Garden Netting...what density?

Castellamonte

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Mar 3, 2005
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To any of you gardeners out there...

We have a pretty good sized garden so we can grow a lot of veggies. We've found that the heat of summer can scorch more sensitive plants such as our variety of lettuces. So we've decided to install a black garden net over the portion of the garden where those types of plants are grown.

Garden nets come in a few densities which indicate the amount of sunlight (and heat) they absorb. So the question is, what density do others use here to get the best results? I don't want it too thick or the plants won't grow as well yet I don't want it too thin or it will not work as I need.

What do you use?
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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Most netting I'm aware of is to keep direct rain from damaging crops, not to prevent sunlight.

Maybe your lettuces are the wrong varities for the climate.
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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"CB", you are wrong.
Many crops are "Shaded" to protect them from the sun.
Tobacco for one,orchids for "TWO".
CC
Coffee for three, but not to protect it.

Thanks. I know the netting here is used for rain.

I see tobacco grown everywhere in full sun.
 

donluis99

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Jul 12, 2004
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Yes, the sun can do a number on veggies especially if you are in the lower areas as opposed to Jarabacoa, anyway one killer is soil temperatures do a number too, sun beating down all day on black soil, I have measured soil surface temps in the garden at over 120F.

If you find some suitable shade cloth here, say 40% shaded that would go along way over most all veggies.

If you find it please let know where and how much, I had spent many Saturdays running around and the secre at work calling tons of agropecuaria with no luck.

I have seen white shade cloth up in tobacco country, but nobody around to ask where they got it, usually imported as co-op I would think, maybe somebody in Tobacco areas could check the local agropecuaria, please?

Found some 90% at Ferreteria Americana, expensive, they use it for orchids, I tried a piece over 1/4 of the garden area for leafys, was more or less but really is too much shade.

Or if you need a real good quantity, would be interested to share an import, I need about 180 m2 of 40% aluminiumized cloth. (allows more sunlight, less heat) Plants can process more light as long as there is water y co2 available, so really the radiant heat is the problem, not the actual sunlight.

g'luck
 

donluis99

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Shade Cloth from ShadeClothStore.com[/QUOTE

Purpose of shade cloth is 2 fold, depend on the need, heat or light protection.

Orchids for example with benefit from both, veggies benefit from the heat protection here in the tropics, they will photosynthesize all the sunlight they can receive as long as they have enough water, nutrients with CO2 in a proper temperature zone for the particular plant species or type, more ingredients delivered in balanced amounts = vigorous growth.

Shadecloth Store, is one of the more expensive I have found.....

again to answer OP ?, 40% - 60% shaded is good, 50% right there in the middle is a great choice too, anything really in this range will make a big difference.

g'luck
 

Castellamonte

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Something I located online strongly suggested 80% shaded for this climate for most veggies and lettuces. This is assuming the black plastic stuff you can get at Ferreteria Americana or similar places. I checked with some local viveros who seemed to use between 60% and 80% but when questioned they actually used the 60% because it is "less expensive" and not necessarily because it was "better". Interesting.

I think I'll grab a huge roll of the 80% from FA. I'll let you all know how it goes. Either I will have amazing lettuces and veggies I'll be begging to give away or I'll be bitching and fuming because nothing is growing. Time will tell but thanks for the input!
 

donluis99

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80% will be an expensive mistake, I tried it, almost nothing grow under it, stunted and slow, it is still up, no grasses no weeds either, bare dirt, if you are in SD come over and see.
 

donluis99

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Something I located online strongly suggested 80% shaded for this climate for most veggies and lettuces. This is assuming the black plastic stuff you can get at Ferreteria Americana or similar places. I checked with some local viveros who seemed to use between 60% and 80% but when questioned they actually used the 60% because it is "less expensive" and not necessarily because it was "better". Interesting.

I think I'll grab a huge roll of the 80% from FA. I'll let you all know how it goes. Either I will have amazing lettuces and veggies I'll be begging to give away or I'll be bitching and fuming because nothing is growing. Time will tell but thanks for the input!

Since you brought the subject up, my garden planting is behind because my time has been being spent on my solar panel project and my aquaculture project so I checked out some of shade cloth websites, almost bought on one until I found out the shipping alone was US$70.00 to EPS Miami so I checked out amazon, well went ahead and bought a 12' x 100' roll of 40% shaded delivered to Miami for US$157.00 + 75.00 Miami to Santo Domingo that comes to US$0.20 per ft.2 delivered..

Castellamonte..........check amazon, if you think heavier shade will be better, I do not, go ahead but try 60% max.....better yet 50%, I do not think you will be bitching and moaning afterward. Even you can buy a small roll for a test, I garden and i KNOW it is a real BUMMER when stuff does not grow or produce, it is way different here in the DR, I used to have big gardens in northern Ohio then Texas, which was harder due to the heat and heavy rains, and now here......the sun is great for solar lousy for soil temperatures

g'luck!
 
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If you are going long term, you can grow more crops/plants above the sun sensitive crops on pergolas. You dig posts and use 6x6 construction mesh and then grow squash or other vine-growing. sun-loving plants. I'm a big fan of Bougainvilleas. If you grow squash, it's nice because the squash hang down for easy harvesting.
 

Olvidado

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Jun 19, 2012
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When I am in DR, I am in my little place in Constanza, so, every garden is different, hope this help:


1 Please consider peterinbrat ideas?
you could also plant pole beans witch will replace hydrogen burned by the heat in the soil


2 Observe how the Sun kisses (north /south) your garden, morning, afternoon?


3 Are there tall trees shading some areas? Consider planting your letters there.


4 Do you have plants in 3 to 5 gallon containers that can be moved to shade the letters?


5 Are others in the community growing letters? Especially locals? how are they growing them?


6 Keep a diary of your garden? for example, my molondrones were pretty little for a while, one day I decided to move some of the molondrones south; they tripled in size, I also noticed some guandules next to the molondrones, ?maybe they did not like guandules as neigbors?.? I wrote on my diary.


7 Remember Masanobu Fukuoka, ?The one straw revolution? you can get the PDF here for FREE:


ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/ID/technical/one_straw_revolution.pdf

?Work with nature not against nature?

There are so many physical and spiritual benefits to gardening!!!! Really amazing!
Everyone should have a garden...
 

donluis99

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Jul 12, 2004
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I have a shade structure over more than 80m2 of raised beds, been up for 3 years just needs the shade cloth which we found economical solution today thanks to castellamonte bringing the subject of shade density to the board.

meanwhile best garden results here have been from Sept - Feb.

We even had a plot of hot banana peppers go for just over 4 years, continually producing the whole time but come the cooler monthes we had bumper production from them.