If you found this video helpful, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😀TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 Gardening In Heat Waves 1:03 How Strong Sun Damages Plants 3:35 My SECRET WEAPON! 6:19 How I Built My Shade Tunnel 7:56 Installing Shade Cloth In My Garden 9:37 Other Uses Of Shade Tarps 10:48 Adventures With Dale
thanks for the timestamps and tips my wife built a lean-to type structure, since her "garden" is in huge planters against the back wall of the house. um.. we already had this idea, but found it not so easy to find, where we live.
Can you help me I live on a Real strict budget because I only live on Social Security disability I am trying to do a garden this year and raise beds I’m not having any luck with them my tomatoes take forever to flower I put some Epson salt and that brought them to flower I never got tomatoes and the heat kill them I use trash bags to block tried to block it didn’t work now I’m pregnant 11 weeks how am I going to get a garden going again when I have to say pay for this baby
Lovely! First time gardening this year and my husband jokingly made a comment my plants are getting more care and attention than him, which is true" ! Appreciate all the infos fr m your channel, learned a lot and continue to do so!
In Indonesia where I live, to deal with El Nina, I build a light metal structure that work as a frame above my raise beds. It serves a support when my plants gets too hot ( Paranet ) , or attacks by pest ( pest netting) or too much heavy tropical rains ( UV plastic ). So I will put either a paranet or pest netting or UV plastic accordingly.
You can use PVC pipe which in my area is less expensive than conduit. I have 4 X 4 raised boxes and I have 18" rebar that I drove into the corners. Then I criss cross my boxes with 2 PVC pipes. I've used these for plastic to grow in colder weather. We have temps in the upper 90s to lower 100s with very little humidity in the west. This is my first year using the shade cloth and I am amazed at how well it works! I shade my boxes by covering the western half so that the plants get morning sun, but afternoon shade. I'm using 70% shade cloth so figured the plans needed morning direct sun. My pplants look fantastic! Shade cloth is a gardens salvation. I also had no squash bugs because I kept my zucchini totally covered until they started to bloom at which time I uncovered half of the box so bees could get in. Love this method and IT WORKS!
I live in arid HOT Southern California and I have had those same shade cloths up for almost two months now. If I didn’t have these I would have NO plants left…they just cook on the vine. I actually enjoy sitting under the shade cloth when I am resting when gardening…which I need to do a lot since I am in my 70’s and the heat just does me in! Love your videos.
I have shade trees to east and west of my garden, removed those to the south, which only gets about 5 hours of full sunlight a day, and it helps a lot, the garden grows OK till late fall. Also have drip lines under plastic ground cover, being a lazy gardner, so I don't need to weed either. The plastic discourages digging critters too.
After 34yrs in 100⁰+ dry heat, I finally realized best time to plant is fall/winter/spring, & to plant in the shade during the summer. Plants here just seem to need no more than hr total sun. As for daily, continuous watering, found wicking buckets require "less watering" or maintenance. Still need check every day, but less work. Still learning, so... Been wanting shade cloth, but need convince kid to do.
Fantastic video, and very helpful. I live in Arkansas. Our average temp has been around 115-117° F, even after 7 pm. The humidity has been unbearable! My seeds didn’t germinate. The plants I bought and planted didn’t grow or didn’t bear fruit except for 1 tomato plant. It gave us 1 plum tomato. It was too hot for me also. I had to stop going outside. It’s been a heartbreaking summer for many.
It’s been wacky this year. While the center of the country has been roasting, we had 3 weeks of daily storms, overcast skies and below average temps. It flipped about 10 days ago, and now we have had numerous dry days around 96 degrees. The heat index has been in the 110-120 range consistently. The good news is things will be cooling off in a few weeks for good.
@@TheMillennialGardener we had the same problem. Many plants have grown great from seed then after one of the rains, buds fell off the pepper plants and the tomatoes stopped flowering. Seven cucumber plants all diseased and starting more now. It’s been crazy. It all started great then it all went down the drain. Fifteen tomato plants and only five not diseased but again, no blooms. Four zucchini plants and only 2 zucchini’s so far. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.
I'm in east Texas, it's August and H O T as heck. Love my shade cloth I put up this year on long large bamboo poles, overhead so I can walk underneath to tend everything. Also, I turn on a sprinkler for an hour before sunup; the days have been so hot that the leaves dry up right away, so no mold problems have a chance to develop. Everything is growing well 😎
Growing roses this year for the first time in Houston. We are already in the mid 90s. A few of my baby roses are getting scorched already. Agh!!! Found this very instructive. Thank you!
Thank you for this video! This is my first year, and it has been nothing short of catastrophic in terms of protecting my plants from pests, diseases, and the dreaded uv spikes. I was so unprepared . Next year, I will have a plan, and hopefully better results. I have learned a lot from your channel! Thank you!
NC does get a lot of buglets. I mix bug carapices into my soil. You can buy it at the garden shops. It helps them build immunity. Then I just use diatamaceous earth dust and neem. But I have a small space. Don't give up gardening! This year has been too weird to base future experiences on. Shade cloth really works wonders with the UV issues. It is tough stuff too, so you invest in it and it lasts for years.
Well you sound like you heard me talking to my friend “ - “ God willing next yr we’ll be prepared! 🙂 this yr it was second rnd of sink hole repairs fired ev so my daughter & I took on the jobs. Crappy wrkrs are prevelent ev is a carpenter lol the frnt & bk yard restorations were last that done gardening season’s 1/2 way through 🥲 90 days maybe get some crops, hope so. Best wishes!
I live in Arizona and I have built a shade house and so far it’s working great. I had to super reinforce everything as the one I bought off Amazon blew away with wind . I will get bigger pipe and bend my own hoop house next time . Great ideas and great information keep up the good work . Thanks for the video !
@@mamajan99 yes it kinda was I ordered a hoop kit off Amazon before I really knew it was tornado alley here. I thought it would be fast enough to build 1/2 in conduit Wasn’t strong enough for the wind obviously. Had just finished connecting and installed the shade material not lees than hour later . The hurricane winds blew it over bending it up. I reinforced it with rebars and wired to concrete blocks filled with rock the kite sting I used now is 1/2 nylon strapping and more wire everywhere. This is what the plans should call for is all this reinforcement. I also put on the outside half inch wire screen doors shelves Much better . Yeah my first attempt I should’ve left it but I needed a break from the initial setup . Yes the wind here can pick up Wood , sheet metal, and most things that aren’t extremely heavy. My neighbor has made some comments about stuff flying around but I haven’t scared them too much. Lol
Wow 60 lb what are you fertilizing with? After moving here from Oregon I still have a learning curve for this extreme climate. Where do get your shade cloth from? Amazon? Thanks 🙏
Hi newbie gardener from hot, humid sw Florida. Shade cloth is the garden savior. I put mine up as soon as I got my containers planted. Now I'm learning how to battle pests of al kinds. Thanks for these videos. I'm saving everyone of them. 😊😊
How are you battling pests? I'm in north fla first time gardener. My beautiful cantaloupe trellis has become a pickle worm farm, every single damn piece of fruit has holes in it. I tried neem, didn't help. Then I tried bug dust, still worms. What works?
Great video! I’m glad someone finally admits even our heat loving plants CANT take full summer sun at this intensity and heat level!!! My tomatoes are burning up. I’ve lost 18/20. Will definitely be doing this from now on ☺️ thank you for linking everything also! This video was so helpful and encouraging.
I moved from an old sunscreen plastic covered system to a large open area on the side of my hill. I notice the sun is different now, like the sky has been altered. I also terraced about 100’x50’ of my hillside and have it planted. These are big areas to cover, but I see the need to do it. You do a good job. Luckily I live in CA in the mountains about 5 miles from the ocean so it’s generally not as hot as you consistently. It never ends the stuff to buy. Thanks
New gardener here. Learning so much the hard way. I was reading that my container plants needed full sun, so put them in a sunny spot on my deck which unfortunately doesn’t get morning sun, only 12-4. I found my pollinator plants cooked by the end of the day…pepper plants drooping and dropping flowers, so just got shade cloth. They are much happier now…pollinator plants still toast though, some of the cone flowers And salvia, I’ve placed in partial shade and they are doing ok.
Thanks, so much, for this info. I am a brand new gardener in Houston, Texas and my plants are struggling, no matter what I do. I wanted to try container gardening to begin with and plan on doing raised beds next year. I have watered like the Dickens and it just seems like no matter what I do my poor plants are suffering. This is such helpful information and thank you for the link for the shade cloth. Even if I lose what I have planted so far, I will be ready come fall and next spring!
I live north of Houston. I planted in grow bags and on the ground. The ones on the ground are doing a lot better without so much watering. Next year I am planting everything I can on the ground. I got more fruit and the leaves look more beautiful. The plants dig deeper for water and nutrients naturally.
San Antonio here was having the same problem with my guavas,avocados,starfruit,blueberries,papayas schorching all my leaves I put a shade cloth over them and heavy mulch the mulch actually did a better job at retaining the moisture plus I added mycorrhizae,compose & worm castings the burned leaves fell of and new leaves came out almost immediately. I also white washed all my tree trunks 50% interior white paint 50% water gives gives protecting from the sun The only plants so far that I see that are not effected with our scorching sun and heat are basil and the Barbados cherry and much to my surprise my carries mango is doing very good without protection it’s actually growing pretty rapidly. Look into Brassinolide at Power Grown it protects plants from heat and freeze shock it’s suppose to protect strengthen roots, a lady from northern Florida uses this to protect her mango orchards from freezes. Hope this helps you good luck
Have this over my garden...its a huge sail in the wind. Presses up and down like you would not believe. Gets hooked onto everything. Without wind, works great
We finished building our greenhouse and we took your advice using the 40% shade cloth. We're in the high desert of Cali and we recently had a 106 degree day. I planted watermelon, lettuce and tomatoes and all are doing great. The whole thing is covered in the 1/2" steel mesh, even the floor, with plastic over it on the wind sides. I left the east side open with no shade cloth or plastic just because the sun isn't too bad in the mornings and I want the bees to get in and do their thing. I read that they can easily get through 1/2" so they can pollinate my tomatoes, watermelon, etc. I'm working on my September crop of carrots and broccoli. I picked up a few really large plastic tubs that I'll use to plant them. Our gophers eat through plastic thus the steel mesh on the floor. Also want to plant Cantaloupe. I'll let you know how it goes. You advice always helps me do the right thing.
I love how you strapped the rebar on the T post. I'm thinking up my own version of this and I was going to use bigger (more expensive) pvc to fit over the T post. Adding the rebar makes it so I can use smaller, more flexible and less expensive pvc!
I’ve been thinking about doing this for my veggie garden, it’s been 105-114 here for weeks now and because we are on top of a hill the wind drys the soil out even more. Thank you for your great videos, they are always very helpful 💕
A tip for shade cloth (as we call it in Australia), if you want to reduce the heat, have the cloth about 0.5 to 1 metre (2-3 feet) above what you want to keep cool. I have a stronger shade cloth canopy over my chicken run (chickens not being very heat tolerant) and it works quite well with side ventilation on three sides. On hot days, I tested it by being in there, with it being very hot directly under the cloth, and much cooler by 1m (3ft) below it. The chicken/ground level being about 1.8m or 6ft below the cloth. Relevant for plants, particularly in pots for moisture retention, the heat will help dry them out. Another tip, if you have just a shade roof, it protects from the mid-day sun, and depending on orientation, can allow the direct sun in the cooler hours.
Yes I noticed the same that draping the clothe right over the plant may provide some protection from the sun but not the heat since the cloth itself will get hot. Also noticed that covering the plants too well meant they were hard for pollinators to get to them 😂
@@justintime4466 Oh good point, pollinators. Yes indeed. Speaking of the airborne critters, a shade cloth should throw off the birds from the crop (not 100%, but mostly)
I really enjoy your videos. They are straightforward, and without a lot of time-wasting chitchat. My absolute favorite part of your videos is that you make it VERY clear what part of the US you live in, and what your climate is like - which is very similar to my own.
I just ran outside before it got dark and moved the shade cloth from where my tomatoes were to my melon arch. This Houston heat is killing everything. Thanks for the tip!
It seems like summers are either too hot or storming too hard. I wish we could get a few average days. Our “average” high is 89 here, but I quickly learned we get zero 89 degree days. What happens is it is 95 out with 78% humidity, then it triggers a huge storm and it drops to 76 while we are getting hammered…so the mean temp is 89 😂
I'm near Carthage, east Texas, and put up shade cloth using bamboo poles over half my small garden, 30x40. I can walk under it, no problem, but have to water and tend starting at the crack of dawn because of the heat. I water every morning for an hour, and everything is growing fine.
It's early June in Oklahoma and already almost 100F. Our excess humidity comes from the gulf of Mexico thru Houston and Dallas. Our problem with shade cloth hoop houses is those thunder storm winds which turn them into airplane wings! We see a lot of trampolines flying by sometimes! So my recommendation is to keep that in mind and be sure to anchor them down really well.
i've been successfully gardening since 1974 and u are my favorite garden channel. thank you for ur informative format, ur pleasant nature, and the joy of looking at all that green growing goodness.
Thanks so much for showing the damaged plants. It’s exactly what happened to my cucumbers and melons here in Missouri. Love your videos. Super helpful! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
We bought some big A frames and made a shade house. Also added some shade cloth for my West facing back porch. The Harbor Freight shade cloth is thin. I had to use 2 together
@@TheMillennialGardener They are over by the tarps. Sizes like 12x12 or maybe 12x20. They even have eyelets. Just a reminder that they are thin. I had to double mine. Good Luck 🌼🪴🌼
Last year here in the Houston area, a lot of the summer was constantly over 100 degrees. It was my first year with a garden. It was brutal. We ended up buying a shade cloth like yours and it prevented the plants from dying, but I think they were past the saving point. My tomatoes had bumps all over the stems, no fruit, and the leaves were curled. During the winter I potted them and brought them inside, a couple survived and gave me some fruit this year.
Hi from arizona! we love our shade cloth especially on our new plants. literally a life saver... so far we have lost only 2 berries from our brutal summers here in arizona. thanks for the tips and tricks. we defiantly want to build a shade structure in the future. yours is inspiring brother. cheers!
Arizona desert . Last year 60+ days 110! Dry dry dry we are … this method is what I will do for my redesigned beds, I can cover the smaller ones way easier this will work for the long beds I hope…bought the tarp now need long T-posts…
Here near Atlanta early June heated up to the hundreds, which isn’t the norms . I added shade cloth to my garden on a whim and I’m still getting tomatoes! Shade cloth works! Great video, as usual.
Thanks so much for close ups and extreme detail on how you created the shade tunnel. You used a term I wasn't familiar with but your close up said it all. A brilliant and considerate teacher
A common misconception about fig trees if they're drought tolerant. In their native climates, they tend to grow on top of limestone pockets that hold water all summer long, so even though the weather is dry, they're growing on top of lime-rich underground streams of sorts. 3 back-to-back dry, hot days will harm my fig trees in my sandy soil. Drip irrigation and mulching is good for them.
I've been thinking about adding a 30% shade cloth to cover my entire raised bed garden area. Seems we hit the mid 90's in May this year and it's been non-stop. The garden is a mess due to the extreme high heat this year (zone 8A south of Atlanta). Thanks for posting this video!
@@thomasmorano17 What area are you in? I'm in 8A, south of Atlanta, GA. 90-100 degree summers and super high humidity are the norm, but this year it started in May instead of July.
@@judymiller323 We are in a mini-drought. No rain for 3 weeks and 90* plus temps. Here we go again..... (thankfully we have drip irrigation, but it costs money to use)
West Central Florida here. Zone 9b. It's interesting to read everybody's comments from all over the country and that we're all experiencing the same heat. We've got super high humidity too. My raised bed is asleep for another month or so but I will definitely use the shade cloth. The heat just killed the garden in spring already.
Very good! Plants with larger leaves are generally understory plants, so shading them really helps. Even blueberries enjoy a bit of bird netting to keep the intensity down.
This is fantastic. I’ve done gardening all my adult life. I wish I had this then. I am definitely getting some and I am going to share your video with the rest of the my family who have urban gardens.
Thank you! It's a big deal during the heat of the summer. It's invaluable from late June to early August when the sun is really brutal. I took mine down over a week ago since the sun is losing its brutality here, but during July when everything's getting scorched, it's a lifesaver!
Excellent! I'm from South Africa and now in our summer we've had two heatwaves with 33C in the shade and 37-40 in the sun. So I built a frame of 3m long and 2m high, 1,5m wide, and covered it with shadecloth. The difference was immediate and remarkable,. Use of compost (selfmade)and mulch, plus watering are necessary in our harsh climate. During our next winter I'll rebuild the steel framework and extend it considerably, to cover an area of about 30m2.
Thank you. This is very helpful. I ordered a shade cloth and when it came it was much bigger than I expected and I have been trying to figure out how I will hang it over my small lettuce patch without it interfering with anything else. I hadn't thought of just allowing it to drape over some PVC hoops. Perfect solution and even think I have some leftover PVC that will work!
Thank you sooo much for this video!. I think you addressed the problems I have been having every summer. I had asked our local agricultural extension about what to do about what is happening to my plants, but all they did was basically parrot standard gardening advice like "water in the morning, don't get leaves wet," (duh, I had told them I was using soaker hoses!!) I even told them I have full southern sun from 12 to 4 each day! Never suggested it was too much sun, or to shade them. Then they touted their soil testing service for next spring. Typical government bureaucrats I guess 🙄
Seems to help re-boost my cherry tomatoes as well, although not directly covered by shade cloth. Hasn't affected cushaw squash so far. Instant high tunnel!
This is GREAT. I drape this cloth all across my garden to protect it from the blazing heat that scorches everything. Thanks for sharing all your great ideas with us and for the links.
You're right buddy you're exactly right this is Fred and El Monte California and I like what you say and I believe in it thank you so much for sharing this with us God bless you and your family
Temperature is also an issue for active growth, with 27°C optimum. Once temperature is over 30°C, plant transpiration ( and thus photosynthesis and growth) decline as leafy plants struggle to close pores and retain water. Partial or dappled shade helps, as does planting plants in big groups, so they create a cooler zone through evaporation.
Great video! I have planted a garden two years in a row. I am in southern MS. Everything was going great two years in a row. Then come July it all burned up. I had 5-6 foot corn and then they just burned and died. Same with my tomato and pepper plants.
Yes, been using shade cloth since drought 2012. It's practically a necessity. Good advice! I use it to wrap around a frame for the patio. I tried a white canvas type shade thinking it would look better. It was really Hot under the cream colored shade fabric. It didn't have as large of mesh as the black, but Wow! It was a lot hotter than the black so we changed it back. Another point is use light colored planters. Yes, plants are SO much happier when some of the UV rays are blocked. It's sad, but I think the roles in how to garden are changing. I will be remaking a new garden so most all beds are same size so I fit various cloths--shade, frost, tarps--to the beds without looking for right size. We generally wrap the shade cloth over rope attached to t-posts or cattle panels. They need to be secured well as the wind can whip them pretty good. I've been contemplating on setting up a large cable and post system or just individual beds so I can easily fine tune what beds need more/less sun--suppose both could be done easily enough. The post and cable for large area makes it nicer to be out in the garden. We have 2 large ones in areas of the garden that are hot spots.
Thanks for the helpful information. Great video! I have to same issue growing cucumbers. My farm gets 10 hours of full Sun. Some of my cucumber plants got scorched. Watching this video and seeing some of your cucumber plants, now I know the Sun did the damage and not a disease
First time gardener here too, and I am grateful for all these gardening videos on here. I wouldn't know most of what I've learned this past few months. I started with a tomato plant that I am actually still growing! & carrots - but those carrots, we tried to replant 'em three times & well they were starting to work out, but the chickens & the cat kept digging up the container... Anyway the chickens are in the process of getting their fence mended so they can't get out and into the garden... So we are doing gardening AND chickens all at once. BECAUSE this shite is going to be BAD. Not to mention having like 80lbs of flour, at least 100lbs of lentils, at least 100lbs of rice, and 100lbs of beans... I mean we've got that food, and spices etc... Lots of sugar and salt put up. I PROBABLY should be putting up some more water. Looks like I'm going to have a lot of tomatoes when these ripen up, my tomato plants are doing great and they WERE doing terrible for such a long time, but then as soon as I gave them bigger pots they just exploded! Anyway so that's going to be a bunch of tomatoes & then the cherry tomatoes (the one I grew from seed) and that one's doing fine. I grew some corn from seed & my corn stalks are really cool. Only one is having one ear of corn on it, but that is my first ear of corn EVER and the plant is taller than my husband!! It's really awesome when you grow something SO big from something so small! We've harvested two rounds of small red potatoes, & already planted another two containers full and they are roughly 2 weeks apart & growing well.
I temp checked the difference between the ground temp outside and under my shade cloth and under the cloth was 30 degrees cooler! Even my cold weather plants are thriving under it.
Ive been doing some reading aboit shade cloth and so far i have found that if you live in colder climates ,you should use black shade cloth because it absorbs the heat better and white shade cloth if you live in warmer climates ..i live in arkansas so i think im going with the white cloth @ 30% shade
My solution is similar. I have the pvc hoop house leaving it uncovered until the heat comes in for the summer. Then toss on the shade cloth to cover 2/3rd of the area leaving the sides open some so the morning sun comes in until 9: am and the late afterafternoon can come in as it sets. When the heat gets over 95, I have cooling misters run 3 minutes on 15 minutes off using a RainPoint timer. This has worked perfectly for a few years now.
Great vid, love your shade hoop design. I'm growing in Phoenix and one thing I have found is that the plant leaves need some space from the shadecloth. While you could place shade cloth right over the plant I would advise against there. Most time the shade cloth is black and that just attracts more heat. If you lay the black shade cloth on top of the plants leaves you could be attracting more heat.
It's much better to install the shade tarp overhead as either a structure roof or a sail. Just like with row covers, having an air buffer works best. However, if you can't for whatever reason, even draping the tarp over your plant is better than nothing. The black shade tarp absolutely does *not* attract more heat. It's a night-and-day difference under the shade tarp, even beating in full midday sun. Being underneath the tarp is like being in a screened-in breezeway. Emphasis on color is often overstated.
@@ewetoobblowzdogg8410 agreed thats what I am using. bought a great quality 60% and 40% shade cloths from AMLEO. Its held up really well in our monsoons
@@marcwohlleban3990 Been looking into the diffs between the white shade cloths, the black ones and the silver ones. The silver seems to throw heat away best and also lasts longest. A bit pricier tho
@@ewetoobblowzdogg8410 i actually bought shade tarp and not cloth looking back on it. I thought as long as there is enough airflow between the tarp and plants everything should be ok. Seems to be working pretty well this past summer although 116 is tough to overcome.
Thank you! I'm so happy I finally found an NC gardener on YT. A lot of the tips I get from other gardeners on here are just not practical for me. How do you keep your bed hoops secure for heavy winds?
I live at high altitude, it might be over 100°, BUT.... you learn about what Ultraviolet Light can do here. Plants of all types will sunburn, or stop growing. Few plants can take this at 7000 feet. Shade of all kinds are a must for half of everything you'll plant. A tree shade all afternoon, an East side garden are gold here. Be glad you dont live on mountains. It's fierce, and everything in this video is factual. It's great someone is addressing this!
Thank you Millennial gardener for the video of the shade netting in your vegetable garden. Here in Yecla, Murcia, Spain we are having almost 2 months of extreme heat, 40ºC (104ºF) and no rain. I have made a cover similar to yours, with rectangles of shade netting of 2mx1m tied to 6mm irons nailed to the ground. They look like horizontal sails in the wind, and the flexibility of the 2m irons makes the system stay in spite of the wind. Best regards. ClaudioSerraBrun
I live in Southern Utah and we have 110F. My corn is totally crispy now... so I bought a shade cover to safe the rest of the plants and others are in the shade against the house. Oh I forgot to mention that I have everything in containers due to a small backyard... anyways, that video was very helpful. thank u. Shalom
Dewpoints mean a lot. 104 with a dewpoint in the 50’s means at least the shade is tolerable. There is no escape here. It is like a wet blanket. My apparent temperature was 117.
i'm in davidson co. nc, heat humidity, thunderstorms ugh. lost my ash tree couple year back, provided shade for the 20x32 deck. i put a 50 percent shade cloth over parts of the deck and wow what a change. that's where i have my container figs and new starts.
Finally someone who gets full sun isn’t created equal. I’m in North Queensland in Australia and we have extremely harsh sun. Our temps sound similar to yours & the humidity is disgusting - you have a cold shower to wash away the sweat & before you’ve even dried yourself you’re sweating again. We have had 30+ degrees c for a few weeks, now and my seedlings are suffering. My tomatoes I’ve got part sun beside the house are so healthy. My tomato plants that are in full sun are barely growing & look sunburnt. Same as my poor cucumbers. So I got some supplies yesterday and will shadecloth my beds today
With all your garden plant,trees,and of course working a job, how do you manage to have time to stay so fit? Whatever you’re doing, it’s working.!!! Great video as always.
Thank you for this vid. Very very helpful. It has been so hot here. It is almost impossible to get garden projects done. I have a lot I’m working on and everything has slowed way down for me. Also, I think using the weed fabric amplifies the heat just because its black, which would make the shade cloth invaluable. Something to consider. And we have at least one more month of extreme heat. I’m looking forward to the weather breaking. Thanks for your channel. NC Zone 7B, clay rocky soil.
I live in Sonora Arizona. 120 degrees with zero humidity. I got real lucky to have mesquite trees that canopy the entire yard. I’ve been growing under them and they’re “full sun” plants but they’d die if I did that. I’ve had to water daily the entire yard to maintain a humid micro climate. Fireflies have actually been showing up. Something I’ve never seen in the desert
Great video. Another tip I would mention for dealing with heat/drought stress is using Silica which helps protect the plant from UV and heat stress and using a surfactant like Yucca extract to help penetrate soil that has become overly dried out. Yucca also has compounds that promote increased water uptake by plants. I believe Aloe Vera powder/extract has some similar effects too.
Hi. I don't have extreme heat and humidit. My tomatoes are doing great. Watched your tomato videos. I put up my fleece or netting rolled halfway up to shade new seedlings to harden off. Oh I tried the Sonicare toothbrush pollination thing and my tomato plants are loaded. Had some fungus spots. Used Hydrogen Peroxide.
I’m in Utah and while we have low humidity, the temperatures have been crazy the last two years. Regularly triple digits or close to it. I think I’ll invest in shade cloth next year to stop my cucumbers from frying.
Hey.... a 2 pole tent only needs 2 poles and some zipline. Gromits are nice, wrap a small stone in the fabric and tie it closed and the fabric is anchored to the line. Early and late day UV comes through way more air than middle, only need to cover the top! There is more sunlight heat in infra red than maybe visible light but separating them would need large area single-axis diffraction grating, plants could get useful frequencies without IR you collect or reflect. UV is reflected by water, snow and ice, water traps IR.
I didnt realize severe humidity affected plants! I understand that many plants get cooked in too high heat. But, humidity? This video is really helpful: I'm in zone 8. Five months,/year it's normally 100°F+ every day. 2 weeks moderate in Spring, and Autumn; lows of 27°F. My HOA won't allow us to put any shade cloth, of any kind up -- nor will they replace the 2 shade trees I've lost due to their mismanagement.
I recommend grabbing one. They're often cheaper to buy now during the cooler weather than when they're in high demand during the heat of the summer. Also, if next year is anything like this year, prices are going to go up a lot everywhere 😰
I am so happy you have reinforced my thoughts about using shade cloth over my plants. Last summer we also had intense sun and heat in Boise and I researched shade cloth but was unsure how I was going to drape it over my plants. Great hoop idea!! Thanks.
I live at 6300 ft in Colorado. We get 90+ summer degree days. Just had several 95+ days in a row. Our UV index is 20% higher than where you are due to the altitude +6-8% per 2,000 ft change), and our days are14-15 hours long in the summer. I use 30% shade cloth the entire growing season because of the UV and day length. Mine are permanently installed om my raised beds, but can be rolled up. People are shocked at how well my plants do out here in the dry arid heat and intense sunshine. BTW, hail is very common were I live. The shade cloth companies make "hail cloth", which is white 30% shade cloth. You can also get it in rolls w/o the grommets.
Oh my goodness. Thanks for the tip. I will look for white hail cloth. If you’d post a link, I’d be very appreciative. How does the white differ? Are you using the white now?
@@joydavis4087 This is weird, my reply this morning is gone. I use the black shade cloth. As I mentioned, the white is just a different color 30% shade cloth (I contacted one of the suppliers and asked if there was a difference and basically, it's the color. Why black? Because I don't want a stark white shade cloth. As long as it's the knitted, and not the woven, you can use any color you want. The knitted will not unravel due to a tear or hole. Depending on where you live, you can use either the 30% or 40% as a full time shade / hail cloth.
love your videos. I am just wondering with your large shade hoop and your smaller hoops with bug netting How does it affect your harvest? The Zucchini you had covered to prevent the squash bugs also prevents the pollinators so are you having to hand pollinate? I liked the idea of draping the shade cloth over your garden but still having access into the area for the pollinators, I have been thinking of doing this as well. I bought a smaller shade cloth this year however haven't tried to install it yet. Still working on my garden set up. Please let me know about the pollinators and production of the veggies/fruit.
I have bug and possum netting over mine, but lift it during the day when the bees are out and about. I also spray with natural pest control and my plants are thriving. Its winter here and at night I cover them with plastic sheeting that acts like a hot house
If you found this video helpful, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😀TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 Gardening In Heat Waves
1:03 How Strong Sun Damages Plants
3:35 My SECRET WEAPON!
6:19 How I Built My Shade Tunnel
7:56 Installing Shade Cloth In My Garden
9:37 Other Uses Of Shade Tarps
10:48 Adventures With Dale
thanks for the timestamps
and tips
my wife built a lean-to type structure, since her "garden" is in huge planters against the back wall of the house.
um.. we already had this idea, but found it not so easy to find, where we live.
I do the same Really kool
I live in N.E Florida Jax area. I have 2 high tunnels with plastic and shade cloth! I also keep a good fan for circulation.
I wish I saw this video before my strawberries and all my plants died I live in Waco now I can’t even buy them again don’t have the money
Can you help me I live on a Real strict budget because I only live on Social Security disability I am trying to do a garden this year and raise beds I’m not having any luck with them my tomatoes take forever to flower I put some Epson salt and that brought them to flower I never got tomatoes and the heat kill them I use trash bags to block tried to block it didn’t work now I’m pregnant 11 weeks how am I going to get a garden going again when I have to say pay for this baby
I need this shade cloth to cover my entire house.
And the front and back yard. In fact one for the whole neighborhood would be great! 😂
@jimmam and filters...
You guys are sooo funny. Its really hot here in the Caribbean😊😊😊
Me too!
dome frames are cheap af
How do you let the good bugs in? Mainly bees
Lovely! First time gardening this year and my husband jokingly made a comment my plants are getting more care and attention than him, which is true" ! Appreciate all the infos fr m your channel, learned a lot and continue to do so!
He will appreciate the fruits of your labor.
In Indonesia where I live, to deal with El Nina, I build a light metal structure that work as a frame above my raise beds. It serves a support when my plants gets too hot ( Paranet ) , or attacks by pest ( pest netting) or too much heavy tropical rains ( UV plastic ). So I will put either a paranet or pest netting or UV plastic accordingly.
Fantasticd. Humans are so smart!
You can use PVC pipe which in my area is less expensive than conduit. I have 4 X 4 raised boxes and I have 18" rebar that I drove into the corners. Then I criss cross my boxes with 2 PVC pipes. I've used these for plastic to grow in colder weather. We have temps in the upper 90s to lower 100s with very little humidity in the west.
This is my first year using the shade cloth and I am amazed at how well it works! I shade my boxes by covering the western half so that the plants get morning sun, but afternoon shade. I'm using 70% shade cloth so figured the plans needed morning direct sun.
My pplants look fantastic! Shade cloth is a gardens salvation. I also had no squash bugs because I kept my zucchini totally covered until they started to bloom at which time I uncovered half of the box so bees could get in. Love this method and IT WORKS!
Most PVC only lasts a few years before it becomes brittle and cracks with direct UV exposure though
I live in arid HOT Southern California and I have had those same shade cloths up for almost two months now. If I didn’t have these I would have NO plants left…they just cook on the vine. I actually enjoy sitting under the shade cloth when I am resting when gardening…which I need to do a lot since I am in my 70’s and the heat just does me in! Love your videos.
I have shade trees to east and west of my garden, removed those to the south, which only gets about 5 hours of full sunlight a day, and it helps a lot, the garden grows OK till late fall. Also have drip lines under plastic ground cover, being a lazy gardner, so I don't need to weed either. The plastic discourages digging critters too.
After 34yrs in 100⁰+ dry heat, I finally realized best time to plant is fall/winter/spring, & to plant in the shade during the summer. Plants here just seem to need no more than hr total sun. As for daily, continuous watering, found wicking buckets require "less watering" or maintenance. Still need check every day, but less work. Still learning, so... Been wanting shade cloth, but need convince kid to do.
Fantastic video, and very helpful. I live in Arkansas. Our average temp has been around 115-117° F, even after 7 pm. The humidity has been unbearable! My seeds didn’t germinate. The plants I bought and planted didn’t grow or didn’t bear fruit except for 1 tomato plant. It gave us 1 plum tomato. It was too hot for me also. I had to stop going outside. It’s been a heartbreaking summer for many.
It’s been wacky this year. While the center of the country has been roasting, we had 3 weeks of daily storms, overcast skies and below average temps. It flipped about 10 days ago, and now we have had numerous dry days around 96 degrees. The heat index has been in the 110-120 range consistently. The good news is things will be cooling off in a few weeks for good.
Yep...Arkansas here too with the triple digits.
I need to pull out my shade tarps.
@@TheMillennialGardener we had the same problem. Many plants have grown great from seed then after one of the rains, buds fell off the pepper plants and the tomatoes stopped flowering. Seven cucumber plants all diseased and starting more now. It’s been crazy. It all started great then it all went down the drain. Fifteen tomato plants and only five not diseased but again, no blooms. Four zucchini plants and only 2 zucchini’s so far. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.
I was just thinking that I wish we had 92 degree temps here in Arkansas.
Same here in Texas , the intense heat took out everything, blooms dropped and I’m gonna just try again for the fall .
I'm in east Texas, it's August and H O T as heck. Love my shade cloth I put up this year on long large bamboo poles, overhead so I can walk underneath to tend everything. Also, I turn on a sprinkler for an hour before sunup; the days have been so hot that the leaves dry up right away, so no mold problems have a chance to develop. Everything is growing well 😎
I'm in west Texas and recently got a metal roof. We went with a nice light off-white color even though it clashes with the siding on the house. 😂
Growing roses this year for the first time in Houston. We are already in the mid 90s. A few of my baby roses are getting scorched already. Agh!!! Found this very instructive. Thank you!
Thank you for this video! This is my first year, and it has been nothing short of catastrophic in terms of protecting my plants from pests, diseases, and the dreaded uv spikes. I was so unprepared . Next year, I will have a plan, and hopefully better results. I have learned a lot from your channel! Thank you!
NC does get a lot of buglets. I mix bug carapices into my soil. You can buy it at the garden shops. It helps them build immunity. Then I just use diatamaceous earth dust and neem. But I have a small space. Don't give up gardening! This year has been too weird to base future experiences on. Shade cloth really works wonders with the UV issues. It is tough stuff too, so you invest in it and it lasts for years.
Well you sound like you heard me talking to my friend “ - “ God willing next yr we’ll be prepared! 🙂 this yr it was second rnd of sink hole repairs fired ev so my daughter & I took on the jobs. Crappy wrkrs are prevelent ev is a carpenter lol the frnt & bk yard restorations were last that done gardening season’s 1/2 way through 🥲 90 days maybe get some crops, hope so. Best wishes!
I live in Arizona and I have built a shade house and so far it’s working great. I had to super reinforce everything as the one I bought off Amazon blew away with wind . I will get bigger pipe and bend my own hoop house next time . Great ideas and great information keep up the good work . Thanks for the video !
It sound like you built a huge kite! Next time use a stronger kite string and really scare your neighbors! LOL!
@@mamajan99 yes it kinda was
I ordered a hoop kit off Amazon before I really knew it was tornado alley here. I thought it would be fast enough to build 1/2 in conduit
Wasn’t strong enough for the wind obviously. Had just finished connecting and installed the shade material not lees than hour later . The hurricane winds blew it over bending it up. I reinforced it with rebars and wired to concrete blocks filled with rock the kite sting I used now is 1/2 nylon strapping and more wire everywhere. This is what the plans should call for is all this reinforcement.
I also put on the outside half inch wire screen doors shelves
Much better .
Yeah my first attempt I should’ve left it but I needed a break from the initial setup .
Yes the wind here can pick up
Wood , sheet metal, and most things that aren’t extremely heavy. My neighbor has made some comments about stuff flying around but I haven’t scared them too much.
Lol
@@williamdyer3999 Been there. Done that. But I still grow those $60ea. tomatoes! LOL!
Wow 60 lb what are you fertilizing with?
After moving here from Oregon I still have a learning curve for this extreme climate. Where do get your shade cloth from? Amazon?
Thanks 🙏
Now I see you said 60 dollar not pounds lol
That’s still amazing!
Hi newbie gardener from hot, humid sw Florida. Shade cloth is the garden savior. I put mine up as soon as I got my containers planted. Now I'm learning how to battle pests of al kinds. Thanks for these videos. I'm saving everyone of them. 😊😊
How are you battling pests? I'm in north fla first time gardener. My beautiful cantaloupe trellis has become a pickle worm farm, every single damn piece of fruit has holes in it. I tried neem, didn't help. Then I tried bug dust, still worms. What works?
Great video! I’m glad someone finally admits even our heat loving plants CANT take full summer sun at this intensity and heat level!!! My tomatoes are burning up. I’ve lost 18/20. Will definitely be doing this from now on ☺️ thank you for linking everything also! This video was so helpful and encouraging.
we dont get hot here, but the sun is mighty at 8,200ft in Colorado. good idea!
I moved from an old sunscreen plastic covered system to a large open area on the side of my hill. I notice the sun is different now, like the sky has been altered. I also terraced about 100’x50’ of my hillside and have it planted. These are big areas to cover, but I see the need to do it. You do a good job. Luckily I live in CA in the mountains about 5 miles from the ocean so it’s generally not as hot as you consistently. It never ends the stuff to buy. Thanks
I bought a 30% shade cloth last month to keep my veggies from boiling on the stalks in the 97 degree heat. It really helps!
I'm happy to hear you're having success using it. It really is great stuff.
New gardener here. Learning so much the hard way. I was reading that my container plants needed full sun, so put them in a sunny spot on my deck which unfortunately doesn’t get morning sun, only 12-4. I found my pollinator plants cooked by the end of the day…pepper plants drooping and dropping flowers, so just got shade cloth. They are much happier now…pollinator plants still toast though, some of the cone flowers And salvia, I’ve placed in partial shade and they are doing ok.
I'm experienced. This year I went with containers. I've been crying ever since. Disaster doesn't begin to describe it. We learn with each attempt.
Thanks, so much, for this info. I am a brand new gardener in Houston, Texas and my plants are struggling, no matter what I do. I wanted to try container gardening to begin with and plan on doing raised beds next year. I have watered like the Dickens and it just seems like no matter what I do my poor plants are suffering. This is such helpful information and thank you for the link for the shade cloth. Even if I lose what I have planted so far, I will be ready come fall and next spring!
corpus christi gardener here…my garden is suffering immensely…we havent had any rain in 2 months and a total of 7 inches for the year☹️
Austin here! Same problem. Some of my plants are just NOT FRUITING. Shade cloths have helped them NOT DIE....but no food.
I do the same Really kool
I live north of Houston. I planted in grow bags and on the ground. The ones on the ground are doing a lot better without so much watering. Next year I am planting everything I can on the ground. I got more fruit and the leaves look more beautiful. The plants dig deeper for water and nutrients naturally.
San Antonio here was having the same problem with my guavas,avocados,starfruit,blueberries,papayas schorching all my leaves I put a shade cloth over them and heavy mulch the mulch actually did a better job at retaining the moisture plus I added mycorrhizae,compose & worm castings the burned leaves fell of and new leaves came out almost immediately. I also white washed all my tree trunks 50% interior white paint 50% water gives gives protecting from the sun The only plants so far that I see that are not effected with our scorching sun and heat are basil and the Barbados cherry and much to my surprise my carries mango is doing very good without protection it’s actually growing pretty rapidly. Look into Brassinolide at Power Grown it protects plants from heat and freeze shock it’s suppose to protect strengthen roots, a lady from northern Florida uses this to protect her mango orchards from freezes. Hope this helps you good luck
Have this over my garden...its a huge sail in the wind. Presses up and down like you would not believe. Gets hooked onto everything. Without wind, works great
We finished building our greenhouse and we took your advice using the 40% shade cloth. We're in the high desert of Cali and we recently had a
106 degree day. I planted watermelon, lettuce and tomatoes and all are doing great. The whole thing is covered in the 1/2" steel mesh, even the floor,
with plastic over it on the wind sides. I left the east side open with no shade cloth or plastic just because the sun isn't too bad in the mornings and I
want the bees to get in and do their thing. I read that they can easily get through 1/2" so they can pollinate my tomatoes, watermelon, etc. I'm working
on my September crop of carrots and broccoli. I picked up a few really large plastic tubs that I'll use to plant them. Our gophers eat through plastic thus
the steel mesh on the floor. Also want to plant Cantaloupe. I'll let you know how it goes. You advice always helps me do the right thing.
I love how you strapped the rebar on the T post. I'm thinking up my own version of this and I was going to use bigger (more expensive) pvc to fit over the T post. Adding the rebar makes it so I can use smaller, more flexible and less expensive pvc!
Me to lol
U probably know by now but pvc is not uv resistant unless painted with uv resistant paint or wrap in cheap foil
I’ve been thinking about doing this for my veggie garden, it’s been 105-114 here for weeks now and because we are on top of a hill the wind drys the soil out even more.
Thank you for your great videos, they are always very helpful 💕
I bought a shade cloth. Great for the bugs! Ravaged my plants. Turned the ground green as well
A tip for shade cloth (as we call it in Australia), if you want to reduce the heat, have the cloth about 0.5 to 1 metre (2-3 feet) above what you want to keep cool. I have a stronger shade cloth canopy over my chicken run (chickens not being very heat tolerant) and it works quite well with side ventilation on three sides. On hot days, I tested it by being in there, with it being very hot directly under the cloth, and much cooler by 1m (3ft) below it. The chicken/ground level being about 1.8m or 6ft below the cloth.
Relevant for plants, particularly in pots for moisture retention, the heat will help dry them out. Another tip, if you have just a shade roof, it protects from the mid-day sun, and depending on orientation, can allow the direct sun in the cooler hours.
Yes I noticed the same that draping the clothe right over the plant may provide some protection from the sun but not the heat since the cloth itself will get hot. Also noticed that covering the plants too well meant they were hard for pollinators to get to them 😂
@@justintime4466 Oh good point, pollinators. Yes indeed.
Speaking of the airborne critters, a shade cloth should throw off the birds from the crop (not 100%, but mostly)
I really enjoy your videos. They are straightforward, and without a lot of time-wasting chitchat. My absolute favorite part of your videos is that you make it VERY clear what part of the US you live in, and what your climate is like - which is very similar to my own.
Thank you. All the tips are relative. If you live much further north, you may not need these measures.
I just ran outside before it got dark and moved the shade cloth from where my tomatoes were to my melon arch. This Houston heat is killing everything. Thanks for the tip!
It seems like summers are either too hot or storming too hard. I wish we could get a few average days. Our “average” high is 89 here, but I quickly learned we get zero 89 degree days. What happens is it is 95 out with 78% humidity, then it triggers a huge storm and it drops to 76 while we are getting hammered…so the mean temp is 89 😂
I like how you did the drip irrigation on your containers. What was the cheapest source you found for the hose and drips
Houston I'm feelin ya! West Texas day 50 somthing of over 100 degrees!
I'm near Carthage, east Texas, and put up shade cloth using bamboo poles over half my small garden, 30x40. I can walk under it, no problem, but have to water and tend starting at the crack of dawn because of the heat. I water every morning for an hour, and everything is growing fine.
Nice, dude. Zone 9b here and we had the same problem - shade cloth to the rescue!!!
It's early June in Oklahoma and already almost 100F. Our excess humidity comes from the gulf of Mexico thru Houston and Dallas. Our problem with shade cloth hoop houses is those thunder storm winds which turn them into airplane wings! We see a lot of trampolines flying by sometimes! So my recommendation is to keep that in mind and be sure to anchor them down really well.
i've been successfully gardening since 1974 and u are my favorite garden channel. thank you for ur informative format, ur pleasant nature, and the joy of looking at all that green growing goodness.
This is my first time using shade cloth on my garden. What a difference. This week in Indiana, 7 days in a row 90 plus degrees. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for showing the damaged plants. It’s exactly what happened to my cucumbers and melons here in Missouri. Love your videos. Super helpful! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
I thought it would be important to actually see how badly sun can bleach foliage. Thanks for watching!
We bought some big A frames and made a shade house. Also added some shade cloth for my West facing back porch. The Harbor Freight shade cloth is thin. I had to use 2 together
I didn't know Harbor Freight sold shade cloth. I was actually just there this weekend! This stuff from Amazon is very thick and heavy duty.
@@TheMillennialGardener They are over by the tarps. Sizes like 12x12 or maybe 12x20. They even have eyelets. Just a reminder that they are thin. I had to double mine. Good Luck 🌼🪴🌼
Last year here in the Houston area, a lot of the summer was constantly over 100 degrees. It was my first year with a garden. It was brutal. We ended up buying a shade cloth like yours and it prevented the plants from dying, but I think they were past the saving point. My tomatoes had bumps all over the stems, no fruit, and the leaves were curled. During the winter I potted them and brought them inside, a couple survived and gave me some fruit this year.
Hi from arizona! we love our shade cloth especially on our new plants. literally a life saver... so far we have lost only 2 berries from our brutal summers here in arizona. thanks for the tips and tricks. we defiantly want to build a shade structure in the future. yours is inspiring brother. cheers!
Great hoop house design way better than PVC tunnels
Arizona desert . Last year 60+ days 110! Dry dry dry we are … this method is what I will do for my redesigned beds, I can cover the smaller ones way easier this will work for the long beds I hope…bought the tarp now need long T-posts…
Nice idea, thks for the video. How do you get polination if the plants are covered from insects?
I live in E Texas and I have some opaque roofing in spots on my greenhouse. People don’t realize that summer can be as harsh as winter.
Much love and gratitude from Scotland 💜 💛 💚
Thank you! 🏴
Here near Atlanta early June heated up to the hundreds, which isn’t the norms . I added shade cloth to my garden on a whim and I’m still getting tomatoes! Shade cloth works! Great video, as usual.
Thanks so much for close ups and extreme detail on how you created the shade tunnel. You used a term I wasn't familiar with but your close up said it all. A brilliant and considerate teacher
I agree ! thanks so much for this ~ you're helping more folks than you know....
Hey don’t worry, Klaus Swab and his team plan to block out the sun. Hey, what could go wrong? Right!? 😐
Sounds like he wants to kick off an ice age. That will reduce the food supply by over half
Oh that tickled my funny bone! Eat ze bugs not ze fruit n veggies! 😅
That you'll own nothing?
Spot on video! I live deep south Texas, zone 10A. I already lost a few fig trees and a couple pear trees to the extreme heat. This is the solution.
A common misconception about fig trees if they're drought tolerant. In their native climates, they tend to grow on top of limestone pockets that hold water all summer long, so even though the weather is dry, they're growing on top of lime-rich underground streams of sorts. 3 back-to-back dry, hot days will harm my fig trees in my sandy soil. Drip irrigation and mulching is good for them.
thanks from zone 9b!
I've been thinking about adding a 30% shade cloth to cover my entire raised bed garden area. Seems we hit the mid 90's in May this year and it's been non-stop. The garden is a mess due to the extreme high heat this year (zone 8A south of Atlanta). Thanks for posting this video!
I did n growing great
@@thomasmorano17 What area are you in? I'm in 8A, south of Atlanta, GA. 90-100 degree summers and super high humidity are the norm, but this year it started in May instead of July.
@@davidward1259 zone 9A here- brutal
@@judymiller323 We are in a mini-drought. No rain for 3 weeks and 90* plus temps. Here we go again..... (thankfully we have drip irrigation, but it costs money to use)
West Central Florida here. Zone 9b. It's interesting to read everybody's comments from all over the country and that we're all experiencing the same heat. We've got super high humidity too. My raised bed is asleep for another month or so but I will definitely use the shade cloth. The heat just killed the garden in spring already.
Very good! Plants with larger leaves are generally understory plants, so shading them really helps. Even blueberries enjoy a bit of bird netting to keep the intensity down.
104 degrees days on end in Nor Cal. My container fruit trees have had a very hard time between heat, wind and squirrels.
One word BRILLIANT best wishes from Scotland 🤗🙂
Thank you! I appreciate you watching!
This is fantastic. I’ve done gardening all my adult life. I wish I had this then. I am definitely getting some and I am going to share your video with the rest of the my family who have urban gardens.
Thank you! It's a big deal during the heat of the summer. It's invaluable from late June to early August when the sun is really brutal. I took mine down over a week ago since the sun is losing its brutality here, but during July when everything's getting scorched, it's a lifesaver!
Excellent! I'm from South Africa and now in our summer we've had two heatwaves with 33C in the shade and 37-40 in the sun. So I built a frame of 3m long and 2m high, 1,5m wide, and covered it with shadecloth. The difference was immediate and remarkable,. Use of compost (selfmade)and mulch, plus watering are necessary in our harsh climate. During our next winter I'll rebuild the steel framework and extend it considerably, to cover an area of about 30m2.
Thank you. This is very helpful. I ordered a shade cloth and when it came it was much bigger than I expected and I have been trying to figure out how I will hang it over my small lettuce patch without it interfering with anything else. I hadn't thought of just allowing it to drape over some PVC hoops. Perfect solution and even think I have some leftover PVC that will work!
Thank you sooo much for this video!. I think you addressed the problems I have been having every summer. I had asked our local agricultural extension about what to do about what is happening to my plants, but all they did was basically parrot standard gardening advice like "water in the morning, don't get leaves wet," (duh, I had told them I was using soaker hoses!!) I even told them I have full southern sun from 12 to 4 each day! Never suggested it was too much sun, or to shade them. Then they touted their soil testing service for next spring. Typical government bureaucrats I guess 🙄
Some 9b in Florida here, 40% shade cloth has allowed me to grow cherry toms and muncher cucumbers all summer, still producing to date
Excellent! It is a game changer for vegetables, no doubt!
Seems to help re-boost my cherry tomatoes as well, although not directly covered by shade cloth. Hasn't affected cushaw squash so far. Instant high tunnel!
This is GREAT. I drape this cloth all across my garden to protect it from the blazing heat that scorches everything. Thanks for sharing all your great ideas with us and for the links.
You're welcome! I'm glad it was helpful!
Thanks from middle Georgia.
I tried my first garden months ago and the heat and humidity has given my squash and pumpkins a beating
You're right buddy you're exactly right this is Fred and El Monte California and I like what you say and I believe in it thank you so much for sharing this with us God bless you and your family
Temperature is also an issue for active growth, with 27°C optimum. Once temperature is over 30°C, plant transpiration ( and thus photosynthesis and growth) decline as leafy plants struggle to close pores and retain water. Partial or dappled shade helps, as does planting plants in big groups, so they create a cooler zone through evaporation.
If you not mind asking what percentage you use?
Great video! I have planted a garden two years in a row. I am in southern MS. Everything was going great two years in a row. Then come July it all burned up. I had 5-6 foot corn and then they just burned and died. Same with my tomato and pepper plants.
Most helpful vodeo I've watched since i started looking at homesteading.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Thanks bro! My tomatoes were destroyed from the heat here in Oklahoma. It's been driving me crazy!
Yes, been using shade cloth since drought 2012. It's practically a necessity. Good advice!
I use it to wrap around a frame for the patio. I tried a white canvas type shade thinking it would look better. It was really Hot under the cream colored shade fabric. It didn't have as large of mesh as the black, but Wow! It was a lot hotter than the black so we changed it back.
Another point is use light colored planters. Yes, plants are SO much happier when some of the UV rays are blocked.
It's sad, but I think the roles in how to garden are changing. I will be remaking a new garden so most all beds are same size so I fit various cloths--shade, frost, tarps--to the beds without looking for right size. We generally wrap the shade cloth over rope attached to t-posts or cattle panels. They need to be secured well as the wind can whip them pretty good. I've been contemplating on setting up a large cable and post system or just individual beds so I can easily fine tune what beds need more/less sun--suppose both could be done easily enough. The post and cable for large area makes it nicer to be out in the garden. We have 2 large ones in areas of the garden that are hot spots.
Sounds like you got a good plan. But what is vulcan fitting?
@@brandywineblue sorry, spell check has a mind of its own.😀
@@dustyflats3832 sure does! Makes you say things you never Nintendo 😄 But what did you mean to write? 🤔
@@brandywineblue lol, I have no idea. It was having a Spock moment.🤣
@@dustyflats3832 😆so are you cutting the shade cloths to fit the beds and attaching with the clips he is selling in his Amazon store?
Thanks for the helpful information. Great video! I have to same issue growing cucumbers. My farm gets 10 hours of full Sun. Some of my cucumber plants got scorched. Watching this video and seeing some of your cucumber plants, now I know the Sun did the damage and not a disease
First time gardener here too, and I am grateful for all these gardening videos on here. I wouldn't know most of what I've learned this past few months. I started with a tomato plant that I am actually still growing! & carrots - but those carrots, we tried to replant 'em three times & well they were starting to work out, but the chickens & the cat kept digging up the container...
Anyway the chickens are in the process of getting their fence mended so they can't get out and into the garden... So we are doing gardening AND chickens all at once. BECAUSE this shite is going to be BAD. Not to mention having like 80lbs of flour, at least 100lbs of lentils, at least 100lbs of rice, and 100lbs of beans...
I mean we've got that food, and spices etc... Lots of sugar and salt put up.
I PROBABLY should be putting up some more water.
Looks like I'm going to have a lot of tomatoes when these ripen up, my tomato plants are doing great and they WERE doing terrible for such a long time, but then as soon as I gave them bigger pots they just exploded!
Anyway so that's going to be a bunch of tomatoes & then the cherry tomatoes (the one I grew from seed) and that one's doing fine. I grew some corn from seed & my corn stalks are really cool. Only one is having one ear of corn on it, but that is my first ear of corn EVER and the plant is taller than my husband!! It's really awesome when you grow something SO big from something so small! We've harvested two rounds of small red potatoes, & already planted another two containers full and they are roughly 2 weeks apart & growing well.
Amazing. The plants turn sunshine and greenhouse gases into food.
I temp checked the difference between the ground temp outside and under my shade cloth and under the cloth was 30 degrees cooler! Even my cold weather plants are thriving under it.
Ive been doing some reading aboit shade cloth and so far i have found that if you live in colder climates ,you should use black shade cloth because it absorbs the heat better and white shade cloth if you live in warmer climates ..i live in arkansas so i think im going with the white cloth @ 30% shade
My solution is similar. I have the pvc hoop house leaving it uncovered until the heat comes in for the summer. Then toss on the shade cloth to cover 2/3rd of the area leaving the sides open some so the morning sun comes in until 9: am and the late afterafternoon can come in as it sets. When the heat gets over 95, I have cooling misters run 3 minutes on 15 minutes off using a RainPoint timer. This has worked perfectly for a few years now.
Great vid, love your shade hoop design. I'm growing in Phoenix and one thing I have found is that the plant leaves need some space from the shadecloth. While you could place shade cloth right over the plant I would advise against there. Most time the shade cloth is black and that just attracts more heat. If you lay the black shade cloth on top of the plants leaves you could be attracting more heat.
It's much better to install the shade tarp overhead as either a structure roof or a sail. Just like with row covers, having an air buffer works best. However, if you can't for whatever reason, even draping the tarp over your plant is better than nothing. The black shade tarp absolutely does *not* attract more heat. It's a night-and-day difference under the shade tarp, even beating in full midday sun. Being underneath the tarp is like being in a screened-in breezeway. Emphasis on color is often overstated.
Use 60% in Phx. Trust me. I grew in the desert for years
@@ewetoobblowzdogg8410 agreed thats what I am using. bought a great quality 60% and 40% shade cloths from AMLEO. Its held up really well in our monsoons
@@marcwohlleban3990 Been looking into the diffs between the white shade cloths, the black ones and the silver ones. The silver seems to throw heat away best and also lasts longest. A bit pricier tho
@@ewetoobblowzdogg8410 i actually bought shade tarp and not cloth looking back on it. I thought as long as there is enough airflow between the tarp and plants everything should be ok. Seems to be working pretty well this past summer although 116 is tough to overcome.
Thank you! I'm so happy I finally found an NC gardener on YT. A lot of the tips I get from other gardeners on here are just not practical for me. How do you keep your bed hoops secure for heavy winds?
Solid vid bro
No flim flam about sustainability or bleeding heart buzzword crap
Just spittin’ heat and droppin knowledge bombs. Keep it up dude 🤙🤙🤙🤙
I have thought it was just me and I was just contemplating a way to cover my garden so I could shade and maybe extend my season! 👍
I live at high altitude, it might be over 100°, BUT.... you learn about what Ultraviolet Light can do here. Plants of all types will sunburn, or stop growing. Few plants can take this at 7000 feet. Shade of all kinds are a must for half of everything you'll plant. A tree shade all afternoon, an East side garden are gold here.
Be glad you dont live on mountains. It's fierce, and everything in this video is factual. It's great someone is addressing this!
Thank you Millennial gardener for the video of the shade netting in your vegetable garden. Here in Yecla, Murcia, Spain we are having almost 2 months of extreme heat, 40ºC (104ºF) and no rain. I have made a cover similar to yours, with rectangles of shade netting of 2mx1m tied to 6mm irons nailed to the ground. They look like horizontal sails in the wind, and the flexibility of the 2m irons makes the system stay in spite of the wind. Best regards. ClaudioSerraBrun
I purchased shade cloth for the first time this year and I’ve been really happy w it. Game changer!
100%! It makes a huge difference. If you don't believe it, try it, and you'll be a believer!
Current comments were not what I seen amongst the first few on this video. I appreciate all your info, thank you
I live in Southern Utah and we have 110F. My corn is totally crispy now... so I bought a shade cover to safe the rest of the plants and others are in the shade against the house. Oh I forgot to mention that I have everything in containers due to a small backyard... anyways, that video was very helpful. thank u. Shalom
If you think it’s hot there come here to Tx, everyday over 104* for the month of July. I have to water my vegetables every evening!
Dewpoints mean a lot. 104 with a dewpoint in the 50’s means at least the shade is tolerable. There is no escape here. It is like a wet blanket. My apparent temperature was 117.
i'm in davidson co. nc, heat humidity, thunderstorms ugh. lost my ash tree couple year back, provided shade for the 20x32 deck. i put a 50 percent shade cloth over parts of the deck and wow what a change. that's where i have my container figs and new starts.
Finally someone who gets full sun isn’t created equal. I’m in North Queensland in Australia and we have extremely harsh sun. Our temps sound similar to yours & the humidity is disgusting - you have a cold shower to wash away the sweat & before you’ve even dried yourself you’re sweating again. We have had 30+ degrees c for a few weeks, now and my seedlings are suffering. My tomatoes I’ve got part sun beside the house are so healthy. My tomato plants that are in full sun are barely growing & look sunburnt. Same as my poor cucumbers. So I got some supplies yesterday and will shadecloth my beds today
With all your garden plant,trees,and of course working a job, how do you manage to have time to stay so fit? Whatever you’re doing, it’s working.!!! Great video as always.
Thanks. In north Florida, this will come in handy this summer.
Thank you for this vid. Very very helpful. It has been so hot here. It is almost impossible to get garden projects done. I have a lot I’m working on and everything has slowed way down for me. Also, I think using the weed fabric amplifies the heat just because its black, which would make the shade cloth invaluable. Something to consider. And we have at least one more month of extreme heat. I’m looking forward to the weather breaking. Thanks for your channel. NC Zone 7B, clay rocky soil.
Solar minimum. Magnetic pole reversal. Shade cloth? Uv resistant plastic tubing. Good advice.
I live in Sonora Arizona. 120 degrees with zero humidity. I got real lucky to have mesquite trees that canopy the entire yard. I’ve been growing under them and they’re “full sun” plants but they’d die if I did that. I’ve had to water daily the entire yard to maintain a humid micro climate. Fireflies have actually been showing up. Something I’ve never seen in the desert
Planting everything you can in movable grow bags too helps. You can shuffle the super sensitive plants into cover on the real hot days
Shouldn’t you also be watering those fig from the bottom? Ficus species need that wet base for proper root development. They won’t reach down properly
The figs in containers are on drip irrigation.
Great video. Another tip I would mention for dealing with heat/drought stress is using Silica which helps protect the plant from UV and heat stress and using a surfactant like Yucca extract to help penetrate soil that has become overly dried out. Yucca also has compounds that promote increased water uptake by plants. I believe Aloe Vera powder/extract has some similar effects too.
Oh interesting. Thanks for that.
Microlife has Yucca in it. I’m not affiliated but really love the brand for organic and building soil. 🌿
What do you mean by "silica" and how do your use it?
Hi. I don't have extreme heat and humidit. My tomatoes are doing great. Watched your tomato videos. I put up my fleece or netting rolled halfway up to shade new seedlings to harden off.
Oh I tried the Sonicare toothbrush pollination thing and my tomato plants are loaded.
Had some fungus spots. Used Hydrogen Peroxide.
I’m in Utah and while we have low humidity, the temperatures have been crazy the last two years. Regularly triple digits or close to it. I think I’ll invest in shade cloth next year to stop my cucumbers from frying.
Oh my gosh, how perfect!!! Here in Alabama we had over 100 straight days over 90° with many many days at 90% humidity. Sheer misery
Awesome information! Thank you so much for sharing!
You’re welcome! Thank you so much for watching 😊
Hey.... a 2 pole tent only needs 2 poles and some zipline. Gromits are nice, wrap a small stone in the fabric and tie it closed and the fabric is anchored to the line. Early and late day UV comes through way more air than middle, only need to cover the top!
There is more sunlight heat in infra red than maybe visible light but separating them would need large area single-axis diffraction grating, plants could get useful frequencies without IR you collect or reflect. UV is reflected by water, snow and ice, water traps IR.
I didnt realize severe humidity affected plants!
I understand that many plants get cooked in too high heat.
But, humidity?
This video is really helpful: I'm in zone 8. Five months,/year it's normally 100°F+ every day. 2 weeks moderate in Spring, and Autumn; lows of 27°F.
My HOA won't allow us to put any shade cloth, of any kind up -- nor will they replace the 2 shade trees I've lost due to their mismanagement.
I live in Vegas and this is why I plant my temperature sensitive plants in pots so I can move them around...
Thanks. I’m going on a mini vacation and I want to protect my tomatoes and cucumbers while I’m gone.👍🏾
Sure wish I saw this video back in June my garden was killed from 104° average temp from June to August. Thanks will be using this next year
I recommend grabbing one. They're often cheaper to buy now during the cooler weather than when they're in high demand during the heat of the summer. Also, if next year is anything like this year, prices are going to go up a lot everywhere 😰
I am so happy you have reinforced my thoughts about using shade cloth over my plants. Last summer we also had intense sun and heat in Boise and I researched shade cloth but was unsure how I was going to drape it over my plants. Great hoop idea!! Thanks.
I live at 6300 ft in Colorado. We get 90+ summer degree days. Just had several 95+ days in a row. Our UV index is 20% higher than where you are due to the altitude +6-8% per 2,000 ft change), and our days are14-15 hours long in the summer. I use 30% shade cloth the entire growing season because of the UV and day length. Mine are permanently installed om my raised beds, but can be rolled up. People are shocked at how well my plants do out here in the dry arid heat and intense sunshine.
BTW, hail is very common were I live. The shade cloth companies make "hail cloth", which is white 30% shade cloth.
You can also get it in rolls w/o the grommets.
Oh my goodness. Thanks for the tip. I will look for white hail cloth. If you’d post a link, I’d be very appreciative. How does the white differ? Are you using the white now?
@@joydavis4087 This is weird, my reply this morning is gone.
I use the black shade cloth. As I mentioned, the white is just a different color 30% shade cloth (I contacted one of the suppliers and asked if there was a difference and basically, it's the color. Why black? Because I don't want a stark white shade cloth. As long as it's the knitted, and not the woven, you can use any color you want. The knitted will not unravel due to a tear or hole. Depending on where you live, you can use either the 30% or 40% as a full time shade / hail cloth.
love your videos. I am just wondering with your large shade hoop and your smaller hoops with bug netting How does it affect your harvest? The Zucchini you had covered to prevent the squash bugs also prevents the pollinators so are you having to hand pollinate? I liked the idea of draping the shade cloth over your garden but still having access into the area for the pollinators, I have been thinking of doing this as well. I bought a smaller shade cloth this year however haven't tried to install it yet. Still working on my garden set up. Please let me know about the pollinators and production of the veggies/fruit.
Over them with plastic sheeting which acts like a hot house.
I have bug and possum netting over mine, but lift it during the day when the bees are out and about. I also spray with natural pest control and my plants are thriving. Its winter here and at night I cover them with plastic sheeting that acts like a hot house