Keep Your Tomato Plants Thriving All Summer Long With One Shady Trick

Tomatoes are famous for loving vitamin D and warm weather, but like almost anything, too much of a good thing can be a problem. While the sunlight rule tomato plants depend on suggests six to eight hours per day, prolonged periods of intense heat can stress them out — and a stressed plant only leads to other problems, including disease. Tomatoes can even get a sunburn of sorts called sunscald: pale, blistered patches that turn the tomato's skin leathery. While you can't exactly apply sunscreen to them, there are ways to help tomatoes "weather" the hottest weeks of summer.

There's one easy fix that you can add to your garden immediately to start seeing the benefits: shade cloths. They're exactly what they sound like: shades made from durable synthetic fabrics that are designed to withstand everyday exposure to sunlight, rain, and wind. The goal isn't to keep tomatoes in the shade all day, but rather to filter a percentage of the sunlight. The resulting cooler environment helps your precious plants keep flowering and setting fruit for your next cherry tomato caprese salad.

Tomatoes can be a little bit Goldilocks about their home. In an ideal world, tomatoes thrive in the daytime temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, but of course, that range is significantly bigger depending on on your gardening zone. Once temperatures climb above 95 degrees Fahrenheit, it's time to take action. That kind of heat will make tomatoes stop growing, which is the last thing you want.

You can customize the amount of shade your tomato plants receive, depending on the type of cloth you purchase. Anywhere from 30% to 40% is recommended for tomatoes, while a white knitted material will be more UV-stable over time, with the added benefits of keeping heat buildup to a minimum and being easier to install and uninstall seasonally. Along with shade cloths, there are other heat-management tricks you can use when late summer hits. 

Tomatoes love consistent watering, but prefer a deep watering at the base, rather than frequent shallow hits. If you're concerned about evaporation and soil insulation, a fluffy layering of mulch or straw can help keep your soil moist. It can be tempting to prune or cut the tops off tomato plants, especially if you're concerned about airflow and disease, but summer is not the time for a haircut. Those leaves act as the plant's natural umbrella, further protecting them the sun.

Summer heat and sunshine are essential to big, juicy tomatoes, as long as you know how to diffuse and manage its energy. A shade cloth, consistent watering, and healthy soil should keep you rich in Early Girl tomatoes, Brandywines, and Cherokee Purples all summer long.