A couple weeks ago on the Bonsai Wire podcast Carmen Leskoviansky and I covered “Shade Cloth”.
Carmen and I gave the subject our best thoughts. Or so we thought…
I listened to it last week and realized one thing we didn’t talk about is water conservation. Though we are understandably concerned about the water holding capacity of our soil, the amount of sun hitting the pot also figures in water conservation.
If you have even as little as 20% shadecloth you can reduce water needs. 50% shadecloth can substantially reduce a plant’s water needs.
Although the middle of the summer may be a strange time to talk about shade cloth, it’s a good time to strategize. And fall is a great time to order shade cloth. Spring is the worst time…as everyone else is scrambling to do the same and many services offering custom work may be backlogged for months.
Try the podcast for more tips on shade cloth: Bonsai Wire “Shade Cloth”.