To shade or not to shade?

I got a shade cloth on back order and wondering if I really need it. I know come July and August it will be really hot.

By the way I got a Rion GH.

shade of some sort will be needed or the plants will suffer the humidity alone will need to be addressed too

Thanks Ret_Sgt_Yates! I got a fan in there now.

ok

I think if you're trying to keep plants in a greenhouse during the summer in TX you're going to need every bit of help you can get to keep it cooler!

Thanks ecrane3! I'll keep the order then.

Got it shaded now with 40% shade cloth.

Dean,

we are not as hot as TX but we have to use it for our houses here in Tenn. too our lil plants just cant handle the Heat either.

Sarge.

Here in North Carolina it is just too hot to use the greenhouse this year. I have shade cloth on it (summer and winter) and have vents and a large exhaust fan. In spite of that the thermometer registered 109.8 today in there. 2 weeks ago I moved out everything, putting the orchids under trees and the succulents on the front porch. I spend a lot of money running heat in there during the winter, but my DH has just plain balked at air conditioning it for my plants! So I suppose it will have to be a winter GH and let nature take over outside during the summer. My current trays of marigold seedlings are on racks outside - they would cook inside.

Here in Missouri the GH is empty during the summer, just too darned hot. Even with the doors, vents and windows open and a full shade tree over it, if the sun is out it will go well over 100º. Add our humidity and it is not a nice place to hang out. I use it 3 seasons.

We're in the same boat here. And I have 75 % shade cloth and half the greenhouse is under a large maple tree ! It hit 97º in there today. Exhaust fan and an intake fan on the side windows. I'm only using it for cuttings, but I go in and "mist" the ceiling in the afternoon to bring the temp down. The fans seem to keep the humidity to a dull roar, but I've been setting up benches under the tree's to put as much as I can on. Fortunately most of what I do is pretty heat loving.

Mine usually stays around a 100. It has hit 120 before without the fan on. I do have seeds starting in there though. They seem to be okay, but I got them on the ground.

Hello Dean_W
A shade cloth is a must for greenhouses in hot areas. I use Aluminet and it made a huge difference as opposed to regular shade cloth. I also have a mister fan that I got on sale last year at Home Depot for $50.
If you don't have some kind of humidity source in summer, it will get like a desert in your greenhouse !
I have been able to keep my greenhouse only 2 degrees above outside temperatures using Exhaust fan with automative shutters, Aluminet shade cloth, misters and hosing down the floor.
Next step for me I think will be a swamp cooler because today it is 102 degrees here.
Check out shadeclothstore.com and littlegreehouse.com for the best prices. I use 60% shade cloth but sometimes I wished I would have gotten 70% because I grow orchids. Percentage depends on what you are growing but 60% generally works for growing just about anything.
RDZinny

I would love to get a swamp fan. But they seem to cost way to much.

Dean...I have a Rion...we are about 45 minutes north of you near Lake Belton...I have a dual-sized tarp on my Rion and have since mid-June with the silver reflective side up...most days I don't even need the fan and the temps are around 90 deg at 4 in the afternoon...I keep 90% shade cloth on my hoop house this time of year with the standard 60% under it...plants are flourishing in both places...and the heavy shading reduces the water needs...

Wow, that's a lot of shade.

I know it's off subject. But what do you do for heat during the winter? I'm starting to think about that.

It may be a lot of shade, but it has worked for the last 3 summers in central Texas...

I use a swinging space heater (electric) in the winter that we operate with a remote control...I went to Walmart last year and bought temperature sensors so I can read the temp in the growing areas from a display in the kitchen...then when the heat gets too high, I turn on a swinging pedestal fan...or when it gets too cold, turn on the swinging heating unit.

The hoop house retains the 60% shade cloth and is covered in plastic...my biggest problem there is to vent on really hot days because the temp went up to 100 deg while it was 30 deg outside...so this year, we put one wall up with insulated material and then put in doors so the venting will be manual, but much less effort than the 'crawling under the plastic' method I used before...

Hope this helps...

Helps a lot thanks!

Yes ive always wanted a glass orchid house but found out cooling it in summer would be more of a problem than heating it in the month or so we call winter (hardly any frost). Ive been chucking plastic over my shadehouse when it gets cool but even then its only cool in the night and then they cook during the day. I ve finally given up and pulled the plastic off and just kept the shadecloth. Its 80% shade as i have mainly paphiopedilums and that does hold the heat abit. Its usually about 25 with 60-80 humidity. Some of the catts might not be liking the cool but most of the paphs are loving it, heaps with buds.
Whats the first signs on a orchd that its getting cold? black spots?