Get Your Tomatoes Through Hot (Maybe Humid) Weather 

I live in Central Texas. We have had 100+ temps with no rain for a month now and no break in sight. We put old sheets on a fram over our tomatoe and cucumbers. It really helps.

I'm in northeast Kansas. The heat index has been above 100° the past week. I have trimmed leaves back multiple times in the past 10 days, and they just keep growing faster than ever. My tomatoes have been thriving - blossoming and setting fruit far better than I ever hoped. I planted later than usual this year, and it seems my garden is healthier for it. I even have romaine thriving in this heat - and that was very unexpected!

Yep, that pretty much looks like me with the hose. First time tomato grower here 🙋🏼‍♀️

Thanks for all the information! It is nice to have you back from your vacation! I wanted to give an update on what is happening in my "garden". I live in an apartment and came across some old seeds. I was inspired after watching a few of your videos. I had come across a bag of soil i had and planted some of the seeds. I planted a whole bunch of corn and two came up and are currently about five feet tall. The other thing i planted that came up was pickling cucumbers. Some came up. One is over six feet tall, you can almost watch it grow. The other one is more bushy and now, i am so exited, has flowers blooming! I have a couple of melons that came up as well and growing so fast. I have a huge patio door and planted all these things in front of it. I had to make a makeshift trellis using string and attached it to my curtain rod. It is not the prettiest thing but they love it. Now you may wonder why i did not put things out onto my balcony, well, we had an inspection and were not allowed to have any kind of trellis on the balcony. i am grateful for that as now, we are not allowed to have anything on our balcony as they are painting all three buildings in the complex. It all does look a bit weird all these strings hanging from my curtain rod but i am so thrilled to see what happens next. I wish i could send you a picture but i do not own a cell phone. I had to give up some things because of the cost. Cable was another one, which i am so grateful for as i would never have come across your channel. I would be sitting on my butt watching old reruns of shows and not doing any of this little bit of gardening. Next year or perhaps through out the winter i will be doing more. Herbs, and other little things like that. Thank you so much for all your advice and i can hardly wait until you harvest more from your garden and your cow! Enjoy your weekend and glad to have you back!.

Zone 8b - our tomatoes have benefited from the shade cloth we put up. I would have thought the leaves curling inward was a problem if Brian hadn't explained on a previous video. Thank you, Brian!

We're in Northern Utah and it's hot as Hades!!! But I grow mine like yours. I've got them under shade cloth. They're doing great!

NE Florida it’s hot and humid, I’m using shade cloth, growing in the containers that you recommended- 20 gallon - I’m getting fruit and lots of flowers so for a first year gardener I’m happy. Using your tomato hooks too!

We live in the San Joaquin Valley in Modesto Ca. It has been an extremely hot summer. I’m not sure how many in total but there was 1 ten day stretch. Especially in my back yard where there is a pool and lots of patio areas. I put shade cloth on the afternoon sun side and has been the best tomato year we have had in 12 years.

I live in Sacramento County zone 9b. Tomatoes are doing great although they had a slow start. Companion planting helped tremendously; no tomato worms or disease that I can see (yet?). Mostly indeterminant, being plum and cherry-style tomatoes. Great length video too!

Awesome, thank you. We are in far northern CA and it's over 100° often!

Corpus Christi, Texas - we have been upper 90’s to low 100’s since pre-Memorial Day with extreme humidity! My tomatoes have been stressed and suffering since early June. My beefsteak and better boy tomatoes are the size of a golf ball at best, and they are rotting before they ripen. I do have my tomatoes on string trellis to grow vertically . I have done the aspirin but doesn’t seem to have helped. I have taken some splicings and started new plants for a 2nd planting. Also put 40% shade cloth over the new plants.

I am in East Coast Canada (PEI). We are running 28C most days with 75-90% humidity. This year we are also getting torrential rains (4-6 inch) about 2x a week. Most of my garden is showing signs of too much nitrogen from the rain. My cherry tomato plants (sungold) are already 6 ft tall. Trimmed off a lot of extra leaves today to help air flow. Also found a lot of fruit, hoping they will ripen soon!

I always love how informative your videos are. So helpful!

Missouri here.. im super new to growing veggies and never knew about shade cloth but the black out curtain has done wonders! I have a few peas out side and they haven’t wilted or anything with this black out curtain that i use in the afternoon till the sun goes down a bit . Even my new bush beans love it. It’s all i had around the house but will for sure look into these shade cloths

Brian you are HYSTERCIALLY FUNNY!! I love your dramatizations, RUN RUN get that hose and water your plants. LOVE YOU and your great gardening information!!!

Southern Tennessee zone 7. Grow tomatoes up a trellis made from hog fencing. Prune excess and crossing leaves for air flow. Four inches of leaf mulch and water with soaker hoses. They slow down a bit then pick back up as it cools down.

Just north of San Antonio, TX. Heat is the biggest issue. I’ve got 70% shade cloth over my entire garden. All of my tomatoes are over 10’ (use your trellis method and had to lower them already 😀) and they’re maintaining in the 100+ degree heat and even keeping blossoms and developing fruit but it’s much slower than in June. Seventy-five pounds of tomatoes off 45 plants so far.

Houston: high 90’s - 100 + 70-80% humidity and zero rain for weeks.

Azores, Portugal. Super high humidity all year around 80-90% but not too hot (around 25 degrees celcius during peak summer). First time growing tomatoes and only got 4 out of the 10 I planted left due to disease. However 4 is plenty and they seem to be doing well! It's also still been raining a lot this month which helps.

Atlanta 7B, high 90 degrees for three weeks little rain and my raised beds on concrete driveway and tomatoes doing well but slowing down. Best year for tomatoes in past 3-4 years and no blossom end rot that was prevalent last year. Humidity high as always in summer. Hand water most every day is very helpful. Thanks Bryan for all the information and help!

Great information to help us through the hot summer. Thanks once again, here in Eugene OR we have had temperatures in the upper 80s and lower 90s most of the summer

South Central PA- YES! The tomatoes were doing GREAT, I was watering them at least every other day, but it's been very dry here. THEN we had some downpours and the ALLLLLL cracked and split! UGH I had to throw away like 2-3 dozen of them the other day! 😞

Thank you! I’m in Zone 7B here under extreme heat advisory/warnings. Real feel 108+ degrees. Hanging 40% shade cloth for the first time. I’m surprised at the lack of good information on the subject. Most videos shows how/methods for hanging. No one dives into any facts or science. What % let’s plants grow but still protect? To much stunts growth or to little not affective? I guess I’m into the details and can’t find any.

thanks Brian! You helped us so much last summer when it was over 100* for 4 days!! much love from zone 9b sonoma

Arkansas. Extremely hot. Heat index can go as high as 115. We’ve been under a severe heat warning all week. I just finished putting shade cloth over the tomato arches my husband did with hog panels. I had some shade cloth over them but it was low and needed more airflow. Now it’s high up with good airflow. Since pruning even my determinate tomatoes are coming back to life. I used white shade cloth and 50 %. A little more expensive but doesn’t soak up the heat. Need all the help we can get here!! Thank you for this video. I know it so frustrating when you work so hard in the garden and the sun burns it up. Blessings ❤️🌺

HUMIDITY in all caps, yes. I live in Tennessee and today it's 97 plus 90 percent humidity. Shade, good pruning, and proper watering have been my tomato's salvation. I placed them where they get shade from the tall trees during the afternoon (when the sun is most brutal). This works well. Shade cloths are also good but this year I haven't needed them. Side Note: I appreciate that you're a good teacher in explaining things like leaf curl etc. I've learned a lot from you. Thanx!

I'm in Northern New England, where summers are usually kind to my tomato plants...but not this year! We have had very unusual weather - excessive heat, rain, and humidity and my tomato plants are less than ideal right now. However, beginning tomorrow, the temps are to be back in the 70s/low 80s with dew points around 40%. I think I can hear their tomatoey sigh of relief already!

I’m in Florida and it’s the direct 90 plus degree sun. Shade cloth makes a difference so I don’t think it’s the humidity. I pull all tomatoes July 1st and start new seeds that week. So far my transplants are looking good. Hopefully by the time they start blooming it will be below 90.

You made me laugh with you running with that hose!!!!!!😂😂😂😂😂😂🥰👵🏻

Nice work GOD bless you sir

I live in the upstate of South Carolina. High heat and humidity. I have been using a Ross root, feeder for deep watering my grow bags and you can adjust the amount of water coming out.

Angel Fire, NM just east of Taos. I have a greenhouse and first year for tomatoes. Night temps are in the 40’s day in the 80’s. Greenhouse temperatures get hot but I have shade cloth in there.

Southern Delaware here. Temps this week have been in the 90s with up to 90% humidity. Tomatoes are producing well under 40% shade cloth in containers. It rained so hard here last night that we got .56 inches of rain in about 10 minutes. It broke some of the stems on the beefsteak tomatoes even though they had some protection from the deluge from the shade cloth. No new flowers are being produced until it gets cooler. I grafted my own tomatoes this year and it has made a big difference. I advise most people who are thinking about trying grafting to go for it. There are lots of videos on RU-vid that explain how to do it and it is not expensive.

Thanks for this, Brian. We are in central Indiana (zone 6b) and it's in the upper 90's the past week with a lot of storms (3+" rain in the past 7 days) and very humid. So far, my hundreds of tomatoes (on just a few plants) are doing okay, ripening well... I am worried about them if the high temps/humidity continues much longer OR if we continue to get these storms every couple days. We have even had golf ball size hail. Again, thanks for all you do, Brian! :)

We are in zone 7B. We have not had a day under 100 degrees since about the 20th of June and no let up in site. Although we have not been in the 110-114 degree days for about a week. As dry as it is here our humidity right now is at 25% which is high for our area. We have a shade cloth that covers our entire section of thirty tomato plants. Each in its own "mineral" tub. Been VERY frustrating the last month or so. Then looking at the plants this morning the tomatoes seem to be making a comeback of sorts!

Brian, from what I’ve read, 50% white shade cloth is best for tomatoes in hot dry climates (like Ojai, CA, 10b). Apparently black shade cloth won’t reduce the temperature underneath it, even though it’s reducing UV exposure. What do you think?

Far SE corner of New Mexico. Chihuahua dessert. Zone 8. My entire garden (except corn) is in raised beds. Day temps have been 105-115. Night temps 75-85. Leaf curl is more common than flat leaves. From mid June to mid August I spend my time trying to keep everything alive. Mid August to early November plants recover and grow and produce well again.

Great advice about tomatoes🍅🍅my friend Brian...I love it your t shirt.

I am in Missouri. Been 100+ the last few days but is consistently in the 90's with high humidity. I have been doing what you suggest with regard to pruning plus I use netting to keep out most pests ( hopefully )and now I am experimenting with the shade cloth. Seems to be working so far.

Arizona.. I plant tomato transplants in Feb and they are finished by June when the heat arrives.

Deep South Mississippi - Hot and Humid- whew!!!!!!!❤❤❤❤

I’m in west central MN, just east of Fargo, ND. I used to have a problem with blights but since I tuned into Brian, I’ve been using the string technique and trimming the bottom leaves to keep air flow. I haven’t seen blight since. This year, I am dealing with more than wanted hot humid weather. I don’t have a shade cloth yet, but am putting shade cloth on my list. August has yet to happen. Drip irrigation is also on my list. Hoping to get something started before fall. Never a dull moment in the garden :)). Thank you Brian.

For several reasons, I will get my tomatoes and cucumbers go, then start a new crop in a week or two for the fall garden. I am rooting some suckers now...

I learned a lot as this is my first year...

I live just outside of Wichita Kansas right now within the last 30 days we have had over 10 days of over 100° and expecting more this week. I do use the soaker hose and just keep going no matter how bad they look and they always pull out at the end.

Were having a heat advisory here in Pennsylvania. Dont have those shade cloths hoping for the best. We have humidity alot here. Yhank you for your advice and i love your book by yhe way❤❤❤

Zone 9a Santa Clara Valley, CA so heat. Humidity not so much. I use 15-20 gallon grow bags with a coconut husk mulch and water every third day and check between with a moisture meter. So far so good as I haven't got the drip reinstalled after the winter so it's all by hand for the moment. I do water until it looks like the bag is wet all the way to the bottom. I did not shade and have notice a lack of fruit set. My bad. Thanks for the video. The information is appreciated.

I love in Albuquerque we have had 17 days over 100!

I’m in Salt Lake City with 9° humidity so definitely not my problem. 😂 hot, hot, hot and sun that won’t quit. Thanks for the tips!

I’m about 40 minutes from you in Riverside Co and my tomatoes have cooked. The temps have been above 100’s for days on end 🥵. I’ve had them shaded for weeks now and did manage to harvest some of them before it became unbearably hot.

Savannah, Georgia and we had a cold front come through according to the weather personalities!… 90° on Monday! We hot and humid for sure you can cut the air!

I live in ill and humid weather is bad right now . The weather has been 90 plus and I am also having green bugs eating my Tomatoes. I just want to thank you for this channel. I feel more confident in gardening now. I would love to know your thoughts on keeping the green bugs away from my tomatoes. Even though it is not the topic of the video.

Northern Nevada here with the constant 90-95f for the last month. i only use shade cloth when temps go above 95f and my tomatoes have been thriving combined with deep waterings and thick mulch, the heat hasn’t been too bad for the plants just making the tomatoes take forever to ripen!

I live 2 hours south of Houston. In between Alvin and Pearland, Texas. I'm just getting started and am going to build a small greenhouse. My bottom leaves and stems are yellowing and browning, but the top ones are green.

Zone 5b Intermountain Pacific Northwest. Current temperature 90 F, humidity 17%. Very dry and hot. Paste tomatoes and slicers not doing great, but as usual the cherry tomatoes are going wild. In past summers I have used shade cloth over the paste tomatoes and that has definitely helped. We probably will not have any rain until at least September.

I live in the Caribbean yes it’s hot and I’m also getting problems from horn worms or caterpillars and mealy bugs, we some good showers also that’s great

I live in San Angelo Texas. We do get triple digit heat, but I try to water smartly. I water enough to the point where the soil absorbs it not too much and I’m usually good for about 2 to 3 days after doing that.

Richmond Va - hot and SOOOO humid. Tomatoes are a struggle but worth it. I have learned to grow the tomatoes that thrive here and give up on the heirloom varieties I have had no success with .

We are in eastern NC on the Pedmont side. It is usually high heat and high humidity. Hard to work in garden.

Comment solely based on the title... Here in Spokane, we've either been in the hi 80's to low 100's for the last several weeks. Had a few "cooler" days a couple of weeks ago and decided to put up some 60% shade cloth to help protect the tomatoes. Glad that I did... tomatoes are happy and thriving. Today, I'm in the process of shading the beans, radish, and future peas. It's 11:30pst and already 85.

I live in the Florida Panhandle! Hot and humid here. What few tomato plants that I have left have totally stop production completely.

South Alabama here, definitely heat and humidity here. Tomatoes are toast now.

Easter Oregon. Just hitting80’s

I live in the HOT Central Valley of California. Not humid much at all, people call it a “dry heat” and yet I sweat just as much so there’s that. July was nearly all over 100 degrees in temps. Today Im canning tomato sauce from the marzanos and romas. So many plants!! I planted six Marzano tomato plants and six Roma tomatoes. In addition Ive got six big boy tomato plants and six early girl plants. So far, I have dehydrated 50 lbs of tomatoes. I have gallons and gallons of tomatoes in the freezer because I cannot keep up with them! Brian I blame you for this tomato insanity! 😂 😊 🍅 🍅 🍅 (seriously, thanks for teaching so well!) what really needs shade are my pepper plants which are getting sunburned. I have not shaded my tomatoes at all because its too difficult for me to build a shade structure.

Here in North Alabama near the Tennessee state line it becomes almost useless to try and maintain tomato plants after 4th of July. You may as well pull them up. Weeks and weeks of 90 degree and higher temperatures lay ahead with unrelenting and punishing humidity. So get your plants started early indoors from seed by February and set them out as early in April as you can even if you still need to cover them at night to avoid frost. Early Girl Tomatoes are ideal. By end of May you are looking at the first 90 degree days. Good news is you get a second chance for another crop in Fall. Last year my Fall Tomatoes produced better then Spring and Summer did. I start them from very small suckers of Spring plants before diseases have occurred. I put them in 5 gallon buckets of potting soil. keeping them indoors in a sunny area under air conditioning out of the humidity and heat. Last week of August I take them outdoors into the Sun leaving them in the buckets to grow. I harvest right up to Thanksgiving and sometimes even Christmas or near to it. I still have them on the dinner table New Year's Day. In the Fall I know the blasting temps are over so I grow verities like Black Krim and others that won't take humid hot weather. I don't plant verity that take more then 70 days however. To risky for 80 and 90 day verities with Winter just ahead. Do those in late March or early April. This is based on my 47 year experience since moving here. It works for me!

san fernando valley, north of los angeles. in 100s. i use beach umbrellas and shade cloth. this year was not very productive due to planting way later than usual due to rainy cold spring.

Over in central Florida…humidity just wreaks havoc on tomatoes along with the heat. Best to grow the Everglades tomato, they can take it and are super resistant to disease. Anything else, the tomato plants just drop their flowers once it’s in the 90’s and over 80% humidity.

East of Lexington Kentucky. We still have a trellis covered in cucumbers, corn stalks and the stems of now harvested sunflowers are a few feet east of the vine. So some of the morning sun. But they get a lot of noon and afternoon. It was a lot of high 90s last 2 weeks. Now this week down in 80s.

Dallas Texas zone 8b 105, it's so 🔥

Yes in barbados is hot hot right now

i'm on the Texas gulf coast (zone 9a). I plant in late Feb/early March and everything is gone by early July. I'm in the process of installing 40% shade cloth for next years planting.

I’m in central Arkansas where right now it’s in the upper 90’s but over 100 when you add humidity

We have been hot and dry in southern Kentucky for the last two or three weeks. It hit 100 degrees yesterday and we put up shade cloth over my raised tomato bed. In my potager garden I think I need to get in there and prune some for air flow. One plant looks like it has a lot of blight. I think it’s either a Big Boy or a Beefsteak. The label is under there somewhere. I have drip irrigation and I love it. Hand watering the pots has been brutal in this heat. We have another garden that has to be watered by hand. it is impossible to water it every day but we are trying to keep it alive until it rains. The peppers in that garden were stunted by the cool nights in May and seemed to sit there not growing for a few weeks but they started growing in July and have just now started to produce a lot. They are thriving in the heat! I got your book when it first came out and it’s a great reference and source of answers to questions about garden plants. You did a great job with that book. It’s more than just companion planting.

I live in Bali and now it’s pretty hot 😊

Both here. And they shut off our water Brian. Last year same thing happened. Too late for mine. Except 1. It was growing a sucker near the bottom. I left it . When the whole plant gave out, I just cut the stem above the sucker. So far it's doing great. We passed the 90. We are well into the hundreds. I think even the bugs are hiding...lol

Peidmont section of North Carolina is hot 90's and humid!

South MS hot and humid! I plant my tomatoes early to get a harvest before the real heat sets in, then I start more seeds for a fall crop. Next year I plan to build a cattle panel hoop house and cover it with shade cloth

Tennessee - lots of rain last week but hitting mid 90s and humid. I've pulled lots of dry leaves.

Southeast Texas here. Temps hovering around 100, heat index 112 or so and definitely been humid. The heat has destroyed my peppers and my tomatoes are just now starting to get a little "crunchy".

Louisiana and the heat started early this year. 90+ started in early June. My slicing tomatoes are flowering but not making fruit. My cherry tomatoes did fine. I did use shade cloth but still no luck.

NW corner of Arkansas- high 90’s and only 0.7 inches of rain this month. I have 3 tomatoes plants plus a volunteer cherry tomato plant. Somehow I’ve had the most tomatoes ever!

Central Texas and temps staying above 100! But my tomatoes are doing ok! Some get afternoon shade where they’re planted. Something got 2 plants, one early on so I pulled before it could damage the others. The next got pulled a few weeks ago, but it produced a good bit of tomatoes so I’m ok. The 3 plants I have left are doing ok! 2 get good afternoon shade, the other not as much but it’s still looking pretty good. I just sprayed everything for diseases so hopefully I won’t lose these last 3. But I have a freezer shelf full of Roma, and other tomatoes so I’m happy! Good amount to can once it cools some.

St. Louis hot and steamy! So tough on my maters!

Greenville Ga. Upper 90’s have shade cloth

I start my tomato plants from seed in autumn and in spring and early summer it produces the fruit. In summers the temperature reach higher than 40 to 45 degree Celsius.

NC 91 today….fortunately my container tomato plants on the deck are doing well…..I’m doing better this year with watering deep and fertilizing with Neptune Harvest……no blight yet and plenty of green tomatoes…….planted late in the season…… Celebrity tomatoes…..been getting several rainy days…..

I live in Central Fl. and the heat and humidity is basically awful this time of year. July through October is a no go for tomatoes here. The flowers drop off and that's it. Even the pepper production stops. April/May was good for peppers. This July they are very small and turning red already.

I LIVE IN WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA WHERE IT IS VERY HOT AND HUMID WITH SEVERE AFTERNOON STORMS AND NOW HURRICANE SEASON IS BEGINNING TO RAMP UP.

South Texas. Brutally hot and humid. I just put 55% shade cloth up on the South side of our raised beds.

I live in the San Fernando Valley in California. The dry heat is an issue. We too are in the high 90's presently, but last week it was as high as 103 degrees. Humidity is not really an issue, although, we did have 1 day of high humidity this week.

SE Florida (10B). Heat + humidity 🔥🔥🔥

AZ, high of 108 today. My tomato plants are in survival mode! Morning sun afternoon shade. No fruit. Hopefully when temps lower we may have harvest.

Inland Empire, CA. We are just at the tail end of a 10 day triple digit heatwave. 98 feels almost pleasant. Almost. Ha. I have tomatoes in 3 different parts of the garden, the ones with the most shade look great!

I'm in NW Montana, and it has been extremely hot for this area.

Driest area of Utah 95-100F+ for days. Using 40% shade cloth, watering deep every morning.

Nova Scotia. Having a high heat and humidity, along with heavy rains this year.

I live in the high dessert of Arizona. We have had less than two inches of rain so frar this year and we have been in the high 90s to low 100s. I still have tomatoes, but no blossoms are setting on.

Zone 6b/7a - HOT & HUMID North/Middle Tennessee. Today we were 96 with a 'feels like' of 107. Not sure the exact humidity number but I'm calling it Super Sticky. I have my cherry tomatoes planted in containers by the side of the house, so they can at least get the afternoon shade. I check them daily in the early morning and pick them as soon as they are ripe. Yes, I prune the excess leaves for air flow.

I’m in Montana, and my tomatoes are in a greenhouse to keep the temps up at night. Daytime greenhouse highs are 75-85. They are pampered.

In the high plains of northeast CO, we've had high 90°F to 100°F for a week. Finally down to 90°F today; next week with several days of rain it will cool off to high 80°s F. Temps are just all over the place like the humidity. We did have a record breaking cooler/ rainier spring, so a late start. Shade cloth everywhere, bottom pruned all my plants, and just gave all my plants liquid fertilizer with aspirin drench. I'm checking soil to 6" with my moisture gauge before watering. Things are taking off, finally! Fingers crossed the storm tonight does not bring hail.