June 3, 2011. Paul Hixon
You are likely to encounter problems during summer time due to the heat if you live in a warmer climate. Particularly in areas that receives little rain, the blazing summer sun can be damaging to your more sensitive plants.
The sun can affect and harm the thriving homegrown or garden produce and also young plants.
One way of protecting your plants from the intense summer heat is by using UV (ultraviolet)-stabilized polyethylene shade net. It is one of the most resourceful items you can add to your yard or garden. These are very useful in gardens where there are not a lot of tall trees to create natural shades or in greenhouse kind of gardens where you want to shield your fragile plants from the sun’s hot rays. These nets can cut the sun’s harmful rays by 30-50 percent, while allowing cool air to flow freely. Intense sunlight and hot temperature can make it difficult to develop new seeds, create tender seedlings and keep cool-weather crops, such as salad greens, from bolting and becoming bitter. By covering parts of the garden with a garden shade net, soil and leaf temperatures are cooler and this will also lessen the loss of moisture.
Garden shade netting can be inexpensive and easy to install. They are lightweight and can easily blend in with the plants so you barely notice they are there. It works best when it is held up over plants using hoops or another type of support to maintain good air flow around the plants. This can also improve the structure of your garden soil, add humus, increases the soil’s capability to hold in moisture, helps soil aeration, and also increases the amount of nitrogen in the soil. Aside from keeping your plants away from excessive heat, this garden netting is also good in keeping your garden free from weeds and dried leaves.
Updated June 3, 2011. Published March 23, 2011. Paul Hixon
