It is fulfilling to see your vegetable garden thrive. Sometimes, the temperature is safe and right for your garden.
However, this lasts until summer arrives and hot weather sets in.
This brings about a lot of watering and discomfort in your vegetables.
But have you thought of putting sunscreen on your vegetable garden?
The vegetable shade net will save water and energy and let your crops grow faster and healthier.
You need to learn more about vegetable shade cloth and choose the right one to protect your plant from direct sunlight and other fatal factors in summer’s fierce sun and in a changing climate.
Thankfully,
We’re here today with tips on ensuring your shade cloth protects your vegetable garden better!
What is Vegetable Garden Shade Cloth?
Sunscreen provides shade and controls the temperature in both agricultural (plant shade cloth) and non-agriculture uses. Shade cloth finds uses in the following applications.
- Floriculture shade cloth
- Horticulture shade cloth
- Greenhouse shade cloth
- Cattle sheds shade cloth
- Parking lots shade cloth
- Sport shade cloth
What is Sun Shade Made of？
Shade cloth is made of loosely woven polyester or even aluminum and can be found in varying densities or degrees of shade from approximately 8% to 95%.
All types of shade fabric are permeable to water, allowing rain, sprinklers, and irrigation systems to hydrate your plants.
The sunscreen fabric quality comes in two varieties: canvas fabrics and shade cloth made of HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene).
If you want a high-quality shade fabric with a long lifespan and excellent UV protection, it is usually preferable to choose knitted shade textiles made of HDPE.
1. Pick the Right Material for Your Garden
What is the best shade material for plants?
Many materials can be used for this purpose, but the two most common are “knitted” and “woven.”
The table shows the two common types and their differences.
| Knitted shade cloth | Woven shade cloth | |
| 1 | Made of lightweight polyethylene | Made of 100% polypropylene |
| 2 | Suitable for GreenhousesHot houses Shade houses | Applied in Pet KennelsShading for patios Windscreens Privacy screens Solar protection for plants |
| 3 | Open lockstitch design that prevents wind damage and reduces heat build | Allows more heat build-up than knitted Shade cloth |
| 4 | Simple to install | Heavier (Not easy to install) |
| 5 | Edge taping is not needed | Cut edges will unravel if not taped to prevent fraying. |
| 6 | Allow for 2-3% shrinkage or stretch | Minimal stretch or shrinkage, less than knitted |
We advise using knitted shade cloth to keep crops healthy during the hot summer and shield them from severely hot temperatures. It is a better option because of its
- Longevity
- Features,
- The simplicity of installation.
2. Pick the Right Weave for Your Garden
When choosing the right weave for your plant shade cover, look for one that’s durable and breathable. A good rule of thumb is that it should work well in your plants if you can breathe through it without any problems.
For example, a square weave allows air flow but doesn’t let water through, while a diamond weave does.
The difference between these two fabrics is simple: squares have more open spaces than diamonds. This means less heat escapes from squares, which tend to be cooler than their diamond counterparts during summer (when most people need shade).
3. Pick the Right Shade Percentage for Your Plant Shed Cover
Shade cloth is woven or knitted to have the densities of Shade Cloth “Percentages”. The difference in percentage lets different amounts of sunlight penetrate. Therefore, what you grow will influence how much shade cloth you require.
For instance,
30-50% shade is ideal for vegetables,
while 80-90% is ideal for sheltering people.
Most plants will do best with a maximum of 40% – 60% shade.
However,
when growing some shade-loving plants such as orchids and some ferns, 75% or higher may be needed to get correct light levels.
Examples of sunscreen fabric percentages suitable to your plants
| 50% Sunshade fabric | 75-80% Sunshade fabric | |
| 1 | Nursery stock | Orchids |
| 2 | Cabbages | Some ferns |
| 3 | Peppers | Large olive trees |
| 4 | Lettuce | Protection barriers on buildings |
| 5 | Geranium | Livestock, people |
| 6 | Plants that require partial shade | The plant that enjoys dense shade |
4. Choose the Right Color
The standard colors for the fabric sunshade are black and green shade cloth.
Other colors, such as white, red, yellow, and blue, are also available.
There is also a special colored one the aluminet shade cloth.
This kind of net is mainly made of aluminum foil. It is a reflective metalized high-density polyethylene(HPDE) knitted screen.
The aluminum shade net protects the vegetable garden against frost radiation damage and prevents oxidation.
Choosing a light color is okay:
For example, white shade cloth reduces the quantity of light but not the quality.
Using green or black shade cloth speeds up the growth of your plants.
These cloths are used for flowering plants.
Dark-colored shade cloth absorbs the sun’s heat, while light colors reflect it. Usually, green and black shade cloth act like filters and deprive plants of much sunlight.
Aluminate shade cloth offers an additional cooling effect for the plants. Colors such as red can benefit specific plants by filtering different wavelengths.
5. Look for a Brand You Can Trust
When looking for shade cloth, look for a brand offering a warranty. The warranty should be long enough so that if the product fails due to poor quality or faulty manufacturing, you can get your money back.
You should also look for a brand that offers an expansive selection of products and is willing to ship them directly to your doorstep.
This will help ensure that you’ll get exactly what you need without having to go through an additional middleman (like Amazon).
Lastly, make sure that whatever shade screening model best suits your needs and budget comes from a company with a good reputation overall: after all, if something goes wrong down the road, we want our investment protected immediately!
6. Choose a Sun Blocker Shade that Blends in with Your Environment and Surrounding Areas
When selecting a sunshade fabric, it is important to ensure that it is aligned with the natural shape of your structure.
The most common mistake people make when trying to find the perfect vegetable garden shade cloth is choosing one that is too long.
This can cause problems if you do not have enough room to place it.
If there is not enough space available, some plants may be damaged because they will grow underneath the netting and become tangled up with other plants.
You should also avoid buying too short of shaded fabrics because if this happens, all your vegetables will be exposed to hot weather conditions when temperatures rise above 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius).
7. Find a Vendor Who Offers the Best Quality and Value Per Dollar in the Marketplace
Know your budget
If you have a small budget and want to buy a few pieces of canvas shade, it’s best to shop around for the best price per dollar in the marketplace. You can also use this information as a benchmark when comparing different vendors’ prices so that you don’t fall victim to expensive shipping fees or hidden costs (such as tax).
Know your options
When looking at various options available on Amazon or other online stores, ensure no hidden costs are associated with shipping or taxes; otherwise, these factors could affect the final price tag!
Know what kind of quality
Know the quality expected from each vendor’s product line before deciding which suits your needs.
Also, remember that not all suppliers offer free shipping on orders, so check out their policies carefully before placing an order!
Conclusion
We hope these tips have helped you find the right shade net. As always, when buying sunscreen fabric, it’s essential to research and find a supplier with a reputation for quality products and customer service.
If you follow our advice on picking the perfect vegetable garden shade cloth for your needs, we think you will be happy with your choice!
Choose the Right Shade Cloth for Your Crops!
Selecting the perfect shade cloth is crucial for protecting crops and maximizing yield. At EyouAgro, we offer a variety of premium shade cloths tailored to meet your farm’s unique needs.
Ready to find your perfect match?
Contact us today for expert advice and discover the best shade cloth solution for your agricultural needs.
