Sungold (Cherry) tomato: sun or shade?

[Noam Avnery]

Hi. I have some Sungold plants, and I think they're suffering from the heat. This time of year it's 90F (32C) over here.. Is it true that Tomato plants prefer shade? Thanks,

Noam

[Bpyboy]

I noticed mine didn't do too well last summer (when the sun actually came out once in a while), and that the plants growing on the north part of my garden seemed to do a lot better. (partially shaded from the southern plants) I don't know if it's the shade, or not watering properly (the south ones maybe dried out and had moisture that was always changing?)

anyways, it seems that afternoon sun frys the toms a lot worse than the morning sun.

just a thought, let me know how they turn out.

[Jan Flora]

With that kind of heat, you might want to rig some shade cloth over them. Are they in pots? You could try an area that gets morning sun, but not the blasting direct afternoon sun.

Jan

[The Cook]

Look back about a week or so in the newsgroup for the threads about heat and tomatoes. Here in Tidewater Virginia and places south, 90ºF is the norm for summer and we have been producing tomatoes for forever. The temperature is not the problem. Lack or water or nutrients is possible or diseases. What are the problems?

Just looked at my tomatoes today and there are 2 Sun Golds that have turned (need another day) and 2 Vita Golds. They were green yesterday. I have picked about 7 cucumbers. The Roma beans are just beginning to get big enough to pick (3 or 4 each day.)

[Glenna Rose]

Think southern California, eastern Washington.

My grandparents grew tomatoes in eastern Washington for market (Portland's Farmers' Market back in the fifties when it was where all the restaurants, etc. bought their produce). Literally none of their tomato plants had a trace of shade, not even a chance, and the temperatures were above 90 degrees F for weeks at a time, often over 100. Tomato seeds are identified as full sun.

If tomato plants did, indeed, prefer shade, the price of tomatoes in the store would be significantly higher, probably priced out of the range of the average consumer.

Water is the key issue. It seems a good possibility that they are not getting enough water if they are suffering (then there is soil condition regarding nutrients). The ground around them needs to be soaked thoroughly when they are watered, that doesn't mean 15 minutes of water or a circle of two feet in diameter. You should be able to put a spade into the ground and find moist soil all the way down (except the top inch or two if you haven't watered in the last couple of days) anywhere near them. The mistake I see people around me make all the time is water enough so the soil "looks wet" and stop when the poor roots more than a couple inches down didn't have a chance at any water. You might very well be shocked if you turn a spade of dirt over and see you really have dry dirt four inches down and not nice moist soil. People report all the time that their garden does better after a rain . . . that seems likely since all the soil is getting wet and not just spots here and there. Keep in mind when you are watering that the moisture will "spread out" in the ground (think sponge) and if the surrounding soil isn't also wet, most of the usable moisture will be basically gone within hours.

If the plants "look wilty" at the end of the day after a hot sunny day but are healthy looking later in the evening or in the morning, it is likely a transpiration (think that's the word) issue. When the evaporation rate is greater than the absorbtion rate, the plant will look wilted but will recover as soon as the sun is down and it has a chance to "catch up" with the evaporation rate. Or so I've been told.

The tomato plants in my garden that get the most sun (all the midday and late day sun) do better than the others. My tomato plants do very well overall, much better than those of most people I know. My belief is that the water is the key factor rather than solely the sun. We are blessed with good drainage here so it would be nearly impossible to over water. My usual watering routine is about once a week with a soaker system which is "running" at least four hours, usually six; the garden is well watered so all plants get full benefit of the water. This is far more effective for my garden than watering more often for shorter lengths of times. As with everything, it depends on your particular situation. Sun, drainage, soil (fertilely and organic composition), water, and tender loving care each play a major factor. Yes, TLC. That has to be why my garden has done as well as it has, I stumble along in my ignorance and grow stuff . . . but every plant is loved and fussed over. That, and my yard is blessed, it has to be or it'd be a disaster. :-)

Just my comments to add to the others.

Happy tomato gardening.

Glenna

[Colin Malsingh]

I don't know if they are available where you are but I got hold of some green plastic rings that are sold for people who use "growbags". These things have a central column about 8 inches deep and a surrounding ring about 4 inches deep with small holes at the bottom.

Cross section - hope it works in the font your computer uses: | | ___\ | Soil | /___ \__ _| |_ __/ Soil

The idea is to push this grow ring into the soli in your container (or in the garden) and fill the central column with soil/mixture, finally putting your plant in a bit like a normal plant pot.

The central column then encourages the plant to grow roots straight downwards. In the meantime, apart from an initial splash in the centre to get the plant going, you just put water in the outer ring.

You can normally get a good couple of gallons in the ring at a time. The small holes at the bottom let the water out slowly, just in the area around where the roots are.

The advantage is that you can dump a full can of water on each plant quickly and move on (try that on ordinary soil and you get the situation that Glenna pointed out - the water just spreads all over the surface). The alternative is putting on a few cups, letting it soak in, putting on some more etc etc.With the ring method, the roots are encouraged to grow down, increasing the plant's self-sufficiency.

I have used these in both growbags in a greenhouse and in open soil in the garden. I have had success with both tomatoes and Runner Beans. This year I am also trying them with Okra. It just saves me time.

Like many gardening things, not essential, but may help.

Colin

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[Beecrofter]

Mulch to preserve and even out soil moisture. If you grow tomatoes in shade you will get pretty foliage and few if any fruit. It takes sun to make carbohydrate and carbohydrate to make fruit.

[Stephen Younge]

So you're saying that if the tomato plants look "slightly wilty" almost every afternoon at 3pm, but perk right up (without additional watering) by

6pm, this does not harm them or reduce production?

Cheers, Stephen

[Glenna Rose]

That's what I was told and, so far, it has proven out in my garden. It's just that the outgoing water is more than the incoming water. Though it has not obviously affected my plants' production, I find it difficult to believe it cannot have some effect as it seems like it would be stressful to them. Since there is a certain amount of surface area involved, I guess it's part of nature and must be accepted. In the beginning when it happened, I'd turn on the water (soaker system) and it made no difference at all in their immediate appearance so it left me to conclude that it is likely accurate. Remember, this is only if the plants are getting proper water that it is just the evaporation rate vs. "take-up" rate issue; if the plants are underwatered, they will not recover without additonal water.

I won't go out on a limb here and say it's absolutely so because I'm not a biologist. It's what was told to me, and it appears to be true in my yard. As always, YMMV.

Glenna

[Noydb]

Stephen, Yes this does induce stress on them ... it's just that there's nothin g that can be done about it. What happens is that the water is lost faster t han it can be replaced by the roots. Later, when the rate of loss moderates as the sun becomes less intense, the roots are able to keep up again.

About the only thing you can do is make certain the soil stays moist.

[Noam Avnery]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll post an update when I'll have news.

Noam