There is exactly one place in this garden that gets more than six hours of sun: a corner by the shed where the pines finally run out. Every year it becomes the tomato corner, and every year I plant too many.
This year's line-up
- 'Sungold' — the cherry tomato I would keep if I could only grow one.
- 'Black Krim' — beautiful, tasty, and split after every heavy rain.
- 'Latah' — an early variety, ripe in the second half of July.
Two of each, in 30-litre pots on the paving, because the soil in that corner is mostly pine roots.
What helped
A white-painted board behind the pots. It sounds silly, but it bounces a surprising amount of light back onto the plants in the late afternoon. I also pinched out side shoots more strictly than usual — with limited sun, every leaf has to earn its place.
The result
Around nine kilos from six plants, most of it from 'Sungold'. 'Black Krim' gave fewer but larger fruit, and about a third of them cracked. Next year: fewer plants, more space between the pots, and no second heritage variety just because the seed packet looked nice.
In a shady garden, the sunny spot is the most valuable real estate you have. Do not waste it on courgettes.