Shading Advice

Hi, I have an 8x6 greenhouse and have purchased some shading for one side but I'm thinking will I need it for both sides of greenhouse as my Tomato plants will be on both sides.

 

Much depends on the citing of the greenhouse. Basically the sun is, for gardening purposes, at it's best from midday to late afternoon.
Then do you intend just to shade the roof, or the sides as well. Over the years I have tried most things. At one time I was using two 75x12ft houses. Timber framed, boarded to bench/stage height. As all I could use was clear polythene sheeting for the roof span. This remained in situ all year. I had no problems. Later using a 13x8 house. I tried green plastic type shading, both halves of the roof. The roof was glass. Internal temps became too much. Using the same material but outside, good protection. except the birds used it for target practice. Yes I have used the whitewash stuff. Mucky. I have replaced the roof glass with twinwall polycarbonate. You have the choice of which side up. Internal bubble plastic insulation is intact all the year. Height of summer, the glass is removed from the door and wiremesh is used. I have no problems. Hope this is of some help.

 

Builders Debris Netting is effective and cheap!

 

I have the same size greenhouse and use a 45% black poly net for shading, it was purchased from an online greenhouse supply store. The netting is left in place all summer to control the heat and light.

 

Hi,

Don't forget Toms love sunshine, so don't block out too much light.

While you can use netting, only effective on reducing heat if used on the outside, it does give a bit too much shading for toms , imho.

Much better to use a glass paint like this Vitax product, very easy to apply with a brush as light or heavy as you need.
It looks ok, and comes off easily, glass and plastic glazing; use it myself.

Probably more important is the ventilation you have and which side of your greenhouse faces south?

A standard 8x6 typically comes with a manual single roof vent.

Much better with 2 roof vents, fitted with auto openers, and if you cannot regularly leave the door ajar , then an auto louver vent is great for creating good air circulation.

 

I have used the net cover for eight years now with fantastic results. Prior to purchasing the netting, I consulted greenhouse experts on the percentage of shading to purchase for tomatoes and that is why I went with the 45%. It is on the outside, and, I also mist the floor on very hot days to cool the greenhouse through evaporation. Our temperatures during the summer can be in the high 90s F for days at a time, so controlling the heat is a big big issue.

I might add that if we are in for several cloudy days I can easily remove the net, you can't do that with painted on shading.

Of course, you are entitled to believe what you want to believe, but it works for me.

 

Its not what I believe, its what we experience.

You are located in 15 degrees further south and experience far higher summer temperatures , typically 5 -10 C higher that me and the OP who are both located in the north of England.

If we had your climate then yes we probably would need your type of shading.

 

There are many degrees of shading available, I am quite sure there is one suitable for your area. The person asking the question should not rule it out, as it can be applied and removed easily. I might add that it is impervious to weather; I have been using mine for a number of years and it still looks the same as the day I first received it.

 

I never use shading, we struggle to get enough sunlight, more sunlight more taste for tomatoes.
I rely upon ventilation, two roof vents, end vent and door wide open on sunny days.
In my experience based upon years past all the shading/part shading I have tried has resulted in reduced crops with reduced taste, I have not used shading for over twenty years.
Take normal precautions in hot sunny weather, wet paths, leave water containers in greenhouse to increase humidity, make sure to water plants in the morning ensure no water splashes onto stems, leaves or fruit, make sure all vents are open, add fan if possible/required. My greenhouse is hardened safety glass. My plants are presently in conservatory right beside glass and are doing well in 30 deg +
Regards Sandy

 

Just the opposite even with Safety glass full sheet no joints to block out any light no shading required, some may have thought I had opaque type eg. Polycarbonate as shown by hydrogardener. My best crops have always been without shading. If you look at my previous posts under Alexmac you will see superb crops (for some reason I was unable to log in as alexmac so started Sandymac earlier this year)
Regards Sandy

 

I made some external shading to try and help reduce the internal temps, made from wooden batons, plant shade and stainless steel staples.









Let's hope it works

 

Brilliant, @Sheps! That looks perfect on your greenhouse. You could start up a business making those. My greenhouse looks the same as yours, so would like to try something similar if necessary (I'm in Scotland so summer is always a possibility rather than a certainty). It is very windy around our neck of the woods, so would have to think about securing them. Hope they do the trick for you.