Shade netting

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Alisdair

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Shade netting
« on: March 05, 2014, 03:58:11 PM »
In the thread on the damage extreme heat in South Australia had inflicted on Jamus' and Trevor's plants, Alessandra wrote:

Actually, I always shade the greenhouses with black or very dark green shade cloth. I lose light of course - but the difference in terms of temperature is incredible!

You can see the original thread on the severe heat damage by clicking here. But it's prompted this separate discussion of different sorts of shading.

We use dark green netting (on glass here in UK, and also in an outdoor area with lily species) for heat reduction. Have you, Alessandra, or anyone else, tried reflective netting - aluminet? The dark green netting certainly does get warm and must radiate some of that warmth back into the glasshouse. People say that using reflective netting instead can lower temperature at least as much, while allowing more light in for photosynthesis. But I don't know anyone who's actually used it!
« Last Edit: March 06, 2014, 09:40:40 AM by Alisdair »
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

Trevor Australis

  • Sr. Member
Shade netting
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2014, 10:39:17 PM »
My big greenhouse, a double skin of poly-carbonate designed in Israel, came with a reflective mesh 'blanket' but I've never used it because it is designed to be fitted inside the house under the roof-line. I thought the house was not high enough to accommodate this without losing too much inner space. Some distance from here there are big greenhouse of the new Israeli-Dutch kind that are very high - 10m high at least, in which tomatoes, cucumbers etc are grown up long wires/ strings. These often have the reflective metal curtains that are controlled automatically by heat sensors that also operate the vents and fans with which these huge structures are equipped. I don't know any home gardeners who use blankets/ curtains of this kind. Plenty of people do use white/ cream shade-cloth to protect veg from scorching in extreme conditions such as heatwaves.
M Land. Arch., B. Sp. Ed. Teacher, traveller and usually climate compatible.

Jamus

  • Jr. Member
Shade netting
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2014, 01:12:44 AM »
Trevor and Alisdair; at my work here we use the reflective metal curtains, the product you mentioned Alisdair called "Aluminet". It's very good for reducing the total light/heat in a glasshouse. I haven't used it at home but I suppose it's an option as I'm planning my shadehouse which the plan is to have finished in time for next summer. I'm not sure how it compares cost-wise, but I can find out.

Long hot summers, mild wet winters. Rainfall approx. 600mm pa.
Summer maximums over 40 degrees, winter minimums occasionally below freezing.
Gardening on neutral clay loam and sandy loam.