Have seen a few video on Youtube of fairly large scale growers who have mature plants under shade cloth down in Florida. I am in Kentucky. Planning a shade house for next year, but only for hardening off. I am curious to know if folk in Florida think it is necessary for mature plants. Also curious to know if folk further north use it over mature plants and if they feel it necessary to prevent sun damage.
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shade Shade Cloth for Mature Plants
- Thread starter AJ Drew
- Start date
i have one thats suspended 12 ' in the air , but never used it . 
This is my first year using the shade cloth. It has been a tremendous success. The sun and heat is brutal down here, so mature plants would continually wilt throughout the day over the past few years. Bell peppers would barely set fruit, and forget about tomatoes during the summer. The plants always perked back up in the evening, but set and matured far less fruit than have already set this season.
I notice in central Arkansas that my peppers have trouble in July-August when it is really screaming hot. Not sure that it might be the high humidity causing the issues though. Last summer my wife and I drive out to visit our son in San Diego(marine corps) and we of course drove through Arizona and New Mexico to get there. The peppers in those farms were in about 14 hours of direct, relentless sun everyday, I was amazed at the size/color and overall amazing appearance of those plants. So wondered if maybe the drier air and bottom water helped them deal with the sun.
Around mid-July through early September the combination of sun and heat in Central and South Florida are enough to overpower even the hardiest peppers. I ended up using 40% shade netting over about 1/2 my garden last year and it did make a difference.
The 2014 season was very frustrating due to so much early and constant rain in April and May, which this year we have had very little of; almost too little really. So far I'm having my best year yet, even with my late start.
The 2014 season was very frustrating due to so much early and constant rain in April and May, which this year we have had very little of; almost too little really. So far I'm having my best year yet, even with my late start.
I live in Southern California, and though it was "originally" (and now returning to with the drought) a desert, it really is pretty stable in regards to temp around here.
That being said, I still use shade cloths for mature plants. I have a shade hoop house and a 4x4 ft floating shade block to help ease the noon direct sun. The shaded hoop house shades the plants all day long.
All plants under the shade have performed remarkably. They grow with little stress and can become big lush plants. The only one that I have had any problems with was a De Arbol that stretched like a mother. Everything else I feel does as well or even better than the uncovered plants I have.
I know it is counter-intuitive but that's how I have witnessed it. Anything in direct sun all day long seems to struggle and anything under the shade cloth does wonderfully.
The stuff under the shade is a little more spaced out, but there is great air flow and when I say spaced out, I mean just a little-bit, but very healthy.
OH, HUGE BENEFIT - the shaded hoop house slows gusts of wind down almost 90% and two sides are wide open. I watch plants and pots alike tumbling across my back yard, but in the shaded hoop house, they just flutter a little bit when a big gust comes along!
That being said, I still use shade cloths for mature plants. I have a shade hoop house and a 4x4 ft floating shade block to help ease the noon direct sun. The shaded hoop house shades the plants all day long.
All plants under the shade have performed remarkably. They grow with little stress and can become big lush plants. The only one that I have had any problems with was a De Arbol that stretched like a mother. Everything else I feel does as well or even better than the uncovered plants I have.
I know it is counter-intuitive but that's how I have witnessed it. Anything in direct sun all day long seems to struggle and anything under the shade cloth does wonderfully.
The stuff under the shade is a little more spaced out, but there is great air flow and when I say spaced out, I mean just a little-bit, but very healthy.
OH, HUGE BENEFIT - the shaded hoop house slows gusts of wind down almost 90% and two sides are wide open. I watch plants and pots alike tumbling across my back yard, but in the shaded hoop house, they just flutter a little bit when a big gust comes along!