you so so very much!!!!!!! Savannah, GA
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
You’re welcome! This will make an *enormous* difference in your climate.
@Sunnylane021743 ай бұрын
Thanks for all you do!! I’ll probably try this in the summer!
@jociahsonranch3 ай бұрын
I did this last year, i used the 30% clothshade and i did not spray a single thing in my garden. Acrually when i was searching youtube about shade cloth in summer, your video is what gave me confidence that it's okay to donthis. My zucchinis and cucumbers were healthy, no disease, my tomatoes were great. Only mistake I did was i put the shade cloth on too early. I will have to watch the weather app. Thank you so much for your wisdomatic content 🙏
@TrixieJFerguson3 ай бұрын
I am in south-central Texas and it gets HOT here. It’s also insanely humid overnight and in the mornings and then desert dry in the extreme heat of the afternoons. I grow my tomatoes in morning sun and full shade after about 2 pm. They LOVE it. I can generally harvest tomatoes all summer regardless of the afternoon high temperatures simply due to the shade.
@CMBrown-oo1frАй бұрын
I love how Dale starts licking his lips just when he sees the bowl coming! 😂❤ I love dogs!
@TheMillennialGardenerАй бұрын
The juice factory starts flowing 😂
@joannthompson24673 ай бұрын
Makes so much sense, going to use the shade cloth this season. Good stuff here.
@runawayproductions3 ай бұрын
As a fellow North Carolinian (just outside of Wilmington), you have REALLY helped our garden! Thank you for this and all your great videos!
@unclebubbaknowseverything91433 ай бұрын
Definitely gonna try this in my garden this summer... Thanks for the info Boss... Galveston area here. Howdy from Texas 🤠
@Kit293 ай бұрын
Very educational video as usual! Thank you ! The shade cloth helped so much last year!👍
@sagecoach3 ай бұрын
You just changed my mind about cutting down a well-maintained shade tree that impacts my small garden for a few hours in the heat of the day. I plan to keep it thinned and small producing partial shade.
@Sendarya3 ай бұрын
I accidently discovered this same thing. We had that massive heatwave in early June a couple of years back, and we built a canopy for the garden. We continued to use it through the summer, and got massive, gorgeous, healthy plants! It really does work, and it does prevent most pests, too. P.S, I sub a lot of garden channels, but you are by far my favorite!! Keep up the great work, and thank you!
@jesswelsh98383 ай бұрын
Excellent video. Thank you for all your hard work researching this! You saved us all a bunch of headache. Happy growing💚🌻
@lesta.artist3 ай бұрын
I’m so glad you verified my suspicions from last year! I’ve done a lot to fight what seems like blight and bug damage over the last few years. Last year I noticed that the tomato vines that grew up sapling trees near my compost bins did much better than the ones growing up cattle panels in full sun. Because of this, I allowed Sweet Annie to grow in the rows between the cattle panels. The tomatoes on the protected side on the Sweet Annie did better than on the southeastern side but still the leaves were a little too lacy so probably didn’t shade enough. I thought it might help if I supported with bamboo instead of hot metal so I’m going to change that but I’ll try the shade cloth, too, now. Thanks!
@emilyliu19193 ай бұрын
Thanks so much for the info! It’s so helpful. I had a suspicion of this last year and your confirmation is so helpful. Thanks again!
@kaybegley95663 ай бұрын
I bought shade cloth at the end of season last year with your advice. I can't wait to put it to test this year. I love your KZfaq channel.
@shirleysuchdolski60423 ай бұрын
Anthony, you are my hero! Thanks for this wonderful information!
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
You're welcome! I'm glad I can help!
@baileydubs3 ай бұрын
I just moved to Utah last year so it will be my first summer gardening here. We don’t have high humidity, but the sun is super strong and hot in the summer. I’m so glad that the garden area in my backyard is right next to a tree because hopefully when it develops leaves, it’ll help shade the garden area a bit, I’m so glad to have learned this info!
@kristenm73802 ай бұрын
Great research! Such good information.
@magenta44433 ай бұрын
Phenominal info on this video! Thanks! I will love my partial shade raised garden plot more now.
@DiannasHomestead3 ай бұрын
Thanks for the tips 😊
@MaksharAcademy2 ай бұрын
Amazing video as always. Thank you again.
@user-mj8ml2vs5d3 ай бұрын
The best gardening channel on KZfaq
@MichaelBrownOki3 ай бұрын
You are the man. Last year as you know it was burning hot here. My tomatos were unhappy and really did not get a good harvest. I had already bought the shade cloth and made the frame from pvc over one of my raised gardens. I normally grow tomatos in the big bags and will do so again this year. Will have to figure a way to attach to the fence. On OKI space is a premium. Thanks for this one!!
@romanticskeptc3 ай бұрын
I'm here in Wilmington NC too and I've been worried that my patio only gets 5 hours of sun a day but now I'm thinking that's not so bad. I'm trying 6 different varieties and I'm hoping at least some of them will do well. You are the first person to give me any hope my patio won't kill my plants!
@stripersniper15313 ай бұрын
Now I know why some of my plants didn’t get sick. They were the ones that recived morning to noon sun only and more shade as the season went on . Makes perfect sense! Thanks for another great informative video.
@anastasiyav10452 ай бұрын
Wow. Will definitely try it this year. This looks so promising ! Thank you for sharing your garden wisdom ! This is my favorite gardening channel on youtube
@trekolli3 ай бұрын
Great, Great, Great video...Thanks for sharing...
@ralphlewis5392 ай бұрын
Outstanding explanation. And even without any secondary verification, this discussion screams out with obvious accuracy, given what all of us lifelong gardeners have observed. It's just that we never all put it together.
@tammyohlsson79663 ай бұрын
Brilliant! Working on shade this year. SE Texas is brutal! Blessings and happy Easter!
@Wellbaby943 ай бұрын
Last year at the end of July I ordered and implemented shade cloth after watching your video on the results you were having. During that time we were having temps of 100-110 here in Dallas. Using your shade cloth idea, even that late in the season, kept my tomatoes and peppers alive until frost. You can believe that shade cloth is ready to go up again much, much earlier this summer. My deck garden will look like it’s draped for Halloween, but it will still be alive! Best idea ever!
@joyfulparadise3 ай бұрын
This was incredibly educational. Like all your videos. The way you explain things is so easy to listen to. I always learn from your channel. Thank you.
@Shortpants18193 ай бұрын
Thank you so much. Just plated tomatoes in seed boxes today. Your information is invaluable.
@patrickmundy19663 ай бұрын
i live down the road a piece in Calabash and enjoy your videos! I used to be from NJ going on 8 years ago and I'm a Southerner in Training! Zone 8B here sure is different than NJ with different planting schedules. Your videos are very informative and I'll try the shade cloth trick this year. My potted tomatoes do better than the ones in the garden probably because they get afternoon shade.
@user-et7fv6fz6q3 ай бұрын
I think the shade will be good for my tomatoes late June July and August. I typically get viruses but still get more than enough good ones through October
@doggiefamily9083 ай бұрын
Great information! I'll be putting my shade cloths to use this summer in GA. Love Dale, fun idea for doggie ice cream.
@powaqqatsi83 ай бұрын
Thank you for all the information, links, and deal alerts in regards to the shade cloth. Here in east Texas, the shade cloth has really extended the growing season and I plan on purchasing lots more since it worked so well last year and into the start of fall growing season. 😃👍
@jasonmann50193 ай бұрын
Nice one Anthony, l believe you have hit the nail on the head. We have just came out of summer here in Melbourne Australia and l have purposely left some tomato plants growing. Many of the varieties took a huge hit to the sun with a large proportion of each plant dying back. Now we are in Autumn there is many plants showing new green growth. Whether they have enough energy to continue growing fruit before winter is another story. Shade cloth at 40% is going to be my next seasons plan for tomatoes. Great sharing and best wishes. Jason from Melbourne Australia.
@MP-js5ro3 ай бұрын
So funny- I had the same epiphany! I’m growing my tomatoes on the screened porch this year in FL, hoping keeping them drier and without direct sunlight helps. I also just planted red and yellow Everglades tomatoes, apparently they are native to FL and indestructible 🤞 happy gardening!
@michaelsudduth81743 ай бұрын
Incredibly important video. I live in a region of Northern California where we have several weeks of triple digit heat. My entire garden, most of which gets 12 hours of sunlight during the summer, is beneath a 50% filter shade cloth. And in some cases I add additional filters for the lateday scortching sunlight. I sell veggie plants and tell all my customers to invest in shade cloth. It's a game changer. Thanks for posting this video.
@bilezmom113 ай бұрын
I knew as soon as you started, you were heading for the shade cloth! But, your analogies were brilliant. You are a natural teacher. I listened to you last year and took advantage of your Amazon price drops recently. I am ready for this summer in the foothills of western North Carolina. Thank you!
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
You're welcome! It's too important not to share. This year, I'm trying to get ahead of the heat so people are prepared. I'm hoping every gardener treats shade cloth as essential as a shovel or a hose. If you don't have shade cloth, you aren't gardening. Having it on-hand now will lead to so many more harvests for so many more people.
@jamistokes53332 ай бұрын
This definitely works! I'm in NJ and last year's sun was brutal! Everyone else's tomatoes were dropping flowers but mine weren't! And I definitely think it helps with pest and disease too.
@colinf23163 ай бұрын
I've given up on tomatoes in the Maryland climate, but I don't have a house and was growing them only in planters. Just got a house so excited to try growing them again with these tips.
@angelasmith21403 ай бұрын
I appreciate this it gets really hot here in Raeford NC will try this for my plants thanks for sharing
@mikevejraska871Ай бұрын
Great job, your explanation was spot on!!!
@tristadelaney20603 ай бұрын
I watched your video last year on shade growing tomatoes and I tried it. And it worked! I still have a tomatoe and eggplant alive from last year.And most of my tomatoes survived through the end of the summer.I'll try it again this year.
@sylvia101013 ай бұрын
Thank you MG! Hi Dale💕
@sherryberryr3 ай бұрын
I bought shade cloth last year, at the end of the season, and I look forward to trying it for the first time this year. I noticed how some of the blossoms just fell off from the heat last year here in NC.
@alexandraguglielmo3283 ай бұрын
Wow, I was captivated by this video! This sounds logical to me. I look forward to trying it in my pollen-sterilizing heat this summer. Thank you!
@Sister-KateАй бұрын
Thank you for validating what I'd been suspecting for a long time! Love your channel!
@JM.TheComposer3 ай бұрын
This will be my second year growing fruits and vegetables, after a first year guided largely by your advice - thank you for your innovative ideas and detailed explanations disease prevention! This is still the best fruit & veg gardening channel on YT.
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
You're welcome! I really appreciate that. Thank you!
@LindaMacRae-bj7bcАй бұрын
I live in Wilmington and appreciate this info as I am growing tomatoes now.
@Ayo_Its_Mikey3 ай бұрын
I'm from north Florida, but lived (and grew) in Wilmington and Leland for a dozen or so years. I'm back home now and the Everglades tomato has done well for me in both places. I probably won't be erecting a tomato tent, but I did learn a few things so I appreciate you for that. I think next year I'll be relocating some of my larger tomatoes to see if that helps. Thank you!
@johnlarrivee36653 ай бұрын
Great video, last year I moved into a condo where I have a huge deck and there is a deck above mine, so I grew all my plants in 5 gallon pails 20 of them and I put the pails on wheels and moved them around as the sun moved, in my old garden my plants would all be diseased by late July and all dead by September, my new pail garden was still putting out tomatoes in November, healthiest garden I’ve ever had bar none, and that’s because the plants got a lot of shade during the day and I live on the ocean so there is a lot of wind here ..So I agree with you 100% my friend full sun is no good for tomatoes..Love your videos I always say you are a mad scientist!! lol thank you keep up the hard work and GREAT INFORMATION
@DeniseLSessler3 ай бұрын
I tossed some shade cloth over the tower frames of our tomatoes last summer after seeing what you were doing. The tomato plants looked so much happier! We are in middle TN and I was still getting tomatoes in August, though not as many as I had hoped from the slicer varieties. The cherry tomato did the best and survived the longest.
@user-ky6lz7uj3h3 ай бұрын
You really make a lot of sense. Thank you very much. I will do that for my tomatoes this year.
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
It's fun to figure this stuff out. I'm happy I can share the results with people and help them.
@Tile.man543 ай бұрын
Millennial Gardner love your KZfaq info. What is the black mat you use under you grow buckets. Thanks
@davidthegoodАй бұрын
Yeah man, good work!
@katiem96443 ай бұрын
I absolutely will do this when it gets hot. Great great video!
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
It will make an enormous difference!
@janeodom36713 ай бұрын
The Texas Gulf Coast is brutally hot and humid in the summer. I followed your advice about the shade cloth last year over my fruit trees. Made an amazing difference! Have already built a structure to hold a shade cloth over my raised gardens. Will probably attach the shade cloth in mid-April at the latest. Thanks for all your fantastic advice!
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
I think I'm now up to owning 6 shade tarps. They're just amazing. I would consider them 100% mandatory for Texas. If you're gardening without shade cloth, you're not gardening!
@brichter46693 ай бұрын
Thank you for this video! I'm in zone 9, hot south TX. I don't have an in-ground garden and use grow bags and GreenStalk vertical planters to grow veggies. Last year was the first time I grew tomatoes. I did the seedling thing and transplanted late March. By June, I noticed my tomatoes seemed stressed. I believed that tomatoes need at least 6-8 hours of sun to produce fruit. My logic told me it was just too hot and the sun too strong for the plants. I have a large backyard pergola with a slated wood cover that provides diffused sunlight. I put the tomato plants under the pergola, and they did much better. Even put some of my other plants under the pergola too and they did better. What you are saying makes sense and works. I'm a believer. Transplanted 11 varieties of tomatoes one week ago into 10-gallon potato grow bags, which are 16" tall providing lots of room for the root system to expand. I let them get morning sunlight and roll them under the pergola early afternoon to enjoy the diffused sunlight. Happy gardening.
@bizzybee8523 ай бұрын
Wow! I live in rural Georgia, about 45 minutes from Augusta, GA. And I had almost given up on growing heirloom tomatoes because of the pests and diseases and so little yield for so much hard work. But I am definitely going to try your shade cloth method. I am also adding a couple of good hybrids to ensure I get a decent crop for all of my hard work, and to be able to preserve some tomatoes for food security with all the craziness going on in the U.S. these days.
@josephconroy85312 ай бұрын
lol and you just talked about shade cloth i ordered last year after your video,nice
@AylaGrassrootGardens3 ай бұрын
Thank you. I can't wait to build my next garden. Will definitely be utilizing shade cloth, plus it will be so much nicer to garden out of the direct S. Carolina sun. 🌞
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
You're welcome! It truly makes an enormous difference, and you'll enjoy gardening under it a lot more, too, if you can get it overhead. It can also block some insects, birds, squirrels, etc., so there are a lot of side benefits.
@catherinebazuin5782Ай бұрын
Such a great teacher! Thank you!
@moltabocca2 ай бұрын
I took your advice, and planted my first tomatoes EVER under a 40% shade cloth. As an experiment, I kept one tomato section without the cloth. Same types of tomatoes, and all started from seed. OMG, you weren't kidding! The tomatoes under the cloth measure about 24" long now. The ones without the cloth are half the height. This def changes my garden layout for next year. I did a garden tour where you can see them on my channel. Thank you for sharing.
@DingbadYoutube3 ай бұрын
Good information. Will move my plants to the shadier spot. Thanks
@pjstar20093 ай бұрын
I love your explanations and totally agree with the shade cloth idea, especially here in Phoenix. I've had tomato plants that live and produce for years before I finally replace them. This year, I'm trying pots under a steel enclosed structure (to foil rats and ground squirrels), covered in shade cloth. I noted your comment, to not cover too early. Thanks, I'll keep following you!
@4eva373 ай бұрын
I could listen and learn from you all day.
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
I'm happy I can help!
@coultonnitely25093 ай бұрын
In South Central Texas providing shade is essential. In direct sun the fruit basically cooks on the vine in the summer months. I grow in sub-irragated containers in a structure similar to the one illustrated in the video with great results, having tomato plants survive well into November. A bonus use of the structure it protects the plants in heavy weather and a tarpaulin can be added when tropical weather threatens. TMG is a great channel with great advise. Thanks for your hard work presenting clear and well explained information.
@user-zn7ph2lp5b3 ай бұрын
You are the best. Thank you for the detailed explanation.
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
You’re welcome!
@nguyengono38673 ай бұрын
That's a nice info , you got a subscribed from vietnam❤
@jasonbarkema76643 ай бұрын
I live okeechobee florida and currently have over 30 tomatoe plants all fruiting ...shade is key here ..I learned quick here plant in multiple areas use grow bags for better drainage due to heavy summer rains and keep native flowers close by for pollination...same with peppers Ty sir love your chanel .....see ya when you move here.
@ForGoodnesSake2 ай бұрын
This is exactly what I'm going to do this year...I need to can some tomatoes. Thank you!
@bonniehughes95493 ай бұрын
Thank you for the idea of the shade covers!!! It saved my tomatoes from the burning sun
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
@fareebug84393 ай бұрын
👏👏👏👏👏🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 This is awesome. I can't wait to try!
@allisonfox43113 ай бұрын
Thank you! My tomato plants produced but nothing i could use last year! I'm definitely taking your advice this year! I'm in upstate South Carolina!
@TheMillennialGardener3 ай бұрын
This will be a game changer for you. It'll make the tomatoes so much happier!