Shade net (shade netting) for plants, parking and sites

What shade net is

Shade net is a mesh of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) threads that cuts the amount of sun reaching whatever is underneath it. Unlike a solid roof, it lets air move through and rain fall through. Each net is sold by the share of light it stops: a 50% net lets half of the incoming light pass.

The Agriplast shade net guide, written by an Indian net maker, says a net lowers the temperature under it by 3–5°C compared with open ground. A South African seller, shadenet.co.za, claims up to 10°C for dense netting. The two figures come from different nets and conditions; neither has been measured here.

Knitted, woven, monofilament and tape

Two choices decide how a piece of shade netting behaves: the type of thread, and how the threads are joined.

Knitted, woven, monofilament and tape

	What it is	Weight and life (Agriplast)	Suits
Monofilament	single round HDPE threads, thicker and stronger	100–125 GSM, 3–5 years	permanent shade houses, windy coastal sites
Tape	flat ribbon-like HDPE strips	50–90 GSM, 2–4 years	seasonal growing, temporary nurseries
Knitted	threads looped into each other	—	most uses; does not unravel when cut
Woven	threads crossing over and under in a grid	—	stiffer covers; edges can fray when cut

Agriplast prefers knitted construction for most farm use because a tear does not run along the net and the loops absorb wind loads.

Shade percentage: which one for which job

Shade nets are sold in steps between 30% and 90%. Too little shade does not protect; too much starves plants of light. Agriplast’s guide gives these levels:

Shade percentage: which one for which job

Shade	Use given by Agriplast
35%	tomato, pepper, aubergine, chilli, cucumber — crops that need strong light to flower and fruit
50%	seedling nurseries, leafy greens, terrace and home gardens; the “safe default”
75%	orchids, ferns, anthuriums; ginger and turmeric while young
90%	parking shade, terrace cooling, boundary screens; too dark for most food crops

shadenet.co.za groups them more broadly: 30–50% for vegetables and seedlings, 60–70% for nurseries and patios, 80–90% for carports, livestock and privacy screens.

Colours

Colour changes what the net does with light and heat, according to Agriplast:

• Green — even shade, the general choice for vegetables and nurseries.
• Black — absorbs light; the low-cost option, used for construction sites and parking.
• White — reflects heat and spreads light evenly; for heat-sensitive crops and flowers.
• Aluminised (silver) — reflects 50–80% of radiation; for high-value crops in strong heat.

GSM and service life

GSM is the weight of the net in grams per square metre. Agriplast stresses that it is a separate figure from the shade percentage: a 50% net can weigh 60 GSM or 100 GSM and block the same light, but the heavier one is stronger and lasts longer.

GSM and service life

GSM	Type	Expected life (Agriplast)
50–70	light tape net	1–2 years
80–100	standard farm net	2–3 years
100–135	heavy monofilament	4–5 years or more

UV stabilisation matters as much as weight. Agriplast warns that HDPE without it turns brittle within months in strong sun, and suggests looking for a rated life of at least 3 years.

Uses beyond the farm

Most shade net is sold for growing, but the same mesh does other jobs around a building:

• Parking and carports: 80–90% net, the range shadenet.co.za gives for carports.
• Boundary fences and privacy screens: 90% net fixed to a fence line; shadenet.co.za lists fences, patios and balconies.
• Construction sites: black net, which Agriplast names for construction use.
• Livestock pens and poultry runs: shadenet.co.za lists livestock among the uses of 80–90% netting.

For a roof that has to keep rain out, shade net is the wrong product; see roofing sheets instead. For fabric that goes into the ground rather than over it, see geotextile.

Putting up shade netting

Agriplast’s installation advice comes down to five points:

1. Tension it, but not drum-tight. A slightly springy net rides out gusts; an over-tight one tears at the fixings.
2. Give it a fall of 5–10% so rain runs off instead of pooling and stretching the mesh.
3. Use UV-stabilised polypropylene or polyethylene rope. Cotton and jute ropes rot within months.
4. Fix with plastic shade net clips. Bare wire cuts HDPE over time; wrap it where it touches the net.
5. Reinforce the edges with border tape, rope channels or eyelets, because the edges carry the wind load.

shadenet.co.za adds cable ties, tension wires and bungee cords through eyelets for windy places.