tomatoes: preventing 'sun scald'
 

Our tomatoes have something like septoria afflicting the leaves. I've
been cutting off the damaged ones, and the plants look like they may
survive. They have set some fruit.

If they do survive, I've read that the loss of foliage can produce 'sun
scald' of the exposed fruits. I'm considering doing something to
prevent this. One idea I'm considering is to put small paper bags over
the fruits.

If anyone has experience with this, I'd be interested to hear.

Thank you,
George

tomatoes: preventing 'sun scald'
 

On Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:28:47 -0500, Derald wrote:


George wrote:

If anyone has experience with this, I'd be interested to hear
Where are you?

Oops, forgot. Central NY, zone 5-ish. We get ~60% of 'available
sunshine' in July/August.

Why not shade the whole plant? By doing so, you may also
forestall blossom drop somewhat. Window screen will do, although, a sheer
textile may do better. I'm in west-central peninsular Florida where, by
mid-June, sunscald is a perennial problem. I shade my tomatoes (and peppers)
from about 11:AM (EDT) until about 6:PM (EDT). I reduce the visible light level
to about 1/4 the unshaded level but YMMV. That's 2 f-stops; yes, I used a light
meter. My neighbor has some container-grown "Aunt May's heirloom from
Mississippi" indeterminate of unknown variety and some Roma tomatoes growing in
what Kodak used to refer to as "open shade". His plants only get about 3 hours
of late morning direct sun this time of year and fewer in spring. They're doing
far better than mine and they're growing in my soil mix. Next year, if I grow
tomatoes at all, I will follow his lead.