This summer we have had a total of four heatwaves, this is really unusual for where I live. Generally, most of my life, we have been fortunate to get a few sunny warm weeks, often having cloudier days and rainy times in the summer. However this year has been very dry with hardly any rain since early spring and fierce heat during the heatwaves for this part of the world. If this is a trend that is developing I am thinking that long term my gardening will need to change and short term I need strategies to get plants thought the summers with shading.
Many of my beautiful plants are ones that are suited to mild summers with some sun but not intense sun. This year they have really suffered. The scorching rays of the sun has burned their leaves and I have noticed that even the a few days after I watered them they are wilting again. Many have not grown this year as they should and the stunted growth has been noticeable.
Shade really matters in a garden and I am lucky to have one side of the garden that faces north so this year I crammed all the plants that could be moved and those in pots into this shady area. However there were many plants that could not be moved or I did not have room for or where too big or heavy to move at this stage so they had to be in the south or west facing areas that were getting the most intense sunshine for weeks on end.
I tried all the usual tricks to make shade which are still very valid tips.
- Grouping the plants together in pots all together so that they would help each other with humidity and shade.
- Putting the bigger sturdier leafier ones at the front and the more delicate smaller ones at the back to protect them more.
- Water deeply so the water gets to the roots. This is better strategy than little and often, though a hosepipe ban did not help this situation.
- Use saucers under as many pots as possible to give a water resevoir
- Moving plants under the shade of trees or large shrubs or to a north facing area.
However this year none of this was enough and I started looking into alternative shading devices and products.
Why Does Shade Matter To Plants?
Some plants adore the sunshine while others can take it in small doses or for half a day while others hate it.
They are very much like people in that respect ! However in a heatwave situation, especially if it goes on for more than a day or two even all but the most resilient sun lovers need a respite.
Shading helps plants in the following ways:
- It helps reduce or prevent sun scorching of their leaves and reduces the leaf temperature
- Lowers the stress on the plants
- Keeps them flowering a little longer. many of my sun stressed plants flowered and went to seed much more quickly than normal.
- Helps conserve water loss, no matter how much you water if they are in full sun and heat it evaporates quicker.
Here Are The Shading Materials I Tried
Old bedding sheets - I found these quite useful and for this purpose and free as I already had them. They were not too bad, but were not UV resistant and the airflow was not great, so did not work as well as I had hoped.
It also felt a little strange and a bit messy laying out sheets in the front garden where passers by and neighbours were looking on. Also not really easy to clean in the garden, I sponged off any bird droppings etc but they really needed a wash after a couple weeks. Still it was better than nothing and was Ok in the back garden.
White Fleece- this is the fleece I usually use in winter to wrap terracotta plant pots and very cold hating plants up in for a winter blanket. It did work quite well wrapping it around some black pots I had as now the pots looked white and I hoped more heat resistant as black generally absorbs heat, while white deflects it more.
I wrapped it around some of the plants foliage as well and it worked fairly well to shade the plants but I did worry that they were getting too hot, so spent quite a lot of time wrapping and unwrapping them to give them good enough ventilation. Also I had to wrap very loose around the plant to allow better airflow. So really I found it good for wrapping the black plant pots themselves, but less so for wrapping the plants.
Umbrellas! Yes this was one of my more inventive ideas I think. I used several large umbrellas we have in the extreme heat to shade out delicate plants. I have to say it did work very well at shading although it was not easy when there was a breeze as well to keep it in the right place, but if total shade is what required this can be a possible option. They were also easy to clean.
They certainly reduced water evaporation and no leaves got scorched so I would say really quite successful. I only used umbrellas when the sun was at its height though as I wanted the plants to have some light. They will only work for one plant at a time though, not bigger beds.
I think the neighbours thought it slightly odd, but were too polite to say anything !! I do think that the UV sun umbrellas would have worked even better.
If you only have one special plant that you need to shield from the sun and don't mind being a little quirky in the garden and can find a way to hold it down in a breeze, then maybe a sun umbrella will suffice!
Shade Netting or Cloth
This is specialised netting, very dense tight netting or cloth that gives really good shade, many around 40% to 90% shade and is UV resistant and has good airflow. It is this UV resistance and airflow that differentiates this from all the other shade materials I tried. My plants seemed really happy with this one.
I went for a higher percentage shade as I really needed to protect the plants from the strong, intense sunshine we were getting but still to allow some light through to them.
It was easy to lay over the plants and easy to work with. I simply secured it via bamboo stakes. As I take it off every evening I don't want it as a permanent structure.
The airflow was better using this than with the other shading methods and the plants felt cooler underneath it.
For cleaning I just rinsed it with a watering can, or a hosepipe would be fine. It didn't really get very dirty.
Some shade cloths or mesh are better quality than others and some more sturdy than others. I did not leave mine out in very windy conditions but in a breeze it was fine. If you intend to leave it out in windy weather then you will need to buy a more sturdy version. For my needs a more simple option was fine. I have included a variety below for you to consider.
JOJOLEE 70% Sun Shade Cloth, 10x20FT Shade Net Mesh Tarp with GrommetsCheck Price90% Shade Cloth for Garden -12 x 20 FT Durable Mesh Tarp with GrommetsCheck PriceQLOFEI Shade Cloth for Garden, 70% Sun Screens for Patio Pergola OutdoorCheck Price
How To Use Shading Materials
Know where the sun is strongest in your garden at what time of day. Unless you have a lot of shading materials you may need to move it around during the day. We have one area that is south facing all day it is hot so the shading stays there. However I move the East and West facing shading around the garden as needed just once a day as the sun moves around. I also take it all off at night.
We have a lot of birds in our garden and one of my concerns was that they might get trapped in the material so I checked it regularly and took it off at night.
I secured the material as much as possible and as taught as possible, so that it did not flap about in any breeze or allow spaces birds could get into it easily
I did my best to keep it away from the plants by using bamboo poles and sticks or hoops just to raise it above the foliage. This allows better airflow around the plants and keeps it off the leaves and flowers.
I didn't do this, but you can make retractable awnings which are very useful for raised beds or larger containers or make a more permanent structure by hanging it and then rolling up and down as you need it.
Although I love the long days and light nights this summer has been challenging as a gardener. At times I have felt like it is more simply keeping the plants alive rather than helping them to thrive. If we are going to get more summers like this one I know that my gardening strategies, habits and routines are going to have to change including what I grow and how to best shade my plants.
I do think that of all the shading I tried for plants that cannot be moved into the shade of a tree or shrub, the Shade netting is the best due the the UV protection, airflow and ease of cleaning. For now I am glad we are reaching autumn soon and can look forward to cooler days and hopefully some rain!!
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Reviewing Shading and Shielding Garden Plants From The Sun by Raintree Annie
