You can see the effect of the lack of quality sun on your fruiting toms...aka, that streaky/translucent effect on the fruits.

That said, chances are quite huge they taste better than anything you can buy at the grocery.

Also, you're getting quit impressive production. It's not uncommon to see low-sun/warm-area growth of big, lush, green plants...it's when the fruiting starts that things get disappointing for a lot of people.

For only getting 2-3 hours of direct sun a day, it looks like you've got some good stuff going on...and maximizing the sun you do get.

Funny thing, the fruit isn't nearly as translucent as the pics make them out to be -- the photo has high contrast and unsharpen masking that really shows the veins. And I think I've had thinner skins due to inconsistent watering during a hot streak here recently. I was worried the tomatoes would be bland and horrible, but the sun sugars and black cherries are the best I've ever had. The red zebras are worthless, imo, but they look cool. I'll be trying out pineapple tomatoes to see if the low light environment can grow the big guys.

Initially, like you said, the toms didn't put out fruit and got tall and stringy. Then they really developed many more flowers as they got much bigger. They're still not as prolific as they'd be with more sun, but with just 4 plants I'm getting about as much fruit as I can eat in a day without getting lycopene poisoning.

Interestingly, the cuttings are producing typical amounts of fruit, with tomato clusters every 6-12 inches or so. It could be because I'm pruning or maybe the plant has acclimated to the level of light. Then again, the flowering nutrients and better watering practices can't hurt.

Impressive results wit 2 -3 hours sun.
I am doing with about 4 hours of direct sun. but also get some defused light , and the temperatures are similar here at PNW, WA.

But the thing is that plants grow much slower and take much longer for the fruit to grow and ripen.
In much warmer heat zones 3 to 4 hours for tomatoes is just fine. But probably things like peppers, eggplants, okra, tomatillos can do much better with 6 hours and more sun.

Much of my garden gets just over 4 hour of direct sun, and still produces. The production is sparser, and the plants are taller than they would be in a sunnier garden. I cant imagine growing with only 2 hrs of sun, but you do have a much much longer growing season than I do. I am lucky to get five solid months with no frost.

Congrats on your success.

Wow, that's great!

You might try Roma tomatoes next time (or maybe one of those pics is Roma, of a funny-looking sort?) I've found they are the most tolerant of shade :).

I also suggest trying the kale again in the winter, when the caterpillars are less of a bother. Also chard, parsley, parsnips, collards, beets, broccoli, peas, mustard greens, all types of brassicas -- these are all shade tolerant.

Zucchini and other summer squashes are surprisingly shade tolerant, too. And potatoes, and sweet potatoes -- I grow mine in shade even here in the north :).

Congrats on your success with pushing the limits of your growing conditions! I don't know what you've read online, but I had read (and it's my experience) that tomatoes will do okay with half sun (3-5 hours), but 2 hours is pushing it.

More sun is optimal but sometimes you don't have a choice. I have a "slice" of the back yard that gets 4-6 hours, where I grow the veggies and butterfly plants, and Sunflowers that love a lot of sun. They do okay, but no doubt would do better with more.

Are your grow bags re-usable? Also do you re-use the potting soil? Seems like a lot of $ to spend for a few vegetables.

Hey Nila, thanks! That weird looking tomato is a Blush, kinda like a roma, really tasty and made for eating right off the vine. I don't really cook with tomatoes, just eat them straight. Definitely going to try those veggies for winter!

Terrene, seems like whenever i look at tomato seeds or advice about toms it's always 8 hours or more. The white poly film I have up really helps, makes the grow area feel more like a greenhouse. If bright sunlight is between 30,000 and 100,000 lumens, I'm guessing I'm getting 5,000-15,000 of indirect light for most of the day, which is comparable with indoor grow lights.

The grow bags are reusable and look like they'll last a number of years. The Root Pouch ones are much thicker than the Smart Pots and have better handles. I get them locally for $4.50 for a 5 gal. I'd like to have a raised bed but there's just no way to do it. My entire space is 4x10 feet with a little walkway in the middle. Total I have 4-6 pots on each side. And I reuse the soil, mix it in with some mulch and water it when I'm not using it to keep the organic bacteria alive.

Here's today's harvest from 3 plants. Not huge, but this would probably go for $4 at a grocery store:

Looks great. I have a shady spot where I may try something similar. As far as your results for Neem, those are very much atypical. Neem doesn't kill beneficial bugs unless you a spraying them directly or you do it at the wrong time of day. Sounds like you did something incorrectly with it, but hey, it happens. Don't give up on Neem for sure, it's one of the best Organic products out there.

That is amazing! I have a deck covered by a tree. Awhile back I was able to grow a lot on my deck due to the tree being really small. Now I am lucky if each area gets two hours of sun. Maybe I could try growing some things next year by putting them in certain areas over the railing somehow. You have inspired me :).

The panda poly has to help...it reflects 75-90% of the sun's rays back up on the plants. I've used it in greenhouse applications during winter to extend sunlight quality and force things out of season. It's highly effective stuff.

It's not a replacement for full sun, but it helps you "cheat" a bit with quality of sun while it is out.

I am curious about the panda film. I googled it and only found results from indoor (mostly pot) growers.

How are you using it outside? Doesnt the wind blown dirt etc cut down its reflective qualities quickly? Do you just use it under the plants, or is it positioned on the sides of them some how?

Like you, I couldn't really find much on outdoor garden reflective surfaces, mostly stuff about mirrors and whatnot. Below is a pic of my setup. The wind hasn't been a problem and I just hosed the poly down for the first time -- some dirt came off, but it was barely visible. My dogs have been digging in the dirt around it causing the left side to get all wrinkled. It's surprisingly strong, I walk on it every day and haven't been able to rip it yet. Once this grow season is over and I can get behind the tomato trellis, I'll build a more permanent (and attractive) way of hanging the poly film. The way it is now was just to test to see if it'd work at all.

Also, I tried mylar and, with a higher reflective rating, one would think it'd be better. But it acts as a mirror rather than sending out diffuse light. The mylar would send sun into one spot. With the panda film, it creates a sort of big glowing sheet at all times of the day.

Here's a shot of the west side trees. On the east: 2 story apartment buildings. The row on the right (west) will get sun from about 11-1, then the strip of sun coming between the apartments and trees will move to the left side tomato trellis. These pics were taken at 7am and, even now, because of the panda film, the area is pretty bright.

Also, hydro stores usually sell the panda film by the foot off 10ft wide rolls. My local shop runs about a $1/ft. Based on how well the stuff has held up over the last 4 months, I'm guessing it'll last for a number of years.

Thanks for posting those pics, very much appreciated. My garden is to extensive to use it like that, but maybe I could spray glue pieces to boards and prop them at an angle in the shadiest areas.

Supposedly one of the best reflective materials is just flat white paint (not gloss). Painting a fence or plywood and angling next to shady areas could help boost light.