Doug Kanter wrote:

"Dwight Sipler" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:

... But, I wasn't aware the fruit itself needed sun to
ripen. 90% of mine are shaded by the leaves...


The fruit will ripen without sun. However, the plant needs sun. Those
tomatoes shaded by leaves will do just fine. At least mine do.

If the fruit gets too much sun, it can be subject to sunscald, a
condition that turns the skin pale pink/yellow/white. Still edible, but
not appealing or saleable.

Right....that's what I've read for 20 years, and it's why I've always grown
tomatoes in cages which formed a shelter of leaves for the fruits
themselves. Pam (2 messages back) seems to feel otherwise.

It may have something to do with climate - in my area, most tomato growers
encourage the removal of lateral sucker shoots. Our summers are very mild -
seldom do we generate enough heat to encourage tomatoes to ripen much before
first frost. This year, our spring was so chilly and night time temps so low
(although in the 70's during the day yesterday, it still dropped into the high
40's last night) that tomatoes have not been recommended to be planted out
until this month. Removal of these lateral suckers maximizes the available
sunlight and temperatures, otherwise we may never realize any ripe fruit! You
obviously live in an area which has normal summer heat :-) Sunscald on tomatoes
on the west side of the Cascades is unheard of!

pam - gardengal