Creative ways to shade tomatoes

BlackestKrim · March 22, 2010

I was wondering if anyone has ever tried growing green beans up tomato cages, on the afternoon sun side. The goal would be to provide some amount of shade in the hot afternoons. Would the pole beans shade the tomatoes too much?

In another part of the garden I will be growing corn &/or okra along the afternoon-sun edge to provide some shade.

Anyone ever tried those tricks?

dice · March 28, 2010

(Apparently not, LOL)

Dewayne mater · March 29, 2010

I planted some purple hull peas in front of some tomatoes last year. Peas didn't mind direct southern exposure to Texas sun a bit. However, I found them to be a pain to keep off of the tomato cages as they outgrew where I planned for them to grow, so keep that in mind.

Shade cloth has worked the best for me, but, it is an aesthetic disaster! I'm lucky enough to have my beds hidden from view for the most part though.

harleysilo · March 30, 2010

if the beans produced to much foliage and sun blocking ability could you not pluck off a bunch of their leaves?

Could you make a structure (poles, tripods of bamboo, lattice, welded wire between two posts) to grow the beans on a few feet away from the toms?

March 22, 2010	#1
BlackestKrim Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 147	Creative ways to shade tomatoes I was wondering if anyone has ever tried growing green beans up tomato cages, on the afternoon sun side. The goal would be to provide some amount of shade in the hot afternoons. Would the pole beans shade the tomatoes too much? In another part of the garden I will be growing corn &/or okra along the afternoon-sun edge to provide some shade. Anyone ever tried those tricks?

March 28, 2010	#2
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	(Apparently not, LOL) __________________ -- alias

March 29, 2010	#3
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	I planted some purple hull peas in front of some tomatoes last year. Peas didn't mind direct southern exposure to Texas sun a bit. However, I found them to be a pain to keep off of the tomato cages as they outgrew where I planned for them to grow, so keep that in mind. Shade cloth has worked the best for me, but, it is an aesthetic disaster! I'm lucky enough to have my beds hidden from view for the most part though.

March 30, 2010	#4
harleysilo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Woodstock GA Posts: 418	if the beans produced to much foliage and sun blocking ability could you not pluck off a bunch of their leaves? Could you make a structure (poles, tripods of bamboo, lattice, welded wire between two posts) to grow the beans on a few feet away from the toms?