Tomato Plants That Require Less Sun

Sunlight Requirements

• Tomatoes require full sun exposure, which means that they need at least six hours of exposure to high-intensity, direct sunlight. Gardeners have successfully planted tomatoes on the east sides of buildings due to lack of mid-day sun. Morning sun has the benefit of drying out dewy leaves more quickly, helping to reduce disease.

Low Light Intensity Effects

• Low light intensity can lead to reduced fruit on commercially available tomato plants. An occasional cloudy day won't bother tomatoes, but long-term exposure to the sort of gloomy weather that can plague some parts of the United States is a primary reason for lack of flavor in home-grown tomatoes. Tomatoes that are exposed to long-term low-intensity sunlight develop fewer stomatal openings, reducing their ability to photosynthesize optimally.

Ultra-Early Tomatoes

• Areas that receive intense sun for a short duration may be able to grow the ultra-early tomatoes. These plants were developed for cold areas where the gardening season is short. They fruit between 55 and 66 days from transplanting. Examples of ultra-early tomatoes include NoDak Early, Small Wonder, Northern Delight, Stupice and Glacier. Generally, determinate tomatoes ripen quickest. Still, the University of Minnesota Extension recommends the early indeterminate Early Girl as the standout variety for its chilly and darkened climate.

Tomatoes and Coconuts

• Promising results came from a study of wilt-resistant tomatoes grown in an area of India where coconut plantations dominated. Experimental strains of tomatoes were subjected to limited direct sunlight below the coconut canopies. Tomato plants exposed to mild shade preformed on par with tomatoes planted in direct sun. Surprisingly, even when exposed to 50 percent shade, several varieties, including Taiwanese CLN 1621 F, Taiwanese CLN 2026 E and Keralan ARS 16, managed to produce one-third to one-half as many tomatoes as those in full sun. Most commercial varieties stop producing fruit all together when light levels are this low.