Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 132
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I have a shademaster locust tree that in my back yard that gradually shaded out what was my main garden. I want to get rid of the tree but my wife won't allow that.
Anyway, I took a vacation day today and watched how the shadows formed and found that one small sliver of the garden (approx. 2') gets about 6 hours of direct sun. The rest of the garden gets no direct sun (I watched it from 7 AM till about 6 PM). Does anyone know of a tomato variety that will do mediocre in indirect sun? I'm assuming it would be a cherry tomato. I have no experience with cherry tomatoes. |
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: California Central Valley
Posts: 2,540
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What about the front yard?
Oh, and you're not using the driveway (for cars) this summer, right? |
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 132
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We live in a residential area...
It took a long time before I could convince my wife to let me grow any garden plants in the front yard. Now I can do it but I have to be careful not to push it. Cosmetics are a big deal to her. So basically, being able to grow in the back yard means I can grow more tomato plants. In soil I will max out around 5 plants in the front yard. |
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#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Prunedale, CA
Posts: 134
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You brought up a good question: "How many divorces have been brought about by tomato gardening?" I know many caused by sailboats/racing/sailing and other salty subjects. Not sure about gardening.
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I started out with nothing and I've still got most of it left. |
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#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6
Posts: 1,582
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6 hours is decent. All cherries will do ok, and also bigger ones, just not late season ones (depends how Long your season is). I know stupice does alright in lower sun, also Sungold. I have some minidwarfs that can do with less than normal, but those aren't recommended for a normal garden.
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#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 300
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Wow, she wants to have control of the front and back yards? Tell her a wife from NY said that's not very considerate, and to decide which is more important to her, cosmetics in the front or tree in the back? Then you get the other yard to use as "you" choose. Hmm, on second thought, she might decide you are cheating with said wife from NY, and pop you in the mouth, so maybe that isn't such a good idea lol. Seriously though? That doesn't seem very fair
In regards to your question, have you taken into account that as the season progresses, the pattern may change, and what is getting 6 hours of sun now may not get the same amount of light in August? |
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#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Vermont
Posts: 1,001
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In my experience, full sun means full flavor for any variety. It's when the days shorten in the fall and we have a spell of rainy, overcast weather that they begin to taste bland. So I agree, you should get either a shed-free backyard or full use of the front yard. As far as aesthetics, nothing looks as pretty to me as tomatoes in full production. It's certainly more pleasing to my eye than a manicured front lawn that looks pretty much just like everybody else's. OTOH, you don't have to live with me!
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"Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers |
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#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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Well I for one am totally into the question of shade tolerant tomatoes - no divorce is going to make the sun shine in my backyard. Climate change... maybe. I'm not counting on it.
![]() Try Sungold, Stupice, Moravsky Div as a pretty sure bet for producing in low light conditions. I do put Stu or MDiv in the shadiest spot in my greenhouse with no remorse. You can warn the wife that your tomato plants will get monstrous and hard to manage/manicure when they don't get enough light. Maybe she'll allow some judicious pruning of the ahem shade canopy. ![]() ![]() You could try some early determinates/semi-det, like Orange-1 and Zolotoe Serdtse, which might appreciate 6 hours and some shade. Even if they're leggy, it won't be too bad. Better yet, just plant as many varieties as you can cram in there, and report back to us on the shade tolerance of the ones you tried!!! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() I can't really agree that tomato taste depends on sun. I've had perfect fruit that ripened off the vine in fall in a paper bag, and were as sweet as that variety should be. Too much water is worst for taste, and for me (growing in containers) that's most often happening when it's so sunny and hot I have to water generously to keep the plants from getting crisped. (Not true of peppers, however - their sweetness really does depend on sunshine afaict). There's a fruit from the Phillipines I think it's the Calamondin, that produces in the dark ie even indoors, and it has been suggested this was adapted to high volcanic activity in the area which blocked the sun for whole seasons or years at a time. The 'Nagcarlang' or other landrace tomatoes from the phillipines might have shade tolerant genes lurking.... just a thought. |
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#9 |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
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Prudence Purple, ?????
My post is not relevant to the initial question but I couldn't help asking Bower if using the name Prudence Purple instead of Prudens Purple indicates a revival of that now very old heated discussion that went on and on in the SSE Yearbooks for so many years and the consensus was Prudens Purple. ![]() Carolyn
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Carolyn |
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#10 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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![]() ![]() ![]() Truth be told, I didn't get a single fruit off it, so I have NOTHING TO REMEMBER IT BY! ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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#11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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Worth, your example of taking over his sunny front garden with something beautifully built is the best!! Dang!!! Then he won't have a reason to find tomatoes that will grow in the dark!
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#12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 132
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Thanks for all the information. I'll buy some seeds and try some of these.
I agree that a well maintained vegetable garden is much more beautiful than a bunch of grass. I hate grass because I have to maintain it and it doesn't taste like tomatoes. I've had to learn to make my ideas a little less extreme so she doesn't immediately reject them. We used to have a flagpole in full sun and I was thinking it would be really sweet to grow a tomato plant up the flagpole (too extreme). I am making headway and gaining more freedoms over time. From my wife's perspective, she lets me garden in the back yard (in the shade) so she feels she is compromising. The part where my garden is getting sun for about 6 hours is not actually on our property but I didn't realize that when I did it and my neighbor hasn't made a fuss. I'm making headway on the front yard and I fully intend to grow as many as 6 tomato plants there next year. I need to grow the shade stuff just in case. I'm also getting my 3yr old into gardening because as she gets older... Plans... ![]() |
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#13 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
Posts: 3,207
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#14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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My tomato plants in the front along the driveway dont get much sun in the morning.
I have one black prince that is in dappled shade most of the time and it is doing great. Also the way I put the raised beds in along the drive is the talk of the neighborhood. Everyone just loves the place and says it is really classy. ![]() I suspect you dont have a lot of room to deal with and that can be hard. Good luck. ![]() Worth |
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#15 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 132
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