How Much Heat Can Tomatoes Take?
We are just home from a week on the road and my neighbor came over and said the tomatoes should be covered to protect them from the next series of 100-degree days. Is that true? Do you know? Do you cover your tomato plants in the heat? Sunscald can be a big problem for tomatoes. Kansas State University says that they will develop a leather like skin and rot inside ( here ). One horticulture science site, Acta , says that shading tomato plants has these results: Increases the fruit yield, produces heavier and prettier fruit, and reduces sun scald. Clemson University agrees here - cover the plants because the green fruits are vulnerable to hot humid weather. Oklahoma State University Extension fact sheet - here - says that tomatoes need 2 inches of water a week to survive our heat. Pick them weekly when they are pink and let them ripen. I know that many gardeners take cuttings now to start new plants for fall and I've never done that before either. Do you take summer tomato plant c...