Shade nets were developed over 30 years ago to protect plants from harsh climates. Nets are used in many different applications in the home, horticultural, commercial, industrial, sports, leisure and agricultural industries. In summer, shade nets can be used to cover your shade house skeleton or greenhouse glass to cool your plants. Hobbyists, growers, nurseries, gardeners and farmers should protect their seedlings from direct sunlight.

Great for growing plants and then gradually hardening, shade cloths are also used to protect pets, livestock and people from the sun and wind. Blackout fabrics are typically made of high-density polyethylene, warp knitted, and vary in density or shade from about 5% to 95%. All shade cloths are permeable, so rain, sprinklers and irrigation systems keep your plants hydrated. From the above we can see that to protect your plants from extreme heat and keep them healthy in the hot summer months, knitted shade cloth is a better choice due to its life expectancy, functionality and ease of installation.

Shade fabrics are woven or knitted in varying densities. We refer to the density of the Shade Cloth as a "percentage". The difference in percentages lets different amounts of sunlight penetrate, meaning that the percentage of shade you choose will block that percentage of the sun. So what you plant will help determine the percentage of shade cloth you need. Sunlight is known to be critical to plant growth, so choose the right density and keep it as low as possible.

Typically a shade percentage of 30-50% in a shade net is ideal for vegetables, while 80-90% is ideal for shading people. Most plants do best in a maximum of 40% – 60% shade. However, when planting some shade-loving plants (like orchids and some ferns), 75% or more may be needed to get the correct light level.