need shadecloth advice...where to buy quality...what color works best?

After removing the plastic from our original hoop house every year usually late march there is only a month or so before I add the shade cloth.

I've found the second more recent hoop house more useful covered in shade cloth also for our summers here where I start in flats and pot up a lot of things before planting out in the gardens...the shade keeps them from baking and it is much more conservatve for water.

So, while waiting on shade trees to grow (more exciting than watching paint dry) I want to invest in some quality shade cloth for our porches and other hoops for growing.

While researching I see it's available in white, tan, green and black in different percentages of shade at this site https://farmplasticsupply.com/shade-cloth

Ours is black and at least 50% shade...has been used for maybe twenty five years now almost constantly except mid winter.

I wonder if anyone has used a lighter color?

I have no idea where this shade cloth was from as it was a trade many years ago but would love something as long lasting if I'm going to buy more petroleum products.

Here are a few bits of information I've picked up on line...these are 'copy and paste'...not my words.

Knit shade cloth is made from polyethylene and it has more loosely woven threads and it can be cut it to size without it unraveling. This means it’s more lightweight and easier to work with. Woven shade is made from polypropylene. Its threads are tightly woven together and it’s a bit heavier, but it offers more UV protection than knit shade cloth. It will unravel if it is cut or gets a hole.

White shade cloth reflects sunlight and heat. It keeps a greenhouse cooler, but it only diffuses light and so lets the full light spectrum in, including harmful UV rays. You might want light shade cloth if you live in a hot climate and you’re constantly trying to protect your plants from too much sun and heat.


Black shade cloth absorbs sunlight and heat. It makes a greenhouse hotter, but It filters light and offers protection against harmful UV rays. You might want dark shade cloth if you live in a cooler climate and want to keep as much heat in as possible. Or you might want dark shade cloth if you’re using it out in the garden without the protection of greenhouse plastic; as an added benefit, it will blend in to the landscape better than white shade cloth.

Polyethylene fabrics are tough and good at handling sun damage, making them a lasting choice for sunny gardens.

Polypropylene fabrics are lighter and might be cheaper, but they might not last as long or protect against the sun as well. They’re good for short-term or seasonal use.

I'm looking into green, knit yardages.  The company I've linked to in my first post seems to have good prices but I have not checked into shipping yet.

I'm glad you found some info. i typed and lost a response last week-- where i live black is available more easily because people are using it just for shade. if you have a greenhouse, you probably have a supplier for green/white that can give you a better deal. But I live in almost-tropical bananaland, where the goal is to cut as much UV as possible.
I've also found it lasted MUCH better than I expected (although I do take good care of it when it's not out in the garden).

For smaller scale, I have heard the benefits of utilizing cotton garden cloth to reduce sun scald and this is usually a light color such a light.

I wonder if larger width burlap with a tighter weave might be able to work similarly?

As to where to get it, there's always Amazon of course. I work for a co-op, and we sell a couple different types, you can buy it in a roll, or by the foot in 6 and 12 foot length.  I don't know if all co-ops carry it, but it's worth a shot. Also you could try garden centers.
I need to buy shade cloth too.  My greenhouse is to hot to use at all in the summer.  Thanks for posting this. It's interesting.

We got our knit aluminet 70% shade cloth from Gothic Arch Greenhouses four years ago but from a quick glance at their website it looks like maybe they don't carry it any more...?

We couldn't survive in the greenhouse without it, and neither could our trees...

We have just repurposed a trampoline safety net as a cloche/butterfly/bird/shade net for our cabbage transplants.

We can get hold of trampolines quite easily, free for the dismantling and removing, and have been collecting them with a view to make a polytunnel.

The netting is working great for crop protection (hung over bent lengths of hazel, driven into the ground at both sides of the bed).

If only we could find a use for the trampoline mesh.

I used camouflage nets from the surplus store - heavy, but last forever and sometimes cheap to get. They come in various types of weight, size, color and shapes.

Kimi Iszikala wrote:We got our knit aluminet 70% shade cloth from Gothic Arch Greenhouses four years ago but from a quick glance at their website it looks like maybe they don't carry it any more...?

We couldn't survive in the greenhouse without it, and neither could our trees...

it's at this website. https://farmplasticsupply.com/shade-cloth

Luke Mitchell wrote:We have just repurposed a trampoline safety net as a cloche/butterfly/bird/shade net for our cabbage transplants.

We can get hold of trampolines quite easily, free for the dismantling and removing, and have been collecting them with a view to make a polytunnel.

The netting is working great for crop protection (hung over bent lengths of hazel, driven into the ground at both sides of the bed).

If only we could find a use for the trampoline mesh.

I use the trampoline mesh that I have dragged home over the years for putting under the mulberry trees to catch the abundant harvest of berries in June!  Works great!

I used a shade cloth fabric made by Vigoro and purchased at Home Depot to cover my garden cage.
I think it was this one: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-6-ft-x-50-ft-Almond-Sun-Shade-Fabric-TSS0650/313769178

this is a photo from the inside of the cage looking at some trellised squash. The shade cloth is draped over the peak of the cage and down the east and west sides. It goes up in late May or early June and comes down again in October. This will likely change as I am moving this year from 9a to 6a.

I've had excellent results with 30% Agribon white shade cloth. From the vegetables point of view at least. Almost everything is looking happier with less murderous sunlight. I don't remember where I bought it, sorry.

This is the second year I have used the strips (I cut 5ft wide strips and hang over each bed) and they are basically telling me they won't be around next year. They are shredding in the wind where they are clipped to their supports. I have it solved more or less but it's too late for this set. More clothespins!!!

Thanks everyone for all of the great suggestions!
It will take me awhile to check them all out..
I'm glad I haven't order anything yet

And thanks Tim for mentioning this thread in the dailyish and getting it off the ground!

Dan Fish wrote:I've had excellent results with 30% Agribon white shade cloth. From the vegetables point of view at least. Almost everything is looking happier with less murderous sunlight. I don't remember where I bought it, sorry.

This is the second year I have used the strips (I cut 5ft wide strips and hang over each bed) and they are basically telling me they won't be around next year. They are shredding in the wind where they are clipped to their supports. I have it solved more or less but it's too late for this set. More clothespins!!!

This year we purchased some Agribon from Vesey's Seeds (a Canadian supplier) in an attempt to protect our brassicas from cabbage white butterfly larva.  There were different sizes and widths...the Ag-15 was a better size for our beds, but deteriorated quite a bit.  We took both of them off this weekend as the plants had outgrown the cover (i.e. I didn't have it high enough).  I'm concerned about the impact the sudden increase of sunlight may have on the plants.  The did a wonderful job of protecting the weeds too so I spent time weeding the beds.

Here's a shot of the trampoline safety net. It provides some shade, which is helpful for our transplants, even here in Wales. It's much tougher than most insect/bird nets and works just as well. Plus, free + upcycled.

For using the actual trampoline - couldn't you use it to cover and kill of grass for a new garden bed - similar to using recycled billboard vinyl?

Scot Miller wrote:For using the actual trampoline - couldn't you use it to cover and kill of grass for a new garden bed

I don't think that would be that effective as the trampoline mesh is just that, a mesh. It does exclude a lot of light (much more than the safety netting, pictured above) but I think grass and other perennial weeds would push their way through.

For those that don't mind putting plastic down under woodchips/stones, that would probably be a good use for it. I don't do that as I think it's a recipe for microplastic contamination of the soil. The only plastic I have intentionally put into the ground is a few lengths of drainage and water pipe - there aren't really affordable, available alternatives.