Shade Cloth Over Tomatoes

GoDawgs · May 25, 2021

Two years ago was the first time growing tomatoes in the main garden in buckets set on pallets due to wilt in the soil. They really suffered in the all day summer heat and performed poorly.

Last year I moved them to where I thought they'd get afternoon shade during the hottest part of the day. Geez! Waaaay too shady. They made some tomatoes but really needed more sun. This year they were moved to another part of the garden where they'd get some shade but I misjudged the sun angle and there's not enough shade. But Santa brought me some 50% shade cloth. Time to deploy it!

I first had to put the second cages on as two plants are already just above the top of theirs. It was time.

Pickles helped me get the shade cloth stretched along the sunny side of the tomatoes but at 1:00 the sun was hot and still right over head so nothing got shaded. 3:00 wasn't much better. The cloth was wide enough that we were able to raise it so that it hung down to the tops of the buckets, not the ground. That gave some excess, allowing us to drape that over the top of the sunny side cages. It was enough to throw some shade the other side too.

Right now the cloth is attached to the cages with clothespins but that will have to change as the plants get bigger and start growing through the cage sides. Wind usually blows from the sunny side and so will push the cloth against the cages.

This is the view from the shady side:

This will have to do for now. Around 7pm last night I rolled up the cloth and secured it at the top of the cages. It will get dropped into place around 2pm today as it's supposed to hit 98. I still might do a version of something I did years ago with lightweight white row cover only use the shade cloth this time. It was 2012 in the sweet days before bacterial wilt and nematodes. We were going though a hellacious summer with streaks of upper 90's-low 100's. You do what you gotta do! Funny what you can do with sticks and old cheap tennis balls. The double cages might be a problem for that though. More thinking necessary. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

May 25, 2021	#1
GoDawgs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Augusta area, Georgia, 8a/7b Posts: 1,685	Shade Cloth Over Tomatoes Two years ago was the first time growing tomatoes in the main garden in buckets set on pallets due to wilt in the soil. They really suffered in the all day summer heat and performed poorly. Last year I moved them to where I thought they'd get afternoon shade during the hottest part of the day. Geez! Waaaay too shady. They made some tomatoes but really needed more sun. This year they were moved to another part of the garden where they'd get some shade but I misjudged the sun angle and there's not enough shade. But Santa brought me some 50% shade cloth. Time to deploy it! I first had to put the second cages on as two plants are already just above the top of theirs. It was time. Pickles helped me get the shade cloth stretched along the sunny side of the tomatoes but at 1:00 the sun was hot and still right over head so nothing got shaded. 3:00 wasn't much better. The cloth was wide enough that we were able to raise it so that it hung down to the tops of the buckets, not the ground. That gave some excess, allowing us to drape that over the top of the sunny side cages. It was enough to throw some shade the other side too. Right now the cloth is attached to the cages with clothespins but that will have to change as the plants get bigger and start growing through the cage sides. Wind usually blows from the sunny side and so will push the cloth against the cages. This is the view from the shady side: This will have to do for now. Around 7pm last night I rolled up the cloth and secured it at the top of the cages. It will get dropped into place around 2pm today as it's supposed to hit 98. I still might do a version of something I did years ago with lightweight white row cover only use the shade cloth this time. It was 2012 in the sweet days before bacterial wilt and nematodes. We were going though a hellacious summer with streaks of upper 90's-low 100's. You do what you gotta do! Funny what you can do with sticks and old cheap tennis balls. The double cages might be a problem for that though. More thinking necessary. Any suggestions would be welcomed. Last edited by GoDawgs; May 25, 2021 at 12:11 PM.