Shading advice

[Greenhead Gardener]

Hello, Im a greenhouse novice (Only had it a few months) and having just got over my ventilation issues I am now concerned about shading my plants from direct sunlight (Oh the stress!) Does anyone know of the best and hopefully the cheapest ways to provide shading- Any advice appreciated!
Thanks

[dogsbody]

Tape up newspaper - you can take it down on cloudy days and put it back if the sun is out.

I use shading paint but only on the side/s most exposed to the sun.

No experience of shading mesh - but I think it a tad expensive.

[Noodles]

Wilkinsons have very cheap shading mesh.

[womble]

Last year, my first year with a greenhouse, I used some shading/windproof netting I already had, worked a treat. Easy to take off and on as well.

[mrdinkle]

Wilkinsons have very cheap shading mesh.

Do they still sell it?

[Sanjo]

Wilkinsons have very cheap shading mesh.

I was after shading material too but I couldn't see any at all in Wilkinsons and the G.Cs would work out a bit pricey (although, having said that, you would have the use of it for 4-5 years.)
Instead, I have gone for NIXOL from Two Wests & Elliott. It's like Coolglass but apparently it turns clear when the weather is dull and overcast and goes white when it's sunny! It is £7.95 and a lKG tub is supposed to do 30 square metres.
As I will only be doing a couple of sides I thought it would work out reasonable.
My main concern with the shading was that when I am away and the weather turns dull then the greenhouse would be too shady as I would not be there to lift it.

[womble]

First I've heard of that Nixol, sounds very interesting, a quick search online finds that Two wests and Elliot sell it for £7.95 per KG as Sanjo says and a horticultural supplier sells 12.5 KG for £30.
If you have a few friends to buy in with, a good deal.

[Alison]

I've been using the same shading mesh for about 10 years on one side of the greenhouse. It works a treat, can be put up and down easily and will pretty much last forever. I leave it up for the whole season as it lets sufficient light through for the crops to grow well. Whilst it cost a bit (not too bad, think it was Homebase originally or similar) to start with I don't have to replace it every year or have the b*ll ache of trying to wash off the paint stuff off.

[Storming Norman]

I've had my greenhouse for 20 years, it is on the north side of my garden but it still needs pretty good shading every year.

A few times I tried the paint on shading that goes clear in poor weather but it made little difference, and it is expensive.

A pack of simple coolglass is cheap, lasts ages [several years], and goes on in around 5 minutes - it takes a bit longer to get it off for the winter and the edges never really clear completely.

Personally my eureka moment in this was when I found out exactly which panes needed shading and which did not - by trail and error I'm afraid as I shaded too much one year and had to scrub some off early.

Ann

[srodders]

I wonder if Specsavers sell 24"x24" glass - theyv've got a offer of free reactolites at the moment

[SarzWix]

I had a genius moment (if I can say so myself ) when it came to shading...
I found some long net curtains for the north side, and bought some windbreak/shade netting for the south side, the exact length I needed from Harrod Horticultural. Then I went on eBay and bought a big length of net curtain wire (incuding fixings). I cut 3 lengths of wire and fixed up one across the the ridge on the north side, one across the ridge on the south side, and one at the bottom of the ridge/top of the straight side on the south side. The wire goes nicely through the fixing holes on the shade netting, and now I can open and close the 'curtains' as required all round.

10 mtr mtrs White Net Curtain Wire &12 Hooks & 12 Eyes on eBay, also, Net Curtains, Curtains Blinds, Home Garden (end time 09-May-09 21:06:27 BST)

Windbreak/Shade Netting by the Metre

[womble]

Sarzwiz, any chance of a photo? I can't quite picture it.

[SarzWix]

I'll see if I can find one from last year, think I might have one on the other pooter.

My wires are on the outside of the greenhouse, so that the netting lies flat on the roof. If you did it on the inside you'd have to run wires through the top and bottom of the netting so that it didn't just hang straight down from the ridge

[Alison]

The netting I have has wires at the top to go into the roof of the greenhouse and half way down to fix it to the top of the vertical walls. I then loop it round the ends of bolts and the like also to keep it in place. It's hung on the inside so it doesn't get wet and dirty.

[womble]

I'll see if I can find one from last year, think I might have one on the other pooter.

My wires are on the outside of the greenhouse, so that the netting lies flat on the roof. If you did it on the inside you'd have to run wires through the top and bottom of the netting so that it didn't just hang straight down from the ridge

Ahh, on the outside, get it now.
What do you do about windows then?
On my shade netting, which I just throw over the greenhouse and weigh down with bricks, I have cut a flap for the window and it works well with the autovent.