Not Much Sun

[materlvr]

Hello, I have a small area on my balcony to raise tomatoes in pots. The area only gets about 4 hours of sun a day. I’ve grown Stupice well in this area but I’m wondering about the following.

Early Wonder
Kimberley
Oregon Spring

What’s your opinion on these tomatoes? Taste?

Thanks so much🍅

[schill93]

I have not tried any of the tomatoes on your list, but I can comment to some degree about "not much sun". I live in a very hot desert climate and growing tomatoes as we go into the very hot months of 115 degrees, usually will kill tomato plants unless you get a good shade cloth to cover them, and that only for a limited time.

I have an area on the East side of my house that gets only the morning sun for less than 5 hours per day. (It is also blocked by a 6 ft. wall 5 or 6 ft accross from my house wall.

So the sun is very limited. I have been able to grow certain varities with this limited sun exposure. Though my fruit was sparce due to our extreeme heat (sun or no sun) eventually getting them. So, I assume you could still grow tomatoes, but just don't expect to obtain the kind of success where more favorable growing conditions exist.

I have not had any real success with growing any hairlooms however. It appears only the hybrids can make it through long enough to produce tomatoes for me. The real champ for me is the Celebrity. However, it is only a smidgen better tasting than store bought tomatoes, so if finding good taste is your objective, I would skip this one. But it is very hardy and produced many medium sized tomatoes.

Sun Gold cherry tomato plants produced well and has very good taste, but probably too large and wild for a patio.(unless it is a large patio) My favorite for taste was Cherokee Carbon, but production was very limited and the plant grew large as well.

Also there are some dwarf varieties that are supposed to be very good tasting and productive. Such as Rosella Purple and Tasmanian Chocolate. These are smaller more managable plants ideally suited for growing in pots on a balcony. They are on the early side as well.

You give no clue as to where you live, so your growing conditions are unknown. If you have a more favorable climate than I do (which most people do) than you may be less restricted. Hope others will chime in for you.

[ddsack]

I don't remember Kimberly being very different from Stupice, but some people seem to prefer it. You might want to try Sophie's Choice, it grows very compact and bushes densely to the side rather than growing up. Should work very well in a pot where it can hang over without support. Not extremely early, but it seemed to do ok in a shadier area in my woods surrounded garden where Stupice worked as well.

[materlvr]

Sophie’s Choice is determinate. I’m a single senior and can’t eat that many tomatoes at once������

[MrBig46]

I would recommend another Czech tomato Start F1 (Stupice is one of the parents of this tomato). It is a tomato with excellent taste (ten days later), which suits partial shade. If you are interested, send a PM with your address and I will send you the seeds by airmail (they could be with you within 14 days).
Vladimír