Tomatoes want sun, and lots of it. But, the actual fruit does better when
it's shaded by leaves. They tend to crack less this way. So, the best way to
plant them is to cage them. Some fruit will grow outside the cage, but
plenty will develop inside. Store-bought cages are useless. Make your own
from fence wire and metal fence stakes.

Do yourself a BIG favor: Go to online bookstore www.powells.com and order a
used copy of "Crockett's Victory Garden". It was written about 25 years ago,
but is still one of the best basic gardening books in existence. His advice
on corn is perfect. He leaned much too heavily on chemicals, though. Ignore
that part of Jim Crockett's suggestions.


"Jim Carlock" wrote in message
.. .
Should tomatoes be planted in full sun or be given some shade.

I have tried four types of tomato plants over the last few months
and the first two died. The second ones I think I over-did them
with miracle-gro and they bloomed with great leaves, then some
cabbage worms got into them and they started wilting.

Those cabbage worms looked pretty neat and the lizards don't
seem to like them... but I can not currently confirm that. I watched
lizards eat ants, small ground worms and flies and one lizard got
close to a cabbage worm but then hesitated for a couple minutes
before backing away. I got tired of watching the lizard and started
to think that they might not think the cabbage worms are palatable,
and when I move the lizard took off. I left the worm on the ground
next to a weed tree.

Funny thing about the tomato plants, one started growing in a
banana pepper pot. The banana pepper pot was near a tomato
plant one week but couldn't take the sunlight, so I guess the
tomato plant dropped something into the banana pepper pot.
Is that possible ? I thought it was a pepper plant that was
growing originally but it developed the hairy tomato stem, and
the leaves definitely look like tomato leaves.

I've placed some corn outside as well and the first seed I
planted is now over six feet tall. It looks like the male stalk,
and I noticed that some seeds develop into multiple stalks.

I'm also wondering about the spacing of corn seeds when planted.
And if the corn can be used to provide shade for various other
plants. Also I've been reading that clovers make good green
manure cover crops for corn, and am wondering if anyone has
any experience with green manure cover crops or any suggestions.

Thanks.

--
Jim Carlock
http://www.microcosmotalk.com/
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