Shade Cloth, Santa Anas and SoCal

Santa Ana conditions returned to Southern California in recent weeks and conditions will persist into the coming week.. Temperatures are high and humidity low with delightfully clear skies. To read more about Santa Ana winds check Wikipedia. Though coastal temperatures have not been as high as some autumn Santa Ana wind events, nonetheless, the effect on garden plants can be devastating, especially for vulnerable seedlings and new transplants.

Here, the young plants are protected from the intense sunlight by knitted 40% shade cloth. The shade cloth blocks 40% of the light keeping the area cooler and diminishing evaporation of soil moisture. Water and air pass through easily. In northern regions, 30% shade cloth may be recommended.

This shade cloth by Gardeningwill drapes easily. I especially like the “knitted” shade cloth which resists tearing and fraying. Check your local nursery for this useful product. Amazon carries a number of knitted 40% shade cloth products in various sizes.

Four stakes topped with an old tennis ball hold it above the seedlings. Clipped to the sides of the raised beds it excludes cabbage moths but lets smaller beneficials in. The dew settles through the mesh shade cloth and I’ve misted the plants through it when needed. As the weather cools and humidity rises, I’ll remove the shade cloth until the next Santa Ana event.

Or improvise with whatever’s at hand to shade your garden in hot weather.

To prepare your garden for hot weather now or next summer, check a previous blog post Prepare the Garden for Hot Weather with tips for things you can do now.