Me talking tomatoes on Growing a Greener World (PBS gardening show)

[NRaleighLiberal]

http://www.growingagreenerworld.com/episode-803-epic-tomatoes/

Some of you may be seeing this today on your local PBS affiliate - but the show is viewable at the above link.

[hlthe2b]

1. yeah! I'm anxious to plant as I watch our spring snow (front range Colorado)

So, I'll enjoy watching your segment (and undoubtedly willl learn a lot).

[shenmue]

2. Cool!

[PoliticAverse]

3. Congratulations, your tomatoes have made the big time. n/t

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Interesting!

Didn't know tomatoes were sugary

April 13 was warm here, so I said no more frost, time to plant a few ... lucked out,
no more frost, most years my early sprouts get frozen out ... my 3 string bean plants
are 4" high already, should have a few by June 1

[panader0]

5. Congrats!

[johnpvalentine]

7. Really enjoyed that segment!

Gave me lots of tomato growing ideas in my small space here. Very cool about Cherokee Purple...one of my favorite tomatoes and it actually does ok in the South Carolina heat!

[Solly Mack]

8. You'e the plum in my beefsteak! :)

or something along those lines.

Very cool!

[elleng]

17. GOOD ONE, Solly Mack!

From Julie and Julia???

[2naSalit]

9. Congrats!!

[VigilantG]

10. Congrats! I will watch with my 6 yr old.

She loves gardening. Even in AZ we have a couple of tomato plants.

[Canoe52]

11. Started growing heirlooms almost 20 years ago

Such good memories, thanks for sharing your video!

[MicaelS]

12. I love tomatoes!!!!

I can make a meal of tomatoes, salt and crackers.

[Plucketeer]

13. Is this your show

or are you the one sprouting and planting the maters? I know you and I have conversed before. We're gonna be planting some of the wife's young plants today here in Calif..

[NRaleighLiberal]

14. I am the sprouter!

[uppityperson]

15. Great job, I've watched a little, now waiting for it to load more

[elleng]

16. THANKS.

Not on any of my (3) PBS affiliates, so will watch on my lap!

[NRaleighLiberal]

18. Anyone in DC - I am speaking at the USBG next week - Friday!

Baltimore on Saturday. Keeping busy

events page - http://www.craiglehoullier.com/upcoming-events/

[Brother Buzz]

19. I really, really appreciated your short tutorial on pruning and heading

I possessed just enough second hand information to get in trouble.

Have you published any articles on the subject that can reinforce what you told us? Link? Thanks.

[NRaleighLiberal]

20. I cover it in my book - and there are some videos on my website

http://www.craiglehoullier.com/resources/

[Brother Buzz]

21. Three good videos on suckers and plant topping. Thanks

Cloning from suckers? Zowie, that invites some interesting midsummer options.

[sl8]

22. Well done! n/ t

[Rhiannon12866]

23. K&R! Thanks for sharing this!

And I'm passing it on to your fellow gardeners!

[smirkymonkey]

24. There is nothing better than home grown tomatoes!

A little drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, some red onion and avocado - perfect summer meal!

[True Dough]

25. Cool!

I'm Canadian and we're officially bilingual as a nation up here (I'm not, my French is very limited). But I am curious about the pronunciation of your surname. Does it sound like Le-Hoo-Lee-AY or is it more like Le-Hoo-Lee-ER?

And is that name of French origin?

Congrats on your episode, Craig.

[NRaleighLiberal]

26. thanks so much! Yes, French origin -

People (and we) use both pronounciations as seems appropriate.

I've traced the name - Pawtucket, Rhode Island, to Taunton Mass, back to Michigan, then Quebec, then to the Normandy region in France in the 1700s - perhaps not surprising, family farmers!

thanks for the kind words....all a bit surreal, truthfully!

[Heddi]

27. I've got a question about tomatoes

I live in Clearwater, FL. Have about 8 tomato plants that are just doing awesomely, planted I'd say mid-march or so. At any rate, they're flowering and fruiting and just doing wonderfully

except...

last night I was admiring them (I also like to look at the garden at night to see if I can find any nocturnal pests like slugs and snails) and I found that on a few of my plants, there are holes in the leaves, eaten by something. When I turned the leaves over there were these very small hardly noticeable if you weren't looking for them black caterpillary wormy things just munching away. I manally removed what I could, and looked again today and removed what was left. They were TINY. and dark --- I think they may have had a lighter stripe down the side but not sure. Again, tiny things.

I typically don't ever use pest treatment on my plants -- typically don't have to, but I'd like to nip this in the bud. I tend the tomatoes daily to every other day, so this is a new problem.

Any suggestions to what I can use or how I can control this?

Thanks!

[NRaleighLiberal]

29. hey Heddi - good question (stump the tomato dude!)

There aren't many tiny worms that eat tomato foliage - most are huge (hornworms), then there are aphids or flea beetles (small to tiny - but not worms). Could be Tomato Pinworm -

some informative links - http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/tomato/tomato_pinworm.htm

some control methods - https://organicgardeningnewsandinfo.wordpress.com/2013/10/17/organic-control-of-tomato-pinworms/

that look like the issue?

[Heddi]

30. Yeah thanks for that

I went out earlier to tie them up more (gosh they are growing at a rate that I swear I can see the difference in height from the morning to the afternoon!) and found a few more. They are almost the size of cabbage worms? They are more catterpillary than I thought than worms. At any rate, I just picked them off, will look at the control methods above. The damage doesn't look like the pictures in the first link -- it's literally holes eaten in the leaves, no browning (yet). I'll see if I can get a pic tomorrow.

I thought about getting some Neem oil just to have on hand. I know a few years ago we were decimated by hookworms. They ate 8 plants in about a day

Thanks for the info! Already have picked 3 tomatoes so far today! LOVE THE TOMATOES!!!

[hibbing]

28. Incredible

Wow, that was an awesome story and what a nice tribute to you and your family. I am getting anxious to get some tomatoes in, glad I didn't get them in this weekend, it has been close to freezing here in the midwest. Fascinating and educational, thanks so much for posting this.


Peace