LESS sun for full grown Tomato plants

parah · March 15, 2014

Full grown plants have only one job, set fruit.

I'm thinking about moving my full grown tomato plants to areas that only get sun until 1pm, because during the hottest part of summer days photosynthesis shuts down, right?

"Photosynthesis rapidly decreases above 94°F"
"The plant temperature at which tissue dies is around 115°F"
http://agdev.anr.udel.edu/weeklycrop...ag=heat-stress

If photosynthesis is shut down, then sunlight is only stressing the plant. Maybe that is OK for seedlings to toughen them up. But full grown plants with lush foliage don't need toughened up, they need to make fruit. Transpiration for cooling to survive afternoon sun uses energy, that energy could be better used to make tasty fruit to put in my pie hole.

I'm not ready to build an air conditioned greenhouse for my tomato plants, yet.
Is there and easy, practical way to know when the plant is using more energy to cool itself than it is gaining from Photosynthesis.

March 15, 2014	#1
parah Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Asia Posts: 152	LESS sun for full grown Tomato plants Full grown plants have only one job, set fruit. I'm thinking about moving my full grown tomato plants to areas that only get sun until 1pm, because during the hottest part of summer days photosynthesis shuts down, right? "Photosynthesis rapidly decreases above 94°F" "The plant temperature at which tissue dies is around 115°F" http://agdev.anr.udel.edu/weeklycrop...ag=heat-stress If photosynthesis is shut down, then sunlight is only stressing the plant. Maybe that is OK for seedlings to toughen them up. But full grown plants with lush foliage don't need toughened up, they need to make fruit. Transpiration for cooling to survive afternoon sun uses energy, that energy could be better used to make tasty fruit to put in my pie hole. I'm not ready to build an air conditioned greenhouse for my tomato plants, yet. Is there and easy, practical way to know when the plant is using more energy to cool itself than it is gaining from Photosynthesis.