question for southern growers

sergeant69 · March 21, 2014

as production stops in mid summer due to the heat in south texas, and I guess other southern states, if I put a shade cloth (50% maybe) over my 30' row of cages would that solve the heat problem with my indeterminates? maybe a foot or so higher than the plants tops. maybe w/a small fan at one end of the row? another killer here is a constant hot breeze/wind that blows in off the coast so I put up a 6' privacy fence this year on the south west side of the garden. back to the shade idea. anyone tried it? thanks

ScottinAtlanta · March 21, 2014

We supply our tomatoes with afternoon juleps on hot days.

sergeant69 · March 21, 2014

cool. maybe i'll try coronas w/lime for mine!

newatthiskat · March 21, 2014

I am going to try shade cloth this year over some of my plants. I am east texas not on the coast. I have been watching youtube videos and it looks like it might help a lot. So I am going to try a small part and see what happens.

saltmarsh · March 21, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by sergeant69

cool. maybe i'll try coronas w/lime for mine!

Along with the drinks you might try installing misters. They would provide cooling without obstructing the sunlight and would probably be cheaper than the 50% aluminet. Claud

Home Depot had 25' misting kits on closeout for $5. I bought 2 to give it a try.

Dewayne mater · March 21, 2014

Scott - HA!

I have used 50% shade cloth for several years now. It is fantastic. That said, it does not SOLVE the heat problem, it merely delays it by a little bit, in my experience by about a month.

My experience has been that partly shaded tomato plants get less stressed, are less harmed by disease and insects and most importantly continue to produce for a some extra time compared to those without shade.

From what I've read, once you are hitting 94 during the day and not cooling below 75, tomato production slows or ceases for most varieties. With that reality, we Texans have a Spring and Fall season with a major dead zone in the middle. I believe that with shade cloth, the temps on your plants are lowered during the day as they don't build up heat on the plants from the sun shining directly on them. That lowered heat effect COULD mean that the pollen in the flowers isn't as likely to be damaged by the sun's heat and therefore result in more opportunities for pollination. That is mere conjecture, but for some reason, my plants in shade cloth are healthier longer and produce fruit longer than if they don't have it.

FYI, there is a difference from year to year in how much longer the season extends. In 2011, it was blazing hot in May with 100s already happening and by June, they were happening regularly. That season was shorter than most, in spite of shade cloth.

Dewayne mater

Worth1 · March 21, 2014

Yes and in some years we have had only 3 or 4 days in the 100's.

Worth

b54red · March 21, 2014

The shade cloth helps a good bit during the really hot days and decreases the amount of water you will need to give your plants just to keep them from wilting. I found that the best thing to help with the heat is adequate soil moisture which in turn helps with blooming and setting fruit in the heat of summer. I started using a heavy layer of cypress mulch under my plants during the last few years of that drought we went through. It made so much difference that I was actually shocked by the change from the usual behavior of tomatoes during the extreme heat. I found that not only did it maintain soil moisture far above anything I had ever tried but it kept the soil temperatures much lower. I think that combination of effects really helped the plants setting fruit during times when tomatoes aren't supposed to set any. I also found that using Texas Tomato Food weekly when watering made a big difference in fruit set during those hard times. I still haven't found anything that will really increase the size of the fruit when it is really hot; but I'm happy to have any fresh tomatoes during August and September. Even if they are smaller in size during the heat of late summer the taste of some like many of the black tomatoes really explodes during the hot weather.

Bill

Dewayne mater · March 21, 2014

I should throw out the disclaimer that your specific conditions mean everything. For Bill, he has MUCH higher humidty and more rain than we do in N. Tx where our problem is typically high heat that never lets up and poor cooling at night too. We have "heat islands" that prevent night temps from getting out of the 80s much of the summer.

Then, have to consider your micro climate. I'm in a suburban back yard and near the side of a brick house that faces south. Those bricks get hot and stay hot...so, anything I can do to reduce heat, I do. You may not have that issue with your ocean breezes. Still, you are much further south, so, my speculation is that shade will be a big positive on your plant health and production. Good luck!

D M.

sergeant69 · March 22, 2014

yea, my house is brick and the part that faces south and west is like an oven. that's why I am growing tomatos on trellises on the south side and have porched in the west side. for years we sprayed the walls with gallons and gallons of water b4 going to bed. 3 separate A/C guys told us no A/C could keep up with those conditions. those bricks get HOT.

March 21, 2014	#1
sergeant69 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: south texas Posts: 203	question for southern growers as production stops in mid summer due to the heat in south texas, and I guess other southern states, if I put a shade cloth (50% maybe) over my 30' row of cages would that solve the heat problem with my indeterminates? maybe a foot or so higher than the plants tops. maybe w/a small fan at one end of the row? another killer here is a constant hot breeze/wind that blows in off the coast so I put up a 6' privacy fence this year on the south west side of the garden. back to the shade idea. anyone tried it? thanks

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March 21, 2014	#2
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	We supply our tomatoes with afternoon juleps on hot days.

March 21, 2014	#4
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	I am going to try shade cloth this year over some of my plants. I am east texas not on the coast. I have been watching youtube videos and it looks like it might help a lot. So I am going to try a small part and see what happens.

March 21, 2014	#6
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	Scott - HA! I have used 50% shade cloth for several years now. It is fantastic. That said, it does not SOLVE the heat problem, it merely delays it by a little bit, in my experience by about a month. My experience has been that partly shaded tomato plants get less stressed, are less harmed by disease and insects and most importantly continue to produce for a some extra time compared to those without shade. From what I've read, once you are hitting 94 during the day and not cooling below 75, tomato production slows or ceases for most varieties. With that reality, we Texans have a Spring and Fall season with a major dead zone in the middle. I believe that with shade cloth, the temps on your plants are lowered during the day as they don't build up heat on the plants from the sun shining directly on them. That lowered heat effect COULD mean that the pollen in the flowers isn't as likely to be damaged by the sun's heat and therefore result in more opportunities for pollination. That is mere conjecture, but for some reason, my plants in shade cloth are healthier longer and produce fruit longer than if they don't have it. FYI, there is a difference from year to year in how much longer the season extends. In 2011, it was blazing hot in May with 100s already happening and by June, they were happening regularly. That season was shorter than most, in spite of shade cloth. Dewayne mater

March 21, 2014	#7
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Yes and in some years we have had only 3 or 4 days in the 100's. Worth

March 21, 2014	#8
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	The shade cloth helps a good bit during the really hot days and decreases the amount of water you will need to give your plants just to keep them from wilting. I found that the best thing to help with the heat is adequate soil moisture which in turn helps with blooming and setting fruit in the heat of summer. I started using a heavy layer of cypress mulch under my plants during the last few years of that drought we went through. It made so much difference that I was actually shocked by the change from the usual behavior of tomatoes during the extreme heat. I found that not only did it maintain soil moisture far above anything I had ever tried but it kept the soil temperatures much lower. I think that combination of effects really helped the plants setting fruit during times when tomatoes aren't supposed to set any. I also found that using Texas Tomato Food weekly when watering made a big difference in fruit set during those hard times. I still haven't found anything that will really increase the size of the fruit when it is really hot; but I'm happy to have any fresh tomatoes during August and September. Even if they are smaller in size during the heat of late summer the taste of some like many of the black tomatoes really explodes during the hot weather. Bill

March 22, 2014	#10
sergeant69 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: south texas Posts: 203	yea, my house is brick and the part that faces south and west is like an oven. that's why I am growing tomatos on trellises on the south side and have porched in the west side. for years we sprayed the walls with gallons and gallons of water b4 going to bed. 3 separate A/C guys told us no A/C could keep up with those conditions. those bricks get HOT.