This is the anti hail net we supply for apple orchards, and the principle it works on is worth being clear about: a rigid roof over a tree deflects hail and it lands again somewhere else, often on the fruit, whereas a net with the right elasticity catches the stone, stretches, and lets it drop with most of its energy gone. The open weave also means the net does not shade the orchard out or trap the heat under it, which is why the same netting is run over vineyards and fruit rows. Widths are 1.22 m and 1.64 m for running over a support system.
Hail does its damage on the second impact as often as the first. A rigid roof over an orchard deflects the stones and they land again, frequently on the fruit the roof was built to protect. A net with the right elasticity behaves differently: it catches the stone, stretches, and lets it drop with most of its energy spent.
The open knit is what makes that work. The strands give under the impact and then recover, so a stone is slowed over a short distance rather than bouncing off a hard surface, and the gaps between the strands let the wind and the light through at the same time. That second point matters as much as the first over an orchard: a cover that shades the canopy out costs you yield every day it is up, while a hail net is only earning its place on the days the weather turns. The cloth is HDPE with UV resistance in the yarn, so it holds through a season without going brittle at the support wires.
The netting is run over apple orchards, vineyard rows, cherry and stone fruit blocks and any fruit row where a support system is already in place, and because it comes in 1.22 m and 1.64 m widths the strips are run along the rows and joined over the posts. Growers mulching or bagging under the same rows often pair it with a planting bag, and the wider shade net range covers the shading grades where light rather than hail is the problem.
| Model | FBBW |
| Material | Knitted HDPE with UV resistant yarn |
| Width | 1.22 m and 1.64 m |
| Construction | Open knit, elastic under impact |
| Function | Catches hail and reduces impact on fruit |
| Application | Apple orchard, vineyard and fruit row |
| Packing | Roll, customised on request |
| Roll Length | Made to order for the row length you give us |
Width is set by the row spacing rather than chosen freely, which is why the range is narrow: 1.22 m and 1.64 m strips are run along the rows and joined over the posts, and a strip that is too wide sags between the wires while one too narrow leaves a gap at the join for hail to come straight through. Because the weave is open, the net costs little in light, so it can be left up through the season rather than being deployed only when a storm is forecast, which is the practical difference between a hail net and a hail cover. A knitted monofilament net covers the shading job where a shade rate is wanted instead.
Width, roll length and mesh opening are made to order, so the first detail to confirm is the row spacing and the support system that is already in place. Netting ships in rolls. Buyers tracking how orchard protection netting performs can follow trade coverage such as HortiDaily and FreshPlaza for what is being installed.
How does a net stop hail better than a solid roof?
The strands give under the impact and recover, so a stone is slowed rather than bounced back over the fruit. A solid roof deflects it and it lands again.
Will it shade the orchard out?
The weave is open, so it costs little in light and can be left up through the season rather than deployed only ahead of a storm.
Which width do I need?
It is set by the row spacing and the support system, not chosen freely. Tell us the row spacing and we will advise between 1.22 m and 1.64 m.
Tell us the row spacing and the support system you are running, and we will confirm the width, 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.
