watzone69

The bonsai nursery that I frequent uses 50% and 70% in different areas for different trees. He uses the 50% for the "full sun" trees and 70% for the "partial shade". However, he has these pretty high up to allow good ventilation. Somewhere like 15-20'. I think this allows a lot more unfiltered sun in the earlier part of the day and then more protection at noon when things really get cooking! He also told me that if he had it to do over again that he would have used all 80%.

I bought some shade cloth at Lowe's that sounds like the stuff you saw at Home Depot. It says "75% more shade". More than WHAT is what I want to know! It's tan colored and cost 40 cents a foot (by about 5' wide). I put it up (about 6' high) but it was pretty shady under there so I took it back down and decided to wait until summer really kicks in. It's been cloudy and raining here in Austin a LOT this spring so I figured I'd give them all the sun they could take until later.

Mike