What can you use shade cloth for on your homestead?

Shade cloth is a lightweight fabric that provides UV protection and light diffusion. It serves several important purposes for farmers and homesteaders alike, beyond simply shading hoop houses during the warmest parts of the season. This article discusses several other uses for this breathable, semi-opaque fabric.

Choosing Shade Cloth

Shade cloth is available in different light-diffusion percentages, typically between 30% and 70%. The percentage refers to the amount of light blocked by the fabric.

The synthetic covers also come in a range of colors, with the three most popular being white, black, and aluminum. The shade cloth color you select depends on the fabric's intended use. 

Read Guide to Using Shade Cloth to learn more about choosing the perfect shade cloth for your application.

Top 8 Ways to Use Shade Cloth on Your Homestead:

1. Shade plants during peak summer
2. Extend growing season
3. Moderate greenhouse temperatures
4. Support seed germination
5. Transitioning seedlings outdoors
6. Provide shade for livestock
7. Patio shade or temporary shade
8. Regulating compost

Shade Plants During Peak Summer

In many climates, even warm-weather crops cannot handle the worst of the summer’s heat. Excess sun exposure can result in several issues for plants, including:

• Sun scalding - Prolonged high temperatures and direct sun exposure can damage both leaves and fruit. Leaves will develop either brown “crispy” areas or turn bleached white, while the skin on fruit usually turns bleached white. Smaller, developing fruits are especially susceptible. The affected areas are cells that are beginning to break down due to intense UV exposure. The delay process will begin soon after. 
  
  
• Heat stress - Like humans, plants thrive within a specific temperature range. For most species, this range is between 59°F and 86°F (15°C and 30°C). When temperatures exceed 90°F (32°C) for days or weeks, plants may show signs of distress, such as leaf cupping, wilting, bolting (cool-season vegetables), and blossom or fruit drop(1). Excessive heat can stunt growth, resulting in smaller fruit and lower yields.
  
  
• Dry soil - The sun significantly affects soil health and moisture content. Too much sun can degrade soil fertility (think of a desert, for example). Heat evaporates moisture in the topsoil, creating a dry, inhospitable environment for roots. Not only will you need more water to keep your plants happy, but forgetting to water for even a day or two could wipe out much of the garden.

The fastest and most effective way to prevent heat stress in plants is to use sun protection. Shade cloth can provide them with some relief. For low-lying plants, you can support the cloth with small hoops that you bend yourself and stake into the ground.

Trellised plants such as tomatoes and beans require a different solution. You can simply drape a piece of cloth over the trellis or suspend the cloth above for multiple plants. Anchoring the cloth to a nearby tall fence or building will work, but you will typically need to add other overhead supports. The simplest way to do this is to place a tall post in a 5-gallon bucket filled with concrete (soil may also work if tamped around the post to keep it upright).

Extending the Growing Season with Shade Cloth

The growing season for cool-weather crops can be cut short by an early wave of warm days. Plants such as lettuce and broccoli are especially sensitive to warmer temperatures and may bolt (flower prematurely) if daytime temperatures exceed 68℉ (20°C). (2) Hot temperatures and warm soil will result in quicker flowering.

If you see a series of unusually warm days in the forecast, use a shade cloth over DIY metal hoops to diffuse light and keep the ground surface cooler. Use a hoop bender and EMT conduit to make custom hoops to fit your bed. These hoops can provide support for other fabrics, such as frost blanket or insect netting.

We recommend monofilament shade cloth or aluminum for use directly over hoops. Tape shade cloth is a cost-effective, lightweight option for many growing applications. It has a high shade efficiency, but is not as strong as monofilament shade cloth. Learn more in this helpful article.

The shade cloth will also prevent the soil from drying out as quickly and will reduce additional stress on the plants.

Planting heat-tolerant varieties under shade cloth can help extend your typical growing season, resulting in more harvests.

Moderate Greenhouse or High Tunnel Temperatures

The ideal greenhouse temperature varies by season and crop. Plants have a base and optimum temperature. As greenhouse temperatures reach extremes, the rate of plant development decreases (3).

Although solar radiation plays a significant role in greenhouse air temperature, several factors influence temperatures. These factors include ventilation, ambient temperature, plant transpiration, and humidity.

During the warmest times of the year, temperatures in a greenhouse can easily exceed the optimum temperature for plants - sometimes reaching upwards of 90°F-100°F (32°C-38°C). 

Reducing solar radiation entering the greenhouse is an effective way to lower the greenhouse air temperature. Shade cloth with 30-50% light diffusion is ideal because it allows adequate light for healthy plant growth. 

Place the shade cloth over the exterior of the greenhouse or high tunnel and secure it using clips or a lock channel. The knitted fabric allows air to travel through Bootstrap Farmer shade cloth, preventing wind from lifting the fabric from the structure.

Support Seed Germination

For seed germination and the next step of transitioning seedlings outdoors, aluminum shade cloth is a better choice than white shade cloth. The aluminum acts as a thermal blanket overnight, moderating temperature swings. 

Seeds require moist soil to germinate. This typically isn’t an issue when starting seeds indoors in a controlled environment. However, when direct sowing outdoors, maintaining consistent moisture levels can be challenging due to external factors such as sunlight, wind, and humidity.

Maintain soil moisture using a shade cloth. Place the shade cloth slightly above the surface to allow sufficient ventilation. Use metal hoops to lift the shade cloth off the soil surface.

Elevate the shade cloth above the soil surface for germination, even if only a few inches. You can also use lumber scraps or bricks to achieve this. Because shade cloth has gaps, seedlings can grow through it if it is lying directly on the surface. 

Check the soil daily and water as needed.

Transitioning Seedlings Outdoors

Hardening off plants is a critical step in transitioning seedlings outdoors. This is the process of gradually introducing seedlings to an outdoor, uncontrolled environment. Prepare seedlings to move outdoors 1-2 weeks before planting in the garden. If you are unfamiliar with the hardening-off process, check out our article,  Seed Starting 101, for five easy steps to harden off your seedlings. 

The first step is to move the plants outdoors to a protected, shaded area for a short period of time (2-3 hours). Gradually increase the duration outdoors, avoiding excessively windy days or days with inclement weather.

Once the plants have been acclimated to the elements in a protected environment, such as a low tunnel, gradually introduce them to direct sunlight. Shade cloth can make this process easier and reduce the risk of wilting or sunscalding. Use the shade cloth during the transition from a shaded area to a fully sunny area.

The shade cloth can be draped over the seedlings or a purpose-built temporary structure built from recycled lumber or an upcycled shelf. A support structure is necessary for delicate seedlings, as the weight of the cloth may damage them. 

Provide Shade for Livestock

Cooling livestock on the hottest days of summer is essential for animal health. Several methods for cooling down livestock include providing fans, shade, adequate water, shearing (if applicable), modifying feeding time, or wetting down the animals(4). Multiple methods will likely be required for the most effective cooling strategy. Needs and requirements vary by animal species and breed. 

Adding portable shade to a grazing area or livestock pen/run is an easy and effective way to provide relief from direct sunlight.

When providing shade for livestock, opt for a cover with a higher light-diffusion percentage and lighter in color. Shade cloth is a great solution for portable shade structures because it is lightweight and breathable. They can also be attached to an existing structure as a lean-to or used to cover a portion of a run for additional shade. Knitted shade cloth can cover large areas and be cut to a custom size to meet the required coverage.

Due to the knitted nature of the shade cloth, it won’t protect livestock from heavy rain or snow loads, but it may provide partial wind protection.  

Related: Caring for Chickens in Every Season

Patio Shade or Temporary Shade Structures

A less obvious use for shade cloth is general shade outside the garden. Many gardening or animal-keeping activities occur in the middle of the yard, where they are exposed to full sun during the hottest times of the year. This could range from washing lettuce to processing meat chickens. Using shade cloth to protect you during these activities is an excellent alternative to a pop-up tent, especially since shade cloths are available in custom sizes. You can cut the cloth to a specific length without unraveling if you purchase a knitted type (as opposed to a woven one).

The hardest part of creating a free-standing sunshade in the middle of an open area is suspending the cloth. If this is an area you will use frequently, consider placing a few tall fence posts at the corners to anchor the cloth into. You can make movable posts by placing them in 5-gallon buckets of concrete or compacted soil. If you are next to a building, attach two corners to the side while the other corners are staked into the ground, creating a lean-to of shade cloth.

An application for shading a deck might be to add a decorative pergola that you can cover with shade cloth during the hottest times of the year and remove when you prefer more sunlight. An alternative would be to anchor two corners of the cloth to your house, and the other two corners to a deck railing. You can use a similar lean-to design for a chicken coop or other livestock shelter, anchoring it to the ground to provide shade for the animals.

Regulating Compost

Similar to plants, compost needs moisture to thrive. A compost pile in a full-sun area will dry out more quickly than a shaded one. A lack of consistent moisture will slow down the microorganisms that break down the organic matter.

During the hottest summer weeks, keeping your compost pile shaded helps ensure the decomposition process is working as intended. Providing this temporary shade with a shade cloth couldn’t get much easier - simply drape the cloth over your compost pile or bin. This will create a cooler microclimate beneath the cloth, keeping microorganisms well hydrated and healthy.

Shade Cloth Applications on the Homestead

Shade cloth is a versatile and invaluable tool for homesteaders and gardeners alike, with numerous applications beyond simple plant shading. From extending growing seasons to providing relief for livestock, the uses of shade cloth are diverse and practical. 

From protecting delicate plants from scorching summer sun to keeping optimal composting conditions, the benefits of utilizing shade cloth are clear. The versatility of shade cloth opens up a world of possibilities for sustainable and efficient growing practices, making it a must-have tool for any homestead or garden.

Resources

1.  Heat Wave in the Garden, Oregon State.

2. Growing lettuce, endive, and radicchio, Minnesota State.

3. Growing on at Cooler than Optimum Temperatures, University of Massachusetts.

4. Helping Livestock Beat the Heat This Summer, Texas A&M

Written by Elaina and Alex of Homestead Dreamers.