Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Gloria Baikauskas <gcb49@flash.net>]

I use shade to make my plants continue to grow in summer in Texas.  I plant at the dripline of trees like ash trees which do allow filtered sunlight positioning the plants so that they still get 5 hours of sunlight a day..but not in the most intense heat and light of the day.  With tomatoes and peppers it is less of a problem being certain they get that much light because they grow in the shade in their native habitat in S. America. 

 

Tomatoes stop bearing fruit and start dropping flowers even in the heat....but not my plants.  In this way they also are not subject to insect attacks in summer that cause them to turn brown and die.  I don't have to replant for fall garden tomatoes.  I can instead continue using the ones I had all year.  That way I get more tomatoes with better flavor and size, too.  Ditto peppers. 

 

I do know folks who do use shade cloth of sorts in summer with these plants. One old boy told me years ago to go to the Army/Navy store and buy the camouflage stuff to put over the plants.  That is what he says he always does. 

 

Gloria, Texas