Shade cloth
 

The last two summers I have noticed that my bell peppers have been getting a good bit of leaf scald from the sun when it gets really hot and clear. I set out a small bed of bell peppers about 5 days ago and they have been suffering from the intense sun and wind we have been having lately so I thought I would try shading them a bit. I may have put up too much shade but I'll give them a week under it and see how they are faring.

When my sister moved she and her husband didn't have a place for a garden so they gave me some of their stuff. One of the things that I got was some green light weight frost blankets. I cut one in half the long way giving me a couple of five by twelve foot pieces. I stretched it over the top of my support rack that I use to drop lines to support the plants. It looks like it may be too dense a shade but it may not be. Has anyone else used thin green frost blankets for shade cloth? I have used it this year as a greenhouse shade and my plants in the greenhouse have done well if a tad leggy but not too much. I needed the partial shade it created in the greenhouse to stop it from getting too hot because a tree that had been giving me afternoon shade had to be cut down. The result has been pretty good for the greenhouse but I'm not sure how it will work out in the garden.

Any insight on the benefits or problems with partial shading of bell peppers would be appreciated. I live only 80 or so miles from the Gulf and it gets extremely hot down here and pepper production is best during the early months or during the fall when it is a bit cooler. Once the intense summer starts the production slows dramatically as the problems with keeping the plants healthy increases.

Bill

I can't comment on bell peppers but one trick I use to keep my peas producing longer when we get a hot spell up here in PA is to shade them and give them some extra water. It really helps. Peas are a cool weather vegetable and will burn up rapidly in the intense heat.

I wouldn't see why the same thing wouldn't be beneficial to your peppers.

Bill,

I have planted some tomatoes and peppers in a new garden site at my nephews to try to get him interested in gardening. I thought I had picked a nice spot in an old horse pasture with plenty of sun exposure. It has turned out to be the gates of hell. 8 to 10 hours a day full sun has just scorched the transplants, even with temps rarely getting over 85. Now we have a week of 85 to 90 degree days coming and I have 4 remaining healthy and strong transplants ready to drop into this hellscape. I am going to have to try some form of shading to try to protect these last few arrivals.

Cheesecloth
You can add/remove layers as needed.

[QUOTE=slugworth;640064]Cheesecloth
You can add/remove layers as needed.[/QUOTE]
Thanks, I'll give it a try

[QUOTE=slugworth;640064]Cheesecloth
You can add/remove layers as needed.[/QUOTE]

I have tried cheesecloth in the past but it had a tendency to rot to quickly down here and become a mess before the season was over. We have pretty intense sun, heat and humidity from early May through late October usually and sometimes longer. Old worn white bed sheets are pretty good but finding them at a cost that is reasonable is the big problem.

Bill

Bill:

I was lucky and picked up about 20 bed sheets at $1 each at Goodwill. They weren't all white, but all were pretty well worn - no one else wanted them.

Most are light enough to drape over concrete reinforcing wire (crw) cages, unhooked crw cages that form a half moon over planting beds, or even the cheap little "tomato" cages I use for peppers. I use them for frost protection and to shade transplants when needed.

I've seen people using white sheer curtains over their beds to allow a little shade and a good amount of air to come through it too. The polyester dries fast in the rain as well.

Target is having a sale on them as we speak which ends tomorrow.

[URL="http://www.target.com/c/curtains-window-treatments-home-decor/-/N-5xtu1Z5tdv0?type=products&lnk=30off&clkid=ae7ed18aN3160067975cdf6c6ff7e87e1&lnm=81938&afid=Hip%20Happenings%20LLC&ref=tgt_adv_xasd0002"]http://www.target.com/c/curtains-window-treatments-home-decor/-/N-5xtu1Z5tdv0?type=products&lnk=30off&clkid=ae7ed18aN3160067975cdf6c6ff7e87e1&lnm=81938&afid=Hip%20Happenings%20LLC&ref=tgt_adv_xasd0002[/URL]

I've seen them setup with a pvc pipe running through each end and set up on a tunnel design.

I've also seen them use shower curtains too.

GOOGLE
 

Google 40% shade cloth and buy a custom one to fit you needs, should be under $100.

I use 50% white sunshade cloth on tomatoes. When you walk under it in the sun, it is like going from sun to shade in terms of how it feels temperature wise on your body. I figure the plants have a similar heat relief. I believe I get a couple of extra weeks of fruit set and healthier plants throughout, so it is well worth it to me. I haven't done it for peppers because my peppers are shaded in from 3 p.m. on and get heat relief that way.

I am going to use the shade cloth on one bed and leave the other in full sun and see if there is any significant difference in production and quality of fruit. I am also curious to see if the ones under the shade cloth get leggy and tall. If that happens I will cut back on the shade but until it does I will just watch and see.

I watched some videos on YouTube on pruning peppers that has me interested in another experiment. They cut the peppers off just below the first main fork and then allow the side shoots to grow giving the plant a stouter growth pattern and according to them better production on a sturdier plant. I think I will go out in the morning and cut a few of mine off in both beds and see if it makes a big difference. I have more than enough plants set out this year to do a little experimenting so why not?

Bill

Interesting experiment - maybe worth it's own thread? It will be interesting to see how that turns out!

I went out and cut off three or four plants in each bed and some of my hot peppers as well to see how it affects them. If it works it should make a big difference with my cayenne type pepper plants as they usually get tall and scraggly. I would love them to be shorter and more bushy. I may have just ruined about a dozen plants but I am planting at least a dozen more in the next week or two.

Bill

[QUOTE=whoose;640307]Google 40% shade cloth and buy a custom one to fit you needs, should be under $100.[/QUOTE]

Agree.

I got mine to cover my 15x30ft greenhouse from greenhousemegastore. Any shade % you want, different color options, custom made, shipped to your door. It will last several seasons if you take it in over the winter.

Bill... Like you I have had terrible time with sweet peppers. Forget who it was now, but it was a TV'er who said to shade the sweets. I have two types of shade cloth. One is big 10' x 20' pieces of material like cheesecloth. The other house I shaded with heavier cloth. That cloth is from where I gathered the material that goes around one of them big trampolines that's supposed to help keep kids safer. Guess they didn't work cuz folks keep throwing them out. So far both types have done well for the sweets. For the first time I have lots of blossoms and looks like I'm actually going to have some fruit. : )

I moved most of mine to the darker shade cloth cuz darn electric company came through and all the lines cut all the trees back to almost nothing and now all my plants were getting way to much sun. I argued for two days with them not to cut limbs below power lines. No need too and when my back was turned they snuck in with a small truck and clipped away. grr.

Good luck with your experiments and your peppers.

So far I can't see a lot of difference in the ones under the shade cloth but then again they were set out at least 3 weeks later. The plants look good and are blooming like crazy and I am pinching most of the off because the plants are a foot or less tall and I know from experience letting those small plants make peppers results in poor production long term for me. I am letting several in the first bed go ahead and make some peppers early. They look ridiculous being about a foot tall with a couple of peppers the size of softballs hanging on them; but I want a few early peppers to add to my cucumber, onion and tomato salads.

Bill

Greenhousemegastwre also has shade cloth in bulk form. It is not finished with tape and grommets but I have been using it for years because it does not unravel and can be cut to whatever size you want. I buy a large piece and then cut it into what I need.
The 40% offers it in 6' wide pieces and 12'. If you want a 12 X 5 it will be about $11.25 plus shipping. The 6 x 12 (there is no remade 5' - you have to use the 12' and then have them cut 5') would be about $14 plus shipping. They are really good quality. I use them every year when I first plant the tomato seedlings here in PA because inevitably that's when the heat hits! Here is a link:
[url]http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/40-percent-black-bulk-shade-cloth/shade-material[/url]

I just checked it out. You have to spend at least $60 on one piece or they will add a minimum $20 charge.

[QUOTE=schill93;641076]I just checked it out. You have to spend at least $60 on one piece or they will add a minimum $20 charge.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, that's the only thing about their store. On the other hand, if you need a bunch of stuff for the garden then their prices are great.

I use this for my mini tunnel [url]https://www.amazon.com/Agfabric-12x20ft-Sunblock-Greenhouse-Resistant/dp/B00LO0JPHO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1495330805&sr=8-4&keywords=50+shade+cloth[/url] . Lowers temps 15 degrees. I plant my peppers so they only get 8 hours of sun. Mostly in shade after 3pm. Another thing that works well for sun scald issues is this [url]https://www.groworganic.com/surround-25-lb.html[/url] With the added benefit of repelling several pest.

Just a little follow up on the peppers I cut off below the first fork. They looked pretty bad for a while but now that the new growth coming from the lower leaf nodes has taken off they are starting to look a lot better and if they continue to grow like they are they will be much more dense plants which may or may not be good. I'll just have to wait and see.

The bells I set out under the shade cloth have almost caught up with the ones in the sun as far as size and they are starting to put on a good set of blooms. I'm hoping they set a lot of fruit because it would be nice to not lose so many to sun scald every year.

Bill

You know, now that I think about it, topping is sometimes recommended, but I don't recall anyone suggesting that a grower prune out the foliage of a pepper plant as they do tomatoes. Sometimes you'll get suckers and those can go, but pruning for space?

I had a great candidate to try it on last year, but it is no longer among the living.

My aluminet shade cloth arrived today. It looks like a space blanket.

I ordered that too. I like that it is nice and light (not heavy) Worry about it blinding my neighbors though. :o

In Nevada? Yeah that may be a real concern. 8-)

So how much light gets through?

[QUOTE=dmforcier;644627]In Nevada? Yeah that may be a real concern. 8-)

So how much light gets through?[/QUOTE]

I purchased 60% which is used here in the extreme desert by some. So that allows 40% light through. I only put it up end of May when temperatures were hitting 100. It will range from 100 to 117 degrees for the next three months. /puke

shade cloth for peppers ? I thought they can handle the heat better than tomatoes !!
Mine are getting almost 12 hours of sun and look happy. Of course i is only early June.
But we have had many days of 90F ++ days in My and so far in June.

NC is not NV.

Cheap Shade - Old Window Screens
 

I usually shade my peppers for at least 2 weeks when I first plant them out. I grow most of them in 4 x 4 garden boxes which will hold nine plants. I use the small wire cages and I put a couple of old window screens on top and tie them to the cages. I get my window screens at Habitat for Humanity for $1.00 a piece. They have multiple sizes, all the same price. They also work great on the boxes where I plant squash seed and cucumber seed. I just put them on the boxes until the plants sprout and start to touch the screens.
They help keep the birds away from the young seedlings. I just planted by eggplants out on Saturday. It was a blazing sunny day and no problem because I used the screens over them.

[QUOTE=Gardeneer;644686]shade cloth for peppers ? I thought they can handle the heat better than tomatoes !!
Mine are getting almost 12 hours of sun and look happy. Of course i is only early June.
But we have had many days of 90F ++ days in My and so far in June.[/QUOTE]

I have had far more problems with sun scald on bell peppers than on tomatoes. I tried shading my tomatoes one year and found that I got spindlier plants with less fruit. Our sun is pretty intense here but we only get above 100 now and then but we hover just under 100 for months some summers. But what makes it bearable is the near 100% humidity that goes with it.:lol:

Bill