This is the shade cloth we supply for greenhouse growers across the 30 to 60 percent band, and the band is the point of it. A low to mid rate is what a leafy crop, a seedling tray or a soft-leafed plant under glass wants, because the light is taken down without the bed going dark. It is an HDPE mesh, so the cloth stays open to air and rain and holds its shape across a season of sun. The rate is made to order and the cloth is supplied in black, grey or a light stripe where a paler cover is wanted.
Not every crop wants the light cut in half. A leafy bed, a seedling tray or a soft leafed plant under glass wants the light taken down a step, and that is the job this shade cloth is made for. It is an HDPE mesh run across the 30 to 60 percent band, so the cover can be matched to the crop rather than fixed at one rate.
The band covers the working range for soft crops under glass. Thirty percent takes the glare off a leafy bed without slowing growth, while sixty percent suits a seedling tray or a plant that scorches in full afternoon sun. Because the cloth is knitted HDPE, the mesh stays open at every rate in the band, so air moves under the cover and rain still reaches the beds instead of sitting on the cloth and steaming the crop underneath. The rate is made to order, so the cover can be set to the crop rather than the crop to the cover.
The roll goes over greenhouse beds and tunnel frames, across seedling benches and over nursery trays where the light load has to come down a step. Because one cloth covers the mid band, the same roll does a leafy bed and a propagation bench rather than two separate weights. Growers running trays under the same cover often pair it with a planting bag, and the wider shade net range covers the reflective and heavy types where the job calls for something other than a light cloth.
| Material | HDPE mesh, not coated |
| Shade Rate | 30 to 60 percent, made to order |
| Function | Light shading for soft crops and seedlings |
| Finish | Not coated, permeable to air and water |
| Colour | Black, grey or light, customised on request |
| Roll Form | Customers request |
| Application | Greenhouse beds and seedling benches |
| Packing | Export package, customised on request |
The rate is the first decision, since it sets how much light the crop keeps, and it is made to order across the band where a heavier or lighter cover is wanted. Colour is the second, and a light cloth is often chosen where the cover is seen from the house or where glare off a black cloth would be a problem. A knitted monofilament net covers the same idea where a finer weave is wanted, while this cloth covers the standard low to mid rate job. Growers often hold one roll for the house and use the offcut on a bench.
Width, length, shade rate and colour are all made to order, so the first detail to confirm is the span of the house or the bench you are covering and the crop under it. Rolls ship in export packing and are cut to suit the frame. Growers tracking how shade netting performs across a season can follow trade coverage such as HortiDaily and FreshPlaza for what is being installed on commercial sites.
Which rate should I pick for a leafy crop?
Thirty to forty percent suits a leafy bed, since the glare comes off without the bed going dark. Sixty percent is the top of the band and suits a seedling tray or a plant that scorches in full afternoon sun.
Does a lighter rate still cut the heat?
Yes. Even at thirty percent the mesh takes the sting out of the afternoon sun, and because the cloth stays open to air, the bed does not sit under trapped heat.
Can I order a different rate, colour or length?
Yes. The rate, colour and roll length are all made to order, so the cover can be set to the crop. Tell us the crop and the span and we will advise.
Tell us the span, the shade rate and the colour you are working to, and we will confirm the roll length and the packing that suit your order.
Mark Wu, Co-founder & Technical Director, Sichuan Zhifang Net Industry. 15 years manufacturing agricultural nettings for growers in 32 countries.
