Can I prevent sunscalded tomatoes?

[EstimatedProphet]

There's a lot of my tomatoes that have sunscald. What can I do for the rest of the crop?

[HamdenRice]

1. Ever seen the Godfather?

I remember in the famous scene where Don Corleone scares his grandson with the organge rind in his mouth, then chases the kid and dies in the tomato garden, the entire garden patch of tomatoes had a kind of very light, almost cheesecloth canopy over it.

I guess that's what that's for?

I've never seen sun scald on tomatoes. What does it look like?

[EstimatedProphet]

2. It looks like part doesn't ripen

It stays greenish, then turns brown.

[Dover]

5. That 'cheesecloth' canopy was probably a floating row cover.

It's a very light weight cloth used primarily to protect from frost and insects, that allows sun and rain to pass through it. However it does reduce the sun somewhat, depending on thickness. So it might work for sun protection. And it's so light it can be draped directly over the plants or hung
on a canopy frame.
http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/floating-row-covers/

If the garden area is relatively small, I'm guessing regular sun guard/solar screen woven fabric would also work. It comes in different weaves depending on how much sun you want to pass through it.

[asdjrocky]

3. I have it too.

It's very hot here sometimes and the sun is on many of my plants all day. I've taken the temporary measure of placing some lattice I have in front of the plants where the sun hits them the most, and this weekend I'm going to get some of that landscape screen stuff and wrap it around the box that gets the most sun.

[InkAddict]

4. New product in Year 2 testing in CA

http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2008/07/28/sunscreen_saves_fruits_vegetables_from_burning/

Plants react to sun stress like humans. They perspire -- a process called transpiration -- which means the more temperatures rise, the more water they need. As drought grips several of the world's key growing regions, scientists are looking at ways to conserve by helping plants use less.

Liquefied clay has been used for years, but now a California company is finding positive results with an SPF 45 product made of multicrystaline calcium carbonate crystals that are engineered to specifically deflect ultraviolet and infrared light from the plants and trees on which it is sprayed. The product keeps out the bad light, but lets in the good photosynthesis rays that aid ripening.

The sunscreen has been tested in Australia and Chile, where UV rays affect production, and is in the second year of field tests in California.

http://www.purfresh.com/app_eclipse_pomefruit.htm

Eclipse is a calcium carbonate and boron colloidal liquid that has been proven effective in the control of sunburn on produce

PDF FILE ALERT: http://www.westernfarmservice.com/pdf/Eclipse/Eclipse-Label.pdf

Distributed by Howard Fertilizer
Western Farm Services

CENTRAL VALLEY CA PHONE CONTACT LIST: http://www.westernfarmservice.com/locations/california/california_central_Div.html

[Gormy Cuss]

6. Create a lightweight cover.

Floating row covers work, as does lattice. You just need to provide a little bit of protection. Floating row covers are helpful in the early season to keep down the bugs/bird raids on your young seedlings too. It's good stuff.

[K8-EEE]

7. I use landscaping fabric

I have a lot of that "weedblock" fabric left over so I just sort of drape it over the tomatoes on really hot days -- I have four stakes set up around the tomatoes and I afix the fabric over them canopy-style with twist-ties from the store. It really seems to work -- the air can flow through the weedblock stuff and it lets about half the light through.

August is really the dog days of gardening here in LA -- a lot of stuff starts looking distressed from the heat.