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Tomato plant positioning in relation to other plants

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Posted by ibbyco VIC Aust (My Page) on
Sun, Nov 2, 14 at 0:48

I am about to plant out some tomatoes, almost cup day, but I can't quite remember what aspect the sun will be in at the height of summer, I don't want the tomato plants to throw too much shade on my other vegies. I am in Melbourne...Does the sun have a more southerly aspect during summer (from memory, slightly impaired, I think it does!

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RE: Tomato plant positioning in relation to other plants

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This is a tough one for us living in the North Hemisphere. Because the thing are quite the opposite or mirror image.
Where in the North Hemisphere the sun shines from East- South- West, in Australia it shines from East-North-West.

So then the shadow falls to the south ( at mid day) from a given object.

Solar Altitude:
If we take Melbourne about 37 deg south, on September 21 st solar altitude will reach to about 75 deg (at noon) . As the season goes on the angle of the altitude is reduced ( longer shadows) .

CONCLUSION:
If you don't want your tall tomatoes or other tall plants shade you other short veggies, plant the tallest on the furthest south side of your garden and the shorter ones to the north.
Probably an Australian can explain this better.

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RE: Tomato plant positioning in relation to other plants

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You might want to ask this in the Australian vegetable gardening forum here, since folks would have better local info:

Here is a link that might be useful: vegetable gardening for Australia

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RE: Tomato plant positioning in relation to other plants

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Ahoy matey

seysonn has the general idea but he's confused his equinox with solstice, so here is the definitive information you can engineer perfectly a Melbourne VIC garden with:

Here's your best info on the planet:

Date, Direction, Maximum Solar Elevation, Mid-Day Shadow factor
Nov 1 due North, 67 degrees, 0.42
Dec 1 due North, 74 degrees, 0.29
Jan 1 due North, 75 degrees, 0.27
Feb 1 due North, 69 degrees, 0.38
Mar 1 due North, 60 degrees, 0.58
Apr 1 due North, 48 degrees, 0.90
May 1 due North, 37 degrees, 1.32
Jun 1 due North, 30 degrees, 1.73

An example/notes:

On Summer Solstice 10:03 am AEDT December 22, 2014, the Sun will reach its maximum elevation, 75.634 degrees @ 13:18 AEDT.

Your season winds down around May. Example: On May 1st, the mid-day Sun is due north at 37 degrees elevation. That means a plant at mid-day casts a shadow 1.32 times its height, blocking light due south of it along the ground ... e.g. a 2 meter plant will cast a 2.64 meter shadow along the ground, which is its shortest shadow of the day since this is the mid-day Sun I'm giving you ... the astronomical "high noon".

Clear skies
oops, wrong forum... happy gardening ;-)
PC

This post was edited by PupillaCharites on Mon, Nov 3, 14 at 16:54

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RE: Tomato plant positioning in relation to other plants

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Yeah PC is right. : I should've said "DECEMBER 21/22" instead of SEP.

But the point is/wast : Plant tallest farthest on the south of your garden. With summer solar altitude of 60 to 75 degrees (@ midday, in Sydney, ) there be be short shadows (Per PC's shadow factor numbers)

As I said the situation on the SH is mirror image (opposite) of NH.
So here we are: As we retire from gardening , here on the NH, you guys are getting into action.
Happy Gardening.

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