Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post

schill93 · April 12, 2024

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.

April 12, 2024	#2
schill93 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: Nevada Posts: 275	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.