Temps Going Up? The Key To Using Shade Cloth & What Kind You Should Look For

We're out at the Ramona farm to show you what we have growing and HOW we are growing it, especially with shade cloth.
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0:44 Intro
0:57 Shade Cloth Structure
3:13 What Kind of Shade Cloth Should You Use?
4:44 Fully Exposed Plants
This isn't the first time I've talked about shade cloth, but I won't shut up about it because it's so helpful to have! We have used it a fair amount at our urban farm location. Ramona is further north and inland, and it gets a whole lot hotter out here. That's why we created this shade cloth tunnel.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Shade cloth does NOT reduce the number of sunlight hours the plant receives. Using shade cloth is NOT the same as simply putting your plant in the shade. Shade cloth reduces the harshness of the UV rays to allow your plants to continue receiving sunlight without taking on the full force of it.
We drove some rebar and arched old PVC pipe to make a structure to hold up our shade cloth for the tomatoes. Because it can get really windy out here, we made this system so it's easy to take it down as needed. As a side note, these are dwarf tomatoes so they aren't going to get much bigger than they are now. If these were indeterminate varieties, we'd need to go a lot higher!
We've had a lot of questions about how to actually use shade cloth in the garden. This is just one way. If you have raised beds, you can put up posts in each corner. If you really want to go simple, you can just lay the material right on top of your plants. It is very lightweight, but always keep an eye out for potential damage to your crop.
I recommend using 30-40% shade cloth. Some products out there might provide a lot of shade, but they aren't made for the garden. Something like an awning cloth provides 80-90% shade. That's nice to relax under, but that's going to deprive your plants of sunlight. Shade cloth designed for agricultural use provides just enough to take the edge off of the harsh summer sun as well as reduce evaporation (from the soil and the leaves).
It's a key part of the system here in Ramona, and it really is a must-have for gardeners in even warmer areas (we have a lot of viewers in Arizona, Texas, Utah, Nevada, and hot areas of California). Even for sun-loving plants, the hot days out here can be pretty tough.
As a fun experiment, we're doing some tomatoes under the shade cloth and some fully exposed. We're going to see how the two groups compare over the season and keep you updated! For now, though, we can already see a difference between the two groups. The exposed plants feel limp, and the leaves aren't as full of moisture. Both groups are getting the same amount of sunlight, but the shade cloth just makes the UV rays a little less strong.
Shade cloth has traditionally been a commercial product to improve yields, but it has become more and more accessible to backyard growers. That's why we're so excited to use it and carry it!
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#Gardening

[@Jen-ci1mp]

Today I draped what looks like 50 percent shade cloth over my greenhouse frame. Tomato plants were starting to droop and now they are starting to look healthier. I sewed a seam on two ends and ran clothes line through it. This made it so I could anchor the sides down to the poles. Now my greenhouse frame has an exotic look because the cloth is blue green--nice!

[@wellspring2life-]

Sweet! That sounds good. I'm going to try that.

[@conniedavidson1807]

Last summer I put up 40% shade cloth here in Texas. My plants still burned up. This summer I got 90% and put it up. It's just over the top of my herb garden mostly. It is working great and the plants are still looking good even in 110 temps. I think it depends on what plants you are trying to protect.

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

We find the issue with 90 shade cloth is it will stunt the vegetable plants due to a lack of light. Instead we use 40 so they get maximum sunlight for photosynthesis and water heavily and deeply and mulch.

[@mikeymo4]

@@SanDiegoSeedCompany Connie, don't listen to these people. they think that the entire world is like San Diego. they don't even know what hot is. i'm in arizona and have used 90% cloth to work wonders on my tomatoes for years. imagine not even having the open mindedness to think about gardening outside San Diego, a place where's its perfect all year round.

[@Anne--Marie]

I'm in central Florida and have been thinking about using 70% shade cloth to extend my tomato season. What do you think?

[@conniedavidson1807]

@@Anne--Marie This year I'm using 90% on one bed and 70% on another. Our heat is too hot in TX to use 40%. Our temps reach up to 115 sometimes. I'm guessing 70% would be fine.

[@conniedavidson1807]

@@mikeymo4 I keep mine alive last year because I used 90%. My garden would have burned up without it.

[@teresaholland4790]

I live in Central Florida 9B I totally get the shade cloth idea. Glad to see it popping up on KZbin. Thank you for your lovely videos. Cheers.

[@user-fs5lc2dl7t]

I installed 30% shade cloth over my tomato patch in 2013. I read about some university studies done in Arizona and Florida using different percentage coverings and the results they got. They found that 30% was the magic number...any higher affected production and any lower did not give the best protection. The day I put it up I recorded an immediate 10 degree difference in air temperature under the cloth. I would not be without it here in Albuquerque, NM.

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

Thanks for sharing! That's really cool to hear

[@paulk7169]

Growing up in the early 60's in Encinitas, it seemed like everyone had a lathe house. I think 50 percent shade. I always thought that they brought certain charm. Thanks Paul.

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

Yes, they're super cool! Thanks for sharing that local knowledge!

[@saddammall3337]

​@@SanDiegoSeedCompanynice video...im from namibia /rehoboth.we get beyond heat in the summer...wonderd about tomatoes under shade net...just needed this confermation so thanx👍

[@helenrasmussen3157]

I love my shade cloth you sent me during covid. It has lasted here in Ramona.

[@emdeejay7432]

I have a new mango tree and I'm in lake elsinore and its got some very crunchy leaves that look like they got some heat scorch last week on a couple of the hot days. It came from puerto rico and i think its got a bit of shock from being uprooted and shipped in a box and then being in a different climate where its been cold and damp some days with sprinkling rain and then 85 with high uv for a couple days and strong winds. I think its gonna pull through but i think the one thing it's going to need is shade cloth. So the one video I immediately remembered with all the info on percentages of shade cloth and what not was yours. So I found it and here I am. I always find you to be very informative on any subject you're talking about it. Also you're very close to my area so I know all the info you have applies to my grow zone as well. Not only my mango need that shade cloth but my melons really do. All my watermelons keot getting soft and mushy in the heat. My tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplants all rxperienced sun burn on the actual vegetables. Not every single one but quite a few. So yeah gotta get some shade cloth this year. I think it will make a big difference. One more thought, you guys should get a mango tree and do some updates on it to show how to grow mangoes in our zones. They can grow here and mine are doing okay but it would be so awesome to have a channel in this zone that shows how to do it. I know you've discussed avocados and their needs and how they can be a bit finicky and sensitive. But mangoes can be like that as well.

[@fraydnot]

You could use shower curtain hooks to attach to the cloth to the pvc. Anchor the edge rings with wire to the rebar. During high winds just undo one side and slide it over the top, leaving it attached Thanks for the upload

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

Love that idea!

[@LeightonSmithiii]

I also love hanging out under the shade cloth in my garden. Temperatures can be 10 degrees or more lower under the shade cloth.

[@mydesertbackyardgarden3523]

I’m outside of Phoenix, and I use 40% over the top of my garden, and 60% on the front side(strongest angle of sun).

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

Great to know! Thanks for the tip from the desert :)

[@mkeyw2226]

Live in Texas and have a 90% shade block and my tomatoes and other veggies still burned the leaves.

[@tk421dr]

im in esco and noticed my tomato leaves are starting to show a little heat stress, which surprised me because its really not that hot, 80's, checked the uv index its very high and expected to be extreme tomorrow. i think ill fashion some kind of shade cloth together, i know its only going to get hotter. perfect timing

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

Definitely gotta keep an eye on the UV index! Good call.

[@Arcticdi]

Perfect Timing! I received my shade cloth from SDS TODAY!

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

Let us know how it goes!

[@oceanbreezesuburbanfarm]

Arrrggg. Yes, it's time to put up the shade cloth- that's what the plants are saying even here close to the coast.

[@pamelamercado6902]

I use 60% shade cloth yesterday was 113 and it's going to get hotter as summer goes on but my tomatoes peppers squash it's all looking really good I've used shade cloth for several years.

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

Makes a big difference.

[@S.Kay.Steffy]

I just put some up last week hoping to save my tomatoes and peppers. I live in HOT riverside county and the sun and heat cook my plants if I don’t shade them. I just ordered some more as I didn’t have quite enough and I can see what a difference it makes. I watch everyone of your videos because your conditions are the same as mine, just about an hour away. Thanks for your ideas and educational topics.

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

Riverside is so hot!

[@S.Kay.Steffy]

@@SanDiegoSeedCompany 🥵🥵🥵. SO true!

[@colleenavery232]

LOTS OF MULCH, grass, leaves, wood chips, hay - ROOTS COOL IS THE KEY - & plenty of COLD water

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

Mulch is my BFF! That is all key, and sometimes a little bit of extra protection is needed for optimal conditions.

[@colleenavery232]

@@SanDiegoSeedCompany especially w/the economy people seem to skimp on it - just wanted to add that to remind LOVE YOUR VIDS - EXCELLENT CHANNEL!

[@lsherylc2524]

I can't decide on 30 or 40% Vacaville, CA. Like Sacramento like weather? We are probably 10 degrees hotter there than down there, easy

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

I'd go with the 40%

[@caseyarmstrong7064]

I wish my leaves were that green. Waiting for soil sample to come back

[@r.a.panimefan2109]

Hope u enjoy coracorn tulere lake. Abandon the town and let that big beutiful 100 miles of.water.stay

[@shaniduncan2255]

what % shade cloth would you recommend for zone 13?

[@tomjones4318]

Do the edges of shade cloth have to be hemmed? Or can it be cut to size on site?

[@mikeymo4]

Hawaii is not hot. Never even had 100 degree temperatures. Try going to the South. Depends on where you are but up to 90% in places like Arizona works well.

[@PhxDesertGal]

I am in Phoenix AZ and summers here are brutal 115 or more. I have my garden in the black vinyl growers buckets and some others in clay pots. Can I just drape the cloth over the plants or will it weigh them down? I know of no other way to do it as I do not have any of the PVC or anything else and if I did I cannot do anything like that. I just want to grow basil, peppers, tomatoes, Cucumers, and Swiss chard mainly. They are all different heights so I can't figure out how to do this. Do I leave them covered all the time?

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

Even if you put a stake in each pot or every other, that will keep it off your plants

[@shaibuvictor2984]

How much temperature does it reduce? Thanks.

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

Depends on a lot of factors but the goal of the shade cloth is not to reduce temperature but to reduce the UV light. Kinda like a mild sunscreen for the plants.

[@wwlt.trevor0512]

I have a lightweight, white “frost cloth.” Any chance that might work?

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

Different fabric and different purpose.

[@aimeekitty]

I’m curious how far apart are your supports both ways? I want to try to replicate this tunnel at home and I have your shade cloths. Do you know about how long your pvc pieces were…? Are they hard to bend into the curve?

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

No, they bend easily enough (don't get the rigid PVC). They're about six feet apart.

[@aimeekitty]

@@SanDiegoSeedCompany so if the cloth is 6 x 12’ would there be one in the of the 12’?

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

@@aimeekitty the way we have it, the shade cloth isn't going all the way down to the ground, and the long side is going down the tunnel, not up and over. You can make it taller, shorter, closer, etc. to fit your space.

[@aimeekitty]

@@SanDiegoSeedCompany Right, I'm wondering though on the long side, do you need another PVC tunnel to support it half way through the 12', or is there just one PVC tunnel at the beginning and end of the 12'.

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

@@aimeekitty no, we have supports along the way. You don't want to span 12 feet with just four corners. Six posts (three arches) should be good.

[@deathdiablo22]

I'm in sunny Arizona. Would a 50% shade cloth be okay? I noticed yesterday that sooo many things were being air fried because if the heat. I want to make sure I protect my raised bed.

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

50% could be a little much (as least where we are). The sun is stronger there, though, so you might want to experiment with a couple different percentages.

[@jacobeparsels9251]

I'm in central Cali and a 70% works great for me. Our highest temps are usually around 110 to 115 degrees

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

Awesome. Thanks for letting me know! Ramona can break 100, but it's not nearly as hot as that.

[@deathdiablo22]

Thank you for your very fast answers!!! I'll think I'll go with the 70%. My raised bed sits in the middle of my back yard which gets sun exposure for the vast majority of the day.

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

@@deathdiablo22 just be aware that 70% shade cloth can cause stunted growth since it blocks out a lot of sunlight. Play around with it and see what works best. For us, we don’t go over 40% for the best uninhibited growth. We water deeply and mulch. That helps

[@oceanbreezesuburbanfarm]

And also, I put it up on the side of the house which decreases the temperature inside the south facing bedrooms, too. HA!

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

Haha. Yes! It's such a handy thing to have.

[@charlescoker7752]

Dr. Carl Baugh did a lecture in 1988. He talked about the UV rays in the early years of the planet were blocked by a water canopy. The plants on earth grew larger, and live longer. In his lecture he talks about a Japanese business man who converted his basement into an office. Instead of artificial light. He used fiber optic cable. He put a tomato under the light. The plant out grew the tomatoes hehad in full sun in his garden. He decided the fiber optic cable did not transmit the UV light. Which stunted his garden tomatoes.

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

The raqia! Yes, very interesting stuff. There are so many cool ways people are growing plants these days, but there's just something special about dirt and sun!

[@teenadamron7654]

Tell me about your hat I need it

[@Ruben25252]

why not plant native trees in the border rows.

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

We have lots of trees at our urban farm, but we are currently leasing this land.

[@Ruben25252]

@@SanDiegoSeedCompany ahh I see.

[@r.a.panimefan2109]

Wouldnt choose cali to farm considering the valley fever and the anti gun and farming people outhere. Used to live south of portervile Oranges everywhere

[@BB-tm7gx]

First time I have been taught gardening by a straw hat. HOGWARTS on the farm. 😂

[@brucedownunda7054]

"Where did you get that HAT" ? ?

[@SanDiegoSeedCompany]

A liquor store down the street from my farm.

[@jduce818]

Herb farm … oh I get it there’s weed over there .