The SFG Journey- preparing Hoops on SFG Beds for future shade cloth

Two years ago I experimented with extending PVC pipe from the top rail and attached shade cloth to it with snap clamps. Then I covered the top with shade cloth.  It worked so I removed the PVC pipes and replace it with EMT's of the same length. It worked and I had durability. But it didn't cover down the front of the bed to protect the plants from the south and west sun ray in the summer. So this year I removed the extension and bend side hoops to make a oval hoop bed that extended away from the base of the SFG beds. I haven't order the shade cloth yet. I used the hoopbender to bend the pipes. It took some trail and error, but It finally begin to fall into the shape I was hoping to achieve.


pre hoop dreaming of bending the hoops on one side.



pre hoop dreaming of bending the hoops on both sides



 hoopbend 1-2 emt for shade cloth 2nd bed may 2020. these hoops are more uniform.





hoopbend emt for 1st bed shade cloth may 2020. this is the first group and you can see the bending is not uniform, but ok.



another view of the top of hoopbending for shade cloth may 2020

I found this great study done by the Utah State University Extension service on percentage of shade reduction by shade cloth for vegatables, like tomatoes, peppers, squash, melon, cucumber and fruit trees.
Using Shade for Fruit and Vegetable Production

I haven't bought my aluminet shade cloth yet, still searching. This seems like a good place to purchase my shade cloth. Anybody have another suggestion?

CUSTOM SHADE CLOTH

more bang for your buck if you want to use regular shade cloth.

AgFabric

I had to rethink my shape of hoops for the shade cloth. The tomatoes are not obeying the rules of staying within the hoop perimeter and I have too harvest from one side to get other fruit like the cucumber, because I have to put the shade cloth down the sidewall to stop the intense sun rays. So based on the government research, I'm going overhead similar to Sanderson shade cloth set up. I just built the frame and is waiting of the aluminet sun shade cloth. I will use snap clamps and grip clamps to secure it. the green house shows how I will use the shade cloth. the other three pictures is how the frame is built. I have the old shade cloth on one of them till the full size cloth get here, some shade is better than no shade. they are five feet on both sides for a total of 10 feet wide.

This set up should make gardening more comfortable for you, AND the plants. Looking forward to seeing the completed set up.