I have a new dilemma this year when it comes to hardening off my pepper plants. Last year I had lots of shade trees in the back yard that would block the worst the sun had to offer during the hottest times of the day. last fall we cut those trees down and I am faced with coming up with something else. Shade clothes seem to be the best overall solution. Question is choosing the correct % of blocking level before full exposure. I dont want to block so much that when they are uncovered that the exposure causes damage but I also dont want so little that damage from exposure at the incorrect % causes immediate damage right off. Anyone else use these in the past and what are your recommendations.
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shade shade clothes
- Thread starter CAPCOM
- Start date
Just read this very interesting article which showed that up to 20% shade cloth will increase yield, but more than that will decrease yield: http://www.growingproduce.com/vegetables/the-benefits-of-shading-peppers/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=AVG%20eNews%20Sept%2013%202012%20%281%29&utm_content
I had good success last year only shading the soil and containers via a 2ish foot tall lattice fence I built. I may try a standard roll of patio screen this year used as a shade cloth.
I had good success last year only shading the soil and containers via a 2ish foot tall lattice fence I built. I may try a standard roll of patio screen this year used as a shade cloth.
if in containers if your using tomato cages , simple white sheets over them of course cut to fit tho . keeps the hot sun off allows u.v. to come through . ready in a week . learned this from my good pal 96strat .! worked great for me last year but over smaller green house . 
Please keep in mind I have between 275 and 300 plants. Whatever the course of action, it has to be with a large grow in mind. I have looked at a few sites and attached a link from one of them so you will have a better idea of what I am considering.
http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/category/shade-cloth
http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/category/shade-cloth
well thats a different tune . with that many i would go with shade cloth . i have one over my garden 12 ' in the air . but i only have 125 plants . i harden them off in the green house with white sheets .CAPCOM said:
I wish, like probably several hundred dozen others, I had a green house. That would in it self, simplify so much.moruga welder said:well thats a different tune . with that many i would go with shade cloth . i have one over my garden 12 ' in the air . but i only have 125 plants . i harden them off in the green house with white sheets .
Going with the shade cloth isn't so much the question, rather then what rating. Refer to op. there are several % rates of protection available and I am looking for one to cover plants for about a week and them place in the permanent homes.
gotcha my friend , i would say 40% at least . thats what i have over the garden , it cuts a lot of u.v.'s out . i have my on a wire system where i can just roll it across if the days get to hot like 2 to 4 p.m. then roll it back using a pole . works pretty good . but 40 % is like being under a good shade tree .CAPCOM said:
I always use 80%.
The trick is,if you think it is too much shade,raise it up higher to let more side light in.
I used it as a roof for my southern exposure plants.
I used to plant all my starts in 7gal. pots under shade cloth.
Started out with it a few feet over the plants.
Raised it and then removed it after the roots grew out enough to deal with the plants in 80+ degree heat.
I don't have room to put starts in shade for a couple weeks to harden off.
Then shade them until the roots get big enough to deal with full on sun all day.
Shade cloth was a great way to put plants from cells into their permanent pots in one step.
I used to do 400 plants 2 times a year - we don't have a winter here.
Give it a try if you have the $ for the shade cloth.
I used the aluminium plastic coated plant stakes for supports that I stuck in my 20 gal. Manzano pots at each corner.
I use a 5-1-1 type soil mix.
Roots spread out fast in the looser/less dense soil mixes.
I use 3 parts Bark , 1 part old soil and or Peat , 1 part Pomice and 1 part perlite.
Soil weighs enough to not blow over pots (Pomice) but still works for about 5 seasons with adding old soil to make up for stuff breaking down...
I ad whatever I need for topping off by adding Peat or whatever the soil seems to need at the time.
A lot of times I just add more bark , Perlite or Pomice.
The bark breaks down and acts like peat so I just need to open up the soil mix rather than add more moisture retaing stuff.
I'd give the 80% a try.
IF you don't mind maybe raising it to find a system that works for you.
After this season you'll know what to do and won't have to mess with the cloth next year.You'll have your system set up.
But I'd rather be cautious than sorry.
Using too much is something you can fix (raise the cloth),too little shade means buying more cloth...$$$$ AND more work and possibly lost or stunted plants.
Yup,I'm bored at work once again.
I tend to write too long a post these days. LOL
The trick is,if you think it is too much shade,raise it up higher to let more side light in.
I used it as a roof for my southern exposure plants.
I used to plant all my starts in 7gal. pots under shade cloth.
Started out with it a few feet over the plants.
Raised it and then removed it after the roots grew out enough to deal with the plants in 80+ degree heat.
I don't have room to put starts in shade for a couple weeks to harden off.
Then shade them until the roots get big enough to deal with full on sun all day.
Shade cloth was a great way to put plants from cells into their permanent pots in one step.
I used to do 400 plants 2 times a year - we don't have a winter here.
Give it a try if you have the $ for the shade cloth.
I used the aluminium plastic coated plant stakes for supports that I stuck in my 20 gal. Manzano pots at each corner.
I use a 5-1-1 type soil mix.
Roots spread out fast in the looser/less dense soil mixes.
I use 3 parts Bark , 1 part old soil and or Peat , 1 part Pomice and 1 part perlite.
Soil weighs enough to not blow over pots (Pomice) but still works for about 5 seasons with adding old soil to make up for stuff breaking down...
I ad whatever I need for topping off by adding Peat or whatever the soil seems to need at the time.
A lot of times I just add more bark , Perlite or Pomice.
The bark breaks down and acts like peat so I just need to open up the soil mix rather than add more moisture retaing stuff.
I'd give the 80% a try.
IF you don't mind maybe raising it to find a system that works for you.
After this season you'll know what to do and won't have to mess with the cloth next year.You'll have your system set up.
But I'd rather be cautious than sorry.
Using too much is something you can fix (raise the cloth),too little shade means buying more cloth...$$$$ AND more work and possibly lost or stunted plants.
Yup,I'm bored at work once again.
I tend to write too long a post these days. LOL
I was thinking along the same lines. Just looking for someone to post a starting point. The shade trees provided pretty much the same thing last year as well as the shadow of the north side of the house. plants got early morning sun and the late afternoon and were shaded during the brunt of the day. when I planted there was burn but it was minimal.smokemaster said:
I don't think he needs a greenhouse.
Just shade as I posted about.
All he needs is protection for his plants to harden off AND grow a root structure to deal with whatever his growing conditions are.
I see too many people putting plants out after hardening off in small pots and wondering why the get cooked or stunted plants.
I went to putting my plants out in LARGER containers before hardening off so the roots could be cool for the plants when they were put out in my Southern exposed garden.
I also start seeds in 4 1/2 inch pots these days.
Ya with 2 grows a season I still use 72 cell starters when I run out of room,but everything goes out eventually in 4+ inch pots or the 1 gal. nursery pots-roots are the key I think.
IN GREAT soil of coarse.
I think greenhouse seems to me as overkill for what he needs,I think.
All he needs is the easiest way to go from cells/starts to growout pots.
With the least amount of work while keeping his babies happy.
As I said,I have high 70 - 90+ degree temps. mostly from Jan. to Dec. a lot of times/most times.
I'm used to heat.
It's already been high 90's to 100 degrees-weeks/a month + ago.
I only suggested what I did according to what I do to get my plants out as healthy and happy as possible for MY GROW.
I grow my pots in Southern Exposure in pots on a sea of Asphalt.
Post a link to Tmudders video if you can.
I might learn something that might work better...
As some others might.
Not trying to give you crap,just trying to explain my post/growing conditions-if his are like or similar to mine.
Also I think green cloth is better than Black.
I think green is cooler-longer life stuff.
Black showed more fading etc. over less years of use.
As I said,what works for me is very possibly crap for other different grows.
A link would be cool about the info you posted.
Just shade as I posted about.
All he needs is protection for his plants to harden off AND grow a root structure to deal with whatever his growing conditions are.
I see too many people putting plants out after hardening off in small pots and wondering why the get cooked or stunted plants.
I went to putting my plants out in LARGER containers before hardening off so the roots could be cool for the plants when they were put out in my Southern exposed garden.
I also start seeds in 4 1/2 inch pots these days.
Ya with 2 grows a season I still use 72 cell starters when I run out of room,but everything goes out eventually in 4+ inch pots or the 1 gal. nursery pots-roots are the key I think.
IN GREAT soil of coarse.
I think greenhouse seems to me as overkill for what he needs,I think.
All he needs is the easiest way to go from cells/starts to growout pots.
With the least amount of work while keeping his babies happy.
As I said,I have high 70 - 90+ degree temps. mostly from Jan. to Dec. a lot of times/most times.
I'm used to heat.
It's already been high 90's to 100 degrees-weeks/a month + ago.
I only suggested what I did according to what I do to get my plants out as healthy and happy as possible for MY GROW.
I grow my pots in Southern Exposure in pots on a sea of Asphalt.
Post a link to Tmudders video if you can.
I might learn something that might work better...
As some others might.
Not trying to give you crap,just trying to explain my post/growing conditions-if his are like or similar to mine.
Also I think green cloth is better than Black.
I think green is cooler-longer life stuff.
Black showed more fading etc. over less years of use.
As I said,what works for me is very possibly crap for other different grows.
A link would be cool about the info you posted.
My personal experience - 40% is best, but I have run 75% that only covers the noon sun and had nearly better results.
So, if your shade cloth covers the plants from the sun all day long, 40% is my recommendation. If you just have a square on top of the plant and it gets direct morning and evening sun, then I would go with 60-75%.
So, if your shade cloth covers the plants from the sun all day long, 40% is my recommendation. If you just have a square on top of the plant and it gets direct morning and evening sun, then I would go with 60-75%.
suchen said:
That's an interesting study.
"Both marketable and total yields increased with shading level up to about 30% and then decreased with increasing shading level."
It looks like the test was conducted in Georgia, so Illinois' optimal value might be a hair less.
How about buying 70/30 cloth (blocks 30%) and doubling that for the young plants. That will get you ~50% transmittance, which they should (?) be OK with, depending on temperatures, etc.
(3 layers yields ~34% transmittance.) After a few days, remove one layer and bump them to 70%.
IMO, an hour of direct early morning sun seems to do good things, no doubt from warming the soil.
I've measured two types of typical window screen with a lab light power meter, and found them both to be pretty close to 70/30. (Sorry, I forget the actual numbers.) The stuff is generally quite a bit cheaper than dedicated shade cloth.
An alternative I've pondered is using plastic flagging tape stretched over a light frame. The stuff costs around a dollar per 300ft roll. Durability is the big question, but some products claim good UV resistance and longevity.
Just read HD site says repels 87% UV...
But I live in cali where it'll be 90+s for weeks on
OK, that looks like it might work. It's Wed night and if you can get it broke down and be on your way and keep your rest breaks to a minimum, you could make it here by Saturday. "I love it when a plan comes together"KiNGDeNNiZ said:
Just read HD site says repels 87% UV...
But I live in cali where it'll be 90+s for weeks on