what % shade cloth do you use

[Phragper]

thinking I need to change % shade cloth I have on my greenhouse. Wondering what other members are using and what they grow. I have phrags, paphs, catts ,cym, and phals and others. I currently have 73% but am noticing the phrags are happier when they get more light. Any suggestions will be appreciated

 

[Duck Slipper]

I have Paphs Phrags Catts and Phals and use 60 % Aluminet. I put it up by April 1 and take it down about November 1.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

I also use 60% shade cloth. I wasn't able to source Aluminet last summer when I was building my greenhouse, but that's what I actually wanted! I'm so jealous that others have it. LOL

Unfortunately, I can't really comment on the Phrags, because I only keep a small number of them as an "experiment" in my greenhouse. It's a minimally heated set-up, I only heat it up enough to keep it from freezing. My Phrags stay indoors because our winters are too cold and the summers are too hot, just easier to keep them indoors. I do have a small number of "experiments" (i.e. Phrags that I keep in the greenhouse to test cold tolerance) but they aren't a good indicator for whether my light levels are okay.

I will say that with 60% shade, Cymbidiums and even higher light plants like my Dyckias and Passionflowers seem to be happy over the winter and I did leave the shade cloth on over this winter.

 

[NYEric]

Dirty window strength.

 

[CarlG]

I use 50%, I think, for my shade "cage". Some paphs (roth types, brachypetalums) get no shade, just full sun from morning to around 1pm. Phrags, too. Philadelphia suburbs.

 

[big923cattleya]

While I lived in Florida from 2009 to 2018, I used 60%.

 

[Phragper]

so what are greenhouses covered in. mine is double layer plastic

 

[big923cattleya]

My greenhouse for 38 years on Long Island was a glass greenhouse.