Shade cloth color

[absolute0]

Does the color of the shade cloth matter? The color of materials after all affect how much light is reflected or absorbed. I read a study on the impact of colors though the study was done on crop plants and some ornamentals. If shade cloth color indeed matters, which color would be best for cacti and succulents?

[DaveW]

See-

https://www.cmac.com.au/blog/understand ... ant-growth

[Steve Johnson]

Does the color of the shade cloth matter? The color of materials after all affect how much light is reflected or absorbed. I read a study on the impact of colors though the study was done on crop plants and some ornamentals. If shade cloth color indeed matters, which color would be best for cacti and succulents?

While Dave's link is interesting, the article doesn't say anything about what different colors might do for or to cactus growth. For whatever it's worth -- I've been using 40% black shade cloth for years, and my cacti are loving it.

[Aiko]

Mine is green.

[absolute0]

Perhaps there's a reason why shade cloths usually come in black and green

[mmcavall]

Mine is gray!

[DaveW]

Green tends to be traditionally used in horticulture as it blends in with the foliage of most plants. A lot of horticultural implements are painted green. Green sulphur to dust on plants foliage for instance, since it does not show up on the leaves as normal yellow sulphur would.

Interesting remark in the link below that shade cloth can increase the temperature if you make a tent of it, thus restricting air flow. You really only need it in the direction the sun is coming from to stop the suns rays.

https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/ ... e-p239.xml

[cactushobbyman]

I use a tan shade cloth I bought from Lowe's 2010, and it is still working. All my greenhouses have tan shade cloths.