Trees usually need a lot of sun to grow. But in hot summer, too much sun can make water dry up too fast. This can make young trees not have enough water and can burn the leaves and fruits. So, in very hot weather, or in dry places, you can use a shade cloth to protect your young trees and shade-loving trees like Japanese Maple and Pawpaw from the sun.
But how can you pick the best shade cloth for your trees? You might have a lot of questions. For example, what color should the shade cloth be? How much shade does it need to provide? When should you start using it?
Don’t worry, INSONSHADE is here to help. In this article, we will answer all these questions. We will also tell you about some popular shade cloths for trees that you can buy. (We are a company that makes and studies agricultural nets, so we can give you professional advice about growing plants.)
Why Do Trees Need Shade Cloths?
Many native tree species don’t typically require shade cloths in the summer. However, if their growing conditions change—such as moving temperate fruit trees to tropical regions, or transplanting young trees from forests into pots—shade cloths can be crucial in extreme sunlight conditions. Let’s dive deeper into why shade cloths can sometimes be necessary for trees:
- Protection from Overexposure to Sunlight: Intense sunlight can lead to sunburn in trees, causing their leaves to turn yellow, wilt, or even contract plant diseases. Shade cloths provide a shield, safeguarding trees from the harmful direct impact of strong sunlight.
- Temperature and Humidity Control: Shade cloths can help to moderate the temperature surrounding the trees and minimize water evaporation, ensuring that the soil remains moist. This is especially beneficial for water-loving trees planted in hot or dry areas.
- Shielding Sensitive and Young Trees: Newly planted or light-sensitive trees like Japanese Maples might need additional shade to thrive.
- Preventing Fruit Sunburn and Improving Quality: In fruit trees, intense sunlight could lead to sunburnt fruits, affecting their quality and yield. Shade cloths can protect the fruit from sun damage and also deter birds from pecking at them.
- Assisting in Geographic and Climate Adaptation: Shade cloths can help trees adjust to different geographical locations and climatic conditions. For example, in places near the equator where sunlight is intense, shade cloths might be needed all year round. Conversely, in temperate regions with strong summer sunlight, shade cloths might be deployed mainly during the summer season.
How to Choose the Best Shade Cloth for Your Trees
When it comes to finding the perfect shade cloth for your young or shade-loving dwarf trees, a shade cloth boasting a 30% to 50% shading rate and crafted from HDPE fabric should be your top pick. Don’t stress over the color selection; simply choose what you like. However, black is the standard choice for most large-scale shading projects.
1. Select a Shade Cloth Offering a 30% to 50% Shading Rate
Since trees thrive in sunlight, the shading rate doesn’t have to be exceptionally high even in the intense heat of summer. Generally, a shade cloth with a shading rate ranging between 30% and 50% does the job well.
The exact shading rate can be chosen based on the drought conditions of your locality: the drier the area, the higher the shading rate should be to prevent moisture loss.
2. Pick Shade Cloths Made from HDPE Fabric
The fabric material is critical when selecting a shade cloth. High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is a stellar choice due to its durability and resilience. It stands up well against various weather conditions, including gusty winds, heavy rain, and searing sunshine.
HDPE also has excellent UV resistance, meaning it efficiently blocks the harmful UV rays from the sun, safeguarding your trees from overexposure. While HDPE is plastic, it provides significant breathability in shade cloth, an essential factor for maintaining proper air circulation and a cooler temperature around your trees.
3. Size is Essential
The size of the shade cloth is a crucial factor to consider. Trees often spread over a large area, so it’s wise to manually measure the trees’ coverage area.
Also, consider if you need to provide shading for the sides. Calculate the size required accordingly, and ensure the shade cloth brand you choose caters to your size requirements.
Finally, don’t forget to look at user reviews when selecting a shade cloth and take into consideration aspects like warranty and after-sales service. A well-rounded evaluation will guide you toward the best shade cloth for your trees.
Top 3 Best Shade Cloth Products for Your Trees
Our factory, INSONSHADE, specializes in the development and supply of HDPE shade cloth to retailers and agricultural brands globally. Should you be contemplating bulk orders, our factory is an excellent choice. Presented below are a few retail shade cloth products that stand out in the market for their exceptional value.
The e.share 40% Black Shade Netting is a best-selling, durable product made from 100% UV-stable High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE). It can be custom-ordered up to 20 ft x 100 ft. With a shading rate of 40%, it provides adequate shade without completely obstructing the sunlight. This makes it perfect for young trees and certain small fruit trees that need a touch of shade.
The product has an impressive 4.5-star rating on Amazon with over 1400 reviews, which speaks to its popularity and quality. It’s worth noting, however, that it doesn’t come with pre-set grommets, but can still be installed using ropes or clips.
2. Agfabric 30% Sun Shade Nets
The Agfabric Sun Shade Net, with its 30% shading rate, has also received rave reviews. It boasts a strong 4.5-star average rating from 992 customers. Constructed from HDPE, this product is known for its tear and wear resistance.
The largest size available is 12 ft x 20 ft, ideal for offering summer shade protection to dwarf trees in your garden. This shade net comes with an added advantage – grommets for easy installation.
3. Cool Area 55% Shade Cloth for Trees
The Cool Area 55% Shade Cloth is another noteworthy product. Designed to block 55% of sunlight and UV rays, it’s the go-to choice for protecting your trees in extreme heat.
Made from robust HDPE fabric, this product comes with a 5-year warranty. The largest available size is 10 ft x 20 ft, and it features aluminum grommets every 50 cm. This setup allows you to secure the shade cloth anywhere using zippers or ropes, providing a safety net for your garden plants.
Earning a 4.4-star rating on Amazon, this product is praised for its lightweight nature, ease of installation, and excellent transparency and sun protection, underscoring its high quality and user-friendliness.
Wrapping Up
Remember that trees typically have larger dimensions than common garden plants. Therefore, when installing a shade cloth, it will require more substantial support materials and tools like ropes or zippers. You should prepare these in advance.
Also, it’s vital to consider the future growth of your trees. For that reason, you should ensure that the shade net you purchase is somewhat larger than the current size of your trees.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Please feel free to leave them in the comments section below if you have any thoughts or suggestions. Furthermore, should you need to place long-term or bulk orders for shade nets, don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly. We are here to help.
