Last year I had a row of plants on the south facing side of my house here in the Memphis Tennessee area, full sunlight dawn to dusk - and they did reasonably well.
But some plants I gave to some friends across the street were planted in a well shaded spot between their house and the back of their garage - and it seemed as if the 'AMBIENT LIGHT' versus 'DIRECT LIGHT' where I was growing mine made the leaves grow bigger, they were almost in an ALLEY where direct sun only got to them for an hour or so in the middle of the day.
I think I'm on solid ground saying that lettuce and greens need to be out of direct light to do well - otherwise they bolt - and it made me think about where my father once grew some tomato's when I was very young. He put them under a latticed shade area between some of his orange trees (this was in San Diego California) so that they only got the surrounding light. It was almost like a jungle in there...
SO... My thinking now is to ask bluntly the question:
What sort of light level is the best for tomato plants to grow thickly and spread out?
One school of thought is that the more light you have, the better the photosynthesis, but not all plants work that way because they are native to more shaded environments, and will do the best not in an open field but in a much more protected area.
So here I bow to experience and shall await better experienced and informed comments and suggestions.
There is still a month before they are set out, but once they ARE in the ground it had better be the best place they can go, don't you think?
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applestar
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Ha. I think this is one of those questions for which there is no blanket one answer for every situation.
Tomatoes grow better and sweeter with certain amount of warmth, below which they done grow well. So in the north and probably high altitudes, you need full sun. But beyond a certain hot temperature, they won't set fruit and the sun can scald the fruits so in the south, they need some mid day and fierce sun afternoon shade. In humid climates, they need good air circulation to prevent fungal disease so "Jungle understory" is not a good idea and they do better staked up/supported off the ground and not allowed to sprawl.
All of this is also dependent of variety. Some varieties definitely don't grow as well because summer nights as well as daytime temp are too cool. Some varieties can't take the heat at all.
Tomatoes grow better and sweeter with certain amount of warmth, below which they done grow well. So in the north and probably high altitudes, you need full sun. But beyond a certain hot temperature, they won't set fruit and the sun can scald the fruits so in the south, they need some mid day and fierce sun afternoon shade. In humid climates, they need good air circulation to prevent fungal disease so "Jungle understory" is not a good idea and they do better staked up/supported off the ground and not allowed to sprawl.
All of this is also dependent of variety. Some varieties definitely don't grow as well because summer nights as well as daytime temp are too cool. Some varieties can't take the heat at all.
In the sun is is best unless you live in a really hot place. Unless you have heat resistent tomatoes they will stop producing in temps higher than 90. Heat resistant varieties usually can set in higher heat and have good leaf cover. Air circulation is also better and the leaves will dry better in the sun than in the shade.
Tomatoes grown in partial shade are taller and leafier because they need more leaves and to be taller to capture as much light as possible. Tomatoes in the shade, for their size will not have as many fruit and the fruit will be higher up in the plant where the light is.
Tomatoes grown in partial shade are taller and leafier because they need more leaves and to be taller to capture as much light as possible. Tomatoes in the shade, for their size will not have as many fruit and the fruit will be higher up in the plant where the light is.
When I saw the question my first thought was - somewhere in the foothills of the Andes, in South America ...
The home of the tomato is supposed to be one of the driest places on Earth, although I guess they grow semi-wild in other locations. I imagine that they grow down on the canyon floors. That should give them a little soil moisture and some shade, at times. Of course, these are wild tomatoes and not being grown for their superior flavor and productivity.
If I moved my tomato plants too much into the shade, they would have to be very quick maturing for them to have enough time to produce ripe fruit. Sunscald can be a problem for them out in the open, however. So can wind damage.
For most garden plants, having morning sun is important for health. Afternoon sun can be severe. Photosynthesis is the name of the game for green plants. Growth in shade can be drawing from reserves that would be better used for fruit production. Often it is obvious that some of that growth is intended for the purpose of reaching more sunlight.
Steve
The home of the tomato is supposed to be one of the driest places on Earth, although I guess they grow semi-wild in other locations. I imagine that they grow down on the canyon floors. That should give them a little soil moisture and some shade, at times. Of course, these are wild tomatoes and not being grown for their superior flavor and productivity.
If I moved my tomato plants too much into the shade, they would have to be very quick maturing for them to have enough time to produce ripe fruit. Sunscald can be a problem for them out in the open, however. So can wind damage.
For most garden plants, having morning sun is important for health. Afternoon sun can be severe. Photosynthesis is the name of the game for green plants. Growth in shade can be drawing from reserves that would be better used for fruit production. Often it is obvious that some of that growth is intended for the purpose of reaching more sunlight.
Steve
It must be the types of tomatoes I am growing or the fact that tomatoes growing in the sun adapt. I don't get much sun scald. But then, I grow mostly smaller tomatoes and they probably don't have as much problem with it. I have to bag my fruit to keep fruit flies and birds off them so that is probably the other reason why It is not a big problem for me.
I have wild tomatoes growing in my garden right now. I usually let them, unless they get in the way. I even had wild cherry tomatoes growing in my community garden which is really not a good location for tomatoes. They were good sized cherries but they did not have much flavor so I pulled them out.
I have wild tomatoes growing in my garden right now. I usually let them, unless they get in the way. I even had wild cherry tomatoes growing in my community garden which is really not a good location for tomatoes. They were good sized cherries but they did not have much flavor so I pulled them out.
Depends so much on were you live! I get more flavorfull tomatoes here than for example any Italian grower would. Why? Well its because of the long days and real short night up here in the north, it really gives them alot of flavor. And this is what ive heard many Italians them self witness about, and they are picky with food.
dowens your problem would probably be helped by regulary watering and a mulching layer on top so that the moist don't evaporate during hot days. But when comes to burns I don't have much experience, I guess our sun aint that strong, I havent had a problem making tomatoes and peppers adapt to full sun from my growroom either, just put them straight out in the sun.
So for me a wall agains south or southeast is really the best place to grow tomatoes.
dowens your problem would probably be helped by regulary watering and a mulching layer on top so that the moist don't evaporate during hot days. But when comes to burns I don't have much experience, I guess our sun aint that strong, I havent had a problem making tomatoes and peppers adapt to full sun from my growroom either, just put them straight out in the sun.
So for me a wall agains south or southeast is really the best place to grow tomatoes.