Will Tomatoes Grow in Shade?

QUESTION: I want to grow tomatoes but only have shade and partial shade available on my property. Can I produce a healthy harvest of tomatoes if I only have shade and partial shade to grow them in? — Francis A.

ANSWER: There’s no one-size-fits-all response to this question, because certain varieties of tomatoes perform well enough in partial shade, while other types of tomatoes don’t do well in the shade at all. As a general rule, most tomato varieties can stand a bit of shade. However, to make the most of your garden, you’ll want to select a tomato variety to grow that will flourish in the shade or partial shade you have available.

You can depend on most types of cherry tomatoes to grow happily in shady spots, although you’ll see a reduced yield from cherry tomato plants in shady areas. For full-sized tomatoes, your best options will be bush varieties that are designed to be grown in cold environments, tomatoes that take 55 days or fewer to develop to harvest. Take a look at the lists below to find out which tomato varieties you should consider for growing in shade or partial shade.

In general, you want to aim for as much sun as possible with tomato plants. So if you can find a spot that gets a couple more hours of direct sunlight, you should choose that option. But hey, if you can’t find enough direct sunlight, try these varieties anyway and you might still get a decent enough tomato crop. It’s worth a try, right?

Cherry and Other Small Tomatoes for Partial Shade

A Grappoli d’Inverno

Black Cherry

Blondkopfchen

Evan’s Purple Pear

Golden Sweet

Ildi

Ivory Egg

Isis Candy Cherry

Juane Flamme

Juliet Hybrid

Koralik

Mountain Magic

Principe Borghese

Sun Gold

Sungold Select II

Sweet Chelsea

Thai Pink Egg

Topaz

Vernissage Yellow

Yellow Pear

Full-Sized Tomatoes for Shade and Partial Shade

Amana Orange

Arkansas Traveler

Beauty

Belize Pink Heart

Black Krim

Bonny Best

Carmello

Cherokee Purple

Early Wonder

Floradade

Gold Medal

Golden Sunray

Green Zebra

Hillbilly

Mama Leone

Marglobe

Nature’s Riddle

Paul Robeson

Redorta

Red Zebra

Roma

San Marzano Redorta

Siberia

Striped Roman

Stupice

Tigerella

Violet Jasper

White Queen

Learn More About Tomatoes and Shade

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/growing-tomatoes-in-shade.htm

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/tomato-plants-require-less-sun-45149.html

https://juliesgardendelights.com/tag/best-tomato-varieties-for-shade/

How To Grow Vegetables In Shade

Vegetables that Grow in Shade

http://www.tomatodirt.com/shading-tomatoes.html