Vegetable garden shade cloth is a unique method to improve your plant quality.
Shade cloth is a flexible, strong, shade netting that can be shaped to cover greenhouses, raised beds, or vegetable gardens.
It provides full sun protection for any plants in your vegetable garden.
If you are serious about gardening, you want to make sure that your plants stay protected.
Fruits, vegetables, and plants might be able to adapt to the weather and their soils, but they still need shade in order to flourish.
With special fabrics like non-woven polypropylene shade cloth, you can protect plants from sun damage and have them growing without cutting into your gardening budget.
Contents
What is vegetable garden shade cloth?
A vegetable garden shade cloth is a great way to protect your plants from harmful rays and keep them healthy. It comes in different materials, shapes, and sizes.
Basically, you just plant seeds in the garden soil and then put the cloth over the top of the crops. This will provide shade for your plants.
Shade cloth is a lightweight fabric that blocks sunlight from reaching your vegetables.
Shade cloth is a durable and versatile material that can be used in many different ways in your garden.
For example, not only can shady plants grow under a shade cloth (if you use white or silver shade cloth), you can also protect your fish from the heat and increase the circulation of water in your pond with it.
There are also several different types of shade cloth available, including white, silver, and UV protection!
You may also apply this method with grubs for vegetable garden to get the best result!
Benefits of using vegetable garden shade cloth
1. Preventing the sun
Shade cloth is a great way to protect plants from the sun and keep them cool in the summer. It does this by reflecting the sunlight but not allowing direct sunlight to reach the plants. It is an easy way to protect your vegetables from the heat.
2. Hold the rain
The shade cloth prevents rainwater from falling on the vegetable garden and water overflowing into it. It also reduces the impact of soil erosion by retaining water.
3. Blocking the wind
Shade cloth can be used to stop the wind directly hitting the vegetable garden and helping to protect crops and plants from damage. This gives warmer temperatures and a more abundant harvest for it.
4. Protect plants from birds or pests
Shade cloth is a great tool for protecting your garden from birds and pests. The shade cloth keeps out birds and other animals that can cause serious damage to your precious vegetable garden.
5. Protects from extreme temperature drops
Shade cloth can protect your vegetable garden from extreme temperature drops. For example, if the air temperature drops suddenly while you’re working in your vegetable garden, you can use shade cloth to protect your plants and save them from damage from the cold.
6. Maintain soil moisture
Shade cloth is a type of low-maintenance lawn fabric that helps plant roots stay moist while it blocks leaves and pollen from the air, which means you don’t have to hoe as much. It helps to maintain soil moisture in your garden.
Understanding the density of shade cloth
Shade cloth has a density or thickness according to the needs of plants for the intensity of sunlight. There is a varied range of shade cloth. You may choose from 10 percent to 90 percent.
The higher the number, the more sunlight it filters.
For example, if you choose shade cloth with 10 percent density, it means the shade cloth filter about 10 percent of sunlight. If you choose 80 percent density, only about 20 percent of sunlight comes to your vegetable garden.
Based on my experience, try to always choose a shade cloth density below 50 percent. Vegetable gardens need sunlight to grow the plant. Sunlight is an essential element to keep the garden healthy and grow.
How to install vegetable garden shade cloth
1. Preparing the material
There are 3 things that need to be prepared: the shade cloth, iron wire, and crutches.
When creating your shade cloth, choose high-quality material.
Make sure that the cloth is made from polyester or polyester/cotton blends. These types of fabrics are strong and can withstand high levels of sunlight without tearing apart. If you want your shade cloth to last, avoid using umbrella cloth material.
Use flexible iron wire to attach shade cloth to the grid. By using iron wire you can achieve stronger connections with shade cloth and small wires, making it much easier to attach the fabric netting.
Last, you may use a crutch as wood, bamboo, or iron to strengthen the frame. Also, the crutch gives the entire structure an elegant and unified look. You can choose the crutch according to your taste.
2. Prepare the equipment
These are the lists that you need to install the vegetable garden shade cloth
- A meter tool to adjust the size and measurement of shade cloth to its frame.
- Scissors for cutting shade cloth and iron wire.
- Matches that will be used to tidy up the shade cloth cutouts.
- Folding ladder to make it easier for you to reach high parts.
- Work safety and security equipment, so that accidents do not occur in installing this shade cloth.
After preparing the materials and tools, you are ready to work on making shade cloth for the vegetable garden
3. Determine the size of shade cloth
In this step, you must be sure to size the shade cloth correctly. If it is not the right size, it will look messy and you will not be able to use it as you want.
To make a precise measurement, these are the things you should do:
a. Use the meter tool to determine the size of the shade cloth
The metering tool lets you measure the size of cloth needed. It’s a great way to keep in the right size of shade cloth for your vegetable garden. My personal advice; always increases the size of the shade cloth to make it easier to install.
b. Cut the shade cloth according to the size
Cut the shade cloth to the exact dimensions of the area. Make sure that you are very accurate when cutting out the pieces.
c. Use a match to tidy up the cut off the scissors
After cutting the net, usually, the end of the net will fall apart. To tidy it up, you can use a match at the end of the shade cloth.
4. Installing the shade cloth
1. Put the crutches in their respective places
After measuring the area of your vegetable garden, place the sticks in the area of the vegetable garden. Put it firmly so that it can hold the shade cloth well.
2. Put the shade cloth above the crutches
Next, put the shade cloth above the crutches carefully.
3. Tie it with the iron wire
If you don’t tie the cloth tightly to your frame, the wind can blow and pull it downwards. Make sure that the cloth is getting fixed tightly to the frame because if it isn’t strong enough from wind interference, you can end up spending your energy to fix the shade cloth.
Conclusion
Are you still wondering how to make the vegetable garden shade cloth? Let me summarize it to make it simple:
1. Preparing the material
There are 3 things that need to be prepared: the shade cloth, iron wire and crutches.
2. Prepare the equipment
- A meter tool to adjust the size and measurement of shade cloth to its frame.
- Scissors for cutting shade cloth and iron wire.
- Matches that will be used to tidy up the shade cloth cutouts.
- Folding ladder to make it easier for you to reach high parts.
- Work safety and security equipment, so that accidents do not occur in installing this shade cloth.
3. Determine the size of shade cloth
4. Installing the shade cloth
5. Put the crutches in their respective places
6. Put the shade cloth above the crutches
7. Tie it with the iron wire
Using shade cloth for vegetable garden, especially for front yard vegetable garden is useful. It helps to improve the environment boost the productivity.
