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I was looking through the past years on this issue and seen people were using 30% and wished they used 20%. The reason I'm thinking of using shade cloth is because I get 11 to 12 hours of sunlight a day with no breaks in it. The plants get stressed out pumpkins abort and that is with maintaining a good watering program. The new growth takes a beating if it's in the 80's on up. Now over the years is there a shade cloth percentage that has been found to be the best that could stay up through the growing season that will not have any major effects on the plant & the growth of the pumpkin.

8/1/2022 5:27:16 PM

Mission Viejo, CA

I went the other way. Started with 22% and ultimately use 30%. I like the Aluminet fabric personally.

8/1/2022 5:58:00 PM

"KC" now do you have that up through out the growing season or open up at times and do you notice any plant or pumpkin growth change?

8/1/2022 7:24:37 PM

San Diego

use 40% in my hot climate, works great, white. You are much higher north, you need to see what works up there and that takes time and experimenting

8/1/2022 11:37:00 PM

Lodi, California

Duster I think white shade cloth allows light through the actual material better than black and aluminet. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I have 30% black, was thinking about going 40% aluminet. Kevin I thought you had 40 percent. Maybe I should consider 30. All I know is we get way too much sun here and I certainly wouldn't consider 22% in our climate

8/1/2022 11:41:33 PM

Mission Viejo, CA

T2G- I just leave it up. I can get intense increases in my forecast that drive me nuts. the weather app will show 82 and it will end up 92 in my yard. The shade is really necessary for protecting the young leaves and for the first time ever, I had burning on the 3rd and 4th leaves from the tip even under the 30% cloth. I think this is just a sensitive plant. I read the same thing about the WR 2702.

I think I could grow without it 80% of the time but so far I've just left it up.

8/2/2022 11:20:41 AM

San Diego

Ashton,

Not sure on if it does allow more light than aluminet, but more than black for sure. All I know is it works good in my climate and heat so I stick with the white 40%. Tried various percentages and 40 seems best.

8/2/2022 9:08:40 PM

Roseville CA

I have 40 percent cheap amazon shade cloth. The stuff in reality after stretching for a season is about 35 ish. I have a bunch of trees around my plants, so that also helps with our shade. From my experience, If I have my vines buried properly at each node it really helps them from wilting.

Before choosing the seed, I have also talked to growers who have grown it before, to know about its heat tolerance. Although a great seed, I don't think I would plant the tiger king, because I've heard it is not the most heat tolerant...

Next year I plan to set up a misting system.

8/7/2022 1:15:21 AM