With the snow melted, spring comes, which is the best season of the year for plants. The temperature is right, and the light which plants need is abundant. All the plants enjoy a comfortable environment and grow pleasantly. But quickly summer approaches, the sun is burning, and the temperature is rising constantly. In this period, the plants need more water and protection. Otherwise, they will dry out soon.
Then how to protect your plants? Have you thought of the “shade cloth”? It’s just like having an umbrella for your plants, not only to protect them from sunburn but also to reduce the amount of water used for irrigation.
However， there are five tips for shade cloth you need to know before you purchase the right one.
What is shade cloth?
Shade cloth is a special stretch of fabric with an ultraviolet (UV) resistant component that is used to provide shade against sunlight and to control the temperature. It can protect flowers and trees against frost, wind, and hail damage and even for temporary fencing, packaging applications, and greenhouse covering.
Shade cloth for plants is usually made from polyethylene. Sometimes gardeners choose to go for aluminum shade clothes rather than regular materials. The shading rate of a shade cloth may range from 5% to 95%.
What’s the feature of the shade cloth?
The material of the shade net is High-density polyethylene (HDPE), generally in knitted monofilaments or tapes form; even aluminum film can also be used in shade cloth. With these materials, shade nets are heavy-duty, hard-wearing, tear-resistant, and extremely light.
There are multiple sizes of nets, the standard of which is 2, 3, 4, and 8 meters in width and 25, 50, and 100 meters in length. The most common dimensions of these nets are 4.2 m (width) by 100 m (length) with GSM of 120 to 180. The colors of shade cloth are generally Green or Black.
What type of shade cloth is in the market?
There are three main types of shade cloth: “Monofilament,” “Tape,” and” Aluminet.”
 |  |  |
| Monofilament Shade Cloth | Tape Shade Cloth | Aluminet Shade Cloth |
| 100% HDPE Mono.yarn Knitted | 100% HDPE Tape yarn Knitted | Alu. PET Composite Film & PE Yarn |
| 30% ～ 85% | 60%～95% | 10%～99% |
| 90grm~250grm | 75grm~180grm | 80grm~150grm |
| UV Resistance | UV Resistance | Accurate Shading |
| Heavy duty | lightweight | Higher Shading Rang |
| Ventilation | Higher Shading | Heat & Light Reflection |
| High strength, durable | More Color Choice | Reduce 10+ degree |
| 5～8 Years | 3～5 Years | 3～5 Years |
| Shading Tunnels | Swimming pool coverage | Shade House |
| Horticultural Greenhouses | Parking Lots | Hot House |
| Agriculture Cultivation | Patio | Advanced Greenhouse |
| Shading for Husbandry | Backyard | Agriculture Cultivation |
As we can see from above,
If protecting your plants from extremely hot weather and making them grow healthily in hot summer,
knitted Monofilament shade cloth is a better choice due to its life expectancy, functionalities, and easy installation.
If protecting your patio or garden from sunshine, the Knitted tape shade cloth is a good choice because of its multiple color and decoration.
If you want to use in an advanced greenhouse, Aluminet Shade Cloth will be a better choice due to its accurate controlled shading ratio and excellent effects.
Which shade rate is suitable for your plants?
According to statistics, a shading rate of 30-50% is helpful for plants, while 85-95% is better for humans in most cases. However, for some shade-loving plants, such as orchids and some ferns, a 70% or higher shade rate may be more ideal to get appropriate sunlight levels.
| Shade rate | Name of Plants |
| 30% | Roses, Strawberries, Gooseberries, Tomatoes, Cucumber |
| 40% | Bedding Plants , Gloxinias, Herbs, Iris , Lilies, Vegetables |
| 50% | Foliage plants, Cut greens, Orchids, Ginger, Pot plants |
| 60% | Orchlds ( Oncidiums, Phalaenopsis ) |
| 70% | Ferns , Orchids ( Cypripediums) , Philodendron |
| 80% | Indoor plants, Certain Orchids, Plantation crops, Tea, Coffee, Cardamom |
| 90% | Cattle shed Poultry houses, Construction Scaffolding and vehicular shades |
- Application of Shade Cloth
The key application areas of shade nets are: - Agricultural applications –
- grape cultivation,
- orchid plantations,
- tea plantations,
- nurseries
- Non-agricultural applications –
- swimming pool coverage,
- parking lots,
- patio
- backyard
Conclusion:
If you use shade cloth to cover, it will protect your plants, reduce irrigation water and save energy. Give your plants “an umbrella” to protect themselves and they will bring you unexpected benefits
Joyeyou/EyouAgro is professional manufacturer of shade cloth. Don’t hesitate to contact us, we can supply you the most valuable advice.
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