What is shade cloth?
Shade cloth is a special fabric made initially for plants grown in regions with harsh climates like Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. It is a coarse fiber that protects crops from the sun and increases their growth rate. Plants grown in the shade cloth tend to be heavier and bigger, and their production is usually more uniform. This material will shield the plants from direct sunlight and reduce the chances of sunburn and leaf damage.
While shade cloth usually protects plants from sunlight and hail during the summer, this material is also used against wind and dust damage in the winter.
The usability goes beyond agriculture; other things like livestock, pets, and humans are protected using this technology.
What’s the material of the shade cloth?
The material of the shade net is polyethylene, which is usually found in knitted monofilaments or tape.
In the market, shade cloth with aluminum film is also available.
Polyethylene is a thermoplastic polymer that forms a flexible, water-resistant, and durable fabric suitable for applications where water is not an issue.
Polyethylene clothes are designed to be inexpensive, provide minimum maintenance, and be manufactured in large quantities. These materials serve as efficient heat conductors and good moisture barriers.
Therefore, they form an ideal combination of price, properties, processing, and manufacturing technologies. They are also durable materials that will last despite weather conditions in that particular region.
In this way, we can see the benefits of shade cloth, which has become an important part of the growing awareness of the ecological degradation caused by heat-reflecting materials (glasshouses) in modern agriculture.
What’s the color of the shade cloth is better for you?
Color is a very important factor when choosing between different shades of clothes. Greener colors offer more sun protection.
- Plants like cabbage, lettuce, pot plants, nursery stock, geraniums, and peppers require partial shade up to 50% in green color.
- On the other hand, plants that enjoy dense shade (75-80% in green color) are orchids, some ferns, and large olive trees.
- In the 75-80% group, shade cloth is also used as awnings, livestock shading, domestic shading, and so on.
How to choose the type of shade cloth?
When deciding what type of shade cloth to buy, we should first know that there are three main types: monofilaments, tape, and Aluminum shade cloth.
So, we choose differently based on what shade cloth will be used.
- Monofilament shade cloth has a better life expectancy (5 to 8 years), the installation is easier and function better
- Tape shade cloth is decorative and multicolor, with a life expectancy of 3 to 5 years.
- Aluminet shade cloth has an accurate control shading ratio, with a life expectancy of 3 to 5 years.
Related application scenarios
The monofilament shade cloth is typically used in horticultural greenhouses, shading for husbandry, agriculture cultivation, and shading tunnels. The tape shade cloth is mostly used in patios, parking lots, swimming pool coverage, and backyards.
The third type of Aluminum shade cloth has found application in an advanced greenhouse, shade house, hothouse, and agriculture cultivation.
The shading rate required for different species of plants
Shade rate is an important factor for plants.
When the plant reaches the optimum level of shade it needs, it tends to be heavier and bigger, and its production is usually more uniform.
For the majority of plants, 40-60% shade is the most desirable condition.
| From 30 to 50% | Up to 75% | Up to 90% |
| Vegetables | Orchids and some ferns | For sheltering people |
Other applications expect to plant
Shade cloth has a wide range of applications outside planting. Depending on the shading percentage and the shading materials, it is usable in several aspects.
- Shade cloth with 70% UV block.
This technology allows air and light to pass through while providing privacy and screening. These materials are generally used for Vehicle Protection, Windbreaks, and Privacy Screening. - Human protection shade cloth with 90% UV block.
The optimal UV coverage protects people and pets. These materials are generally used for Play Area covers, pet covers, and summer houses.
Installation guideline
The agricultural shade cloths are created to suit the plant’s needs.
At the same time, these materials are created user-friendly for farmers.
First, they come in convenient folds that make them easy to transport and install.
The list below is some tips and tricks of easier installation guidelines of shade cloth:
- Keep the polyethylene roll closed before installation
Do not open the polyethylene roll prematurely. It takes up significant space and can complicate the installation process.
- Proper positioning for triple-layer films
When installing triple-layer films, ensure that the outside layer of the film is placed on top of the greenhouse structure.
- Carefully place the shade cloth
The shade cloth must be installed with care to prevent damage to the underlying film, which helps preserve the materials’ longevity. It’s recommended to position the shade cloth on the roof while sliding the roll along the sides of the structure.
- Consider weather conditions
Always take the weather into account during installation:- Choose days without wind or rain for optimal results.
- Avoid stretching the material on hot, sunny days, as this can lead to shrinkage and weakening during colder weather.
- Ensure proper airflow
Ensure your structure includes ventilation systems like windows and rolling doors to regulate the microclimate and meet plant needs.
- Maintain a slope for water runoff
Build the structure with a minimum 3% slope to allow for adequate water runoff and prevent damage to the shade cloth.
- Avoid direct chemical contact
Refrain from directly spraying chemicals on the film surface to extend the life of your shade cloth.
List of shade cloth accessories
- Timber fasteners:
They are used to attach shade cloth to the timber structure - Timber studs:
They function similarly to timber fasteners but are built differently. They are made of galvanized steel. - Retractor Clips:
This accessory is used when the fabric needs to be retracted along a wire. - Butterfly clips:
Their function is to fasten the shade cloth with wire or rope cables. - Weedmat Ground Pins:
It is suitable for securing (or joining) shade cloth to the ground. The wire passes through the fabric into the ground and makes the fabric firm at that point. - Tie wraps:
They secure shade cloth to metal posts, pipe frames, or steel cables. - Shade cloth cutter:
It is used to cut shade cloth fabric - Ezy fix accessory kit:
It function is stretching the length of the shade cloth. In this case, there is no need for sewing or using extra accessories. - Shade cloth Joining Pins:
When there is no support below, we use it to join two widths of shade cloth. - Lacing cord kit with a needle:
When tie wraps can not be used, this accessory attaches shade cloth fabric to steel cables, metal pipe frames, etc.
Advanced application: Aluminet Reflective Shade Cloth
This shade cloth is the most important reflective shade in today’s market. This technology provides shade from 30 to 70 percent.
This way, it has been found applicable to building advanced greenhouses and usability in modern agriculture.
The system works in a way that reflects rather than absorbs harmful UV lights.
This shade cloth administers maximum radiation on the sides and raises light diffusion.
These features make the technology reduce heat inside the greenhouse and provide protection against UV degradation.
The application is for human use, mostly for building shade houses, which are suitable for people to secure proper shading.
How to identify good or bad shade cloth?
- Price: When buying a shade cloth, first of all, we should clarify the purpose of use. Aspects may vary according to materials, size, and complexity of the installation job Thereafter, aspects like warranty policies, services such as safety checks, maintenance, and cleaning will affect the pricing of the materials.
- Smell: Some shade cloth products can have a unpleasant smell, especially when the material starts to decay.
- Color: The shade cloth should block or absorbs as many UV lights as it can. Therefore, the Cancer Council NSW suggests using dark colors.
- Appearance: Shade cloth can also change plants’ appearance. Plants grown under shade are taller, uniform, and healthy-looking.
Best-selling products: shading 30%, shading 50%, shading 70%
Shading is a critical request not only plants have. As per plants, the common request for shading will be from 30 to 55%; this percentage could go higher or lower depending on the plant type.
On the other hand, humans prefer shades up to 95%.
If You want to characterize plans in three groups as in the table below.
| up to 30% Shading | up to 50% Shading | up to 70% Shading |
| Cucumbers, tomato, peppers, strawberry, roses. | Orchids, ginger, pot plants, cut greens. | Orchids(cypripedium), ferns, philodendrons. |
Customization services
When it comes to choosing the shade cloth, the market offers different net sizes, with the standards sizes of 2, 3, 4, and 8 meters in width and 25, 50, and 100 meters in length.
The product can come in different packaging, with typical colors: green or black.
The most common dimensions of the nets are 4.2 in width and 100 meters in length.
Conclusion
After acquiring all this information, if you are in the market for extra premium polymer netting to make your plants reach another level of development. The EYOUAGRO is a company you are looking for. With expertise dating back to 1996, our company provided top-quality textiles for manufacturing for a wide range of customer needs. We make sure the longevity of the products we are selling matches without a long and glorious history of the company.
We aim to create a microclimate for your plants. Three important components are combined to create this microclimate. The natural sun, air, and moisture are in total control to secure an ideal environment for your plants.
The table below shows what EYOUAGRO can secure for your plants to be well controlled.
