The container idea on your deck sounds good IMO. I grow in containers, and am happy with the results. 4-6 hours of sun is a bare minimum, and the plants will be leggy, and you might be limited to varieties you can grow.

Any chance you could harvest a few trees to open up some sunlight?

Agree, I'd go for the deck if eliminating trees, or at least trimming them, isn't possible.

Plus, given that the sun is at it's peak northern exposure for you over the next 2 weeks and then begins to shift after the 21st and move back to the south, use this year to track it. See if you would really gain anything.

As both the declination angle and the intensity fade after the equinox, it's possible you might actually lose early spring and early fall sun exposure by moving the garden.

Dave

For 8 years, I grew tomatoes right against the east side of a west-facing brick house. So at best the plants had 6 hours of direct morning sun -- and a lot less in the spring and late summer. Growth was adequate, all things considered.

Several years ago there was a GW member in MN whose yard was quite shady due to neighbors' trees, and the sunniest areas were all under 6 hours. IIRC, he grew tomatoes in large pots which he set wherever there was the most sun. I don't remember if he moved the pots over the course of the summer. He did get fruit.

Afternoon sunlight is always stronger than morning sun, so you might want to take that into consideration in deciding where to put your tomatoes. (I don't know why that is, but I've learned the hard way that plants advertised as "partial sun" will die if the sunny part of the day is the afternoon!)