Vineyard Shade Cloth Saves Grapes
PREVENT DAMAGE FROM SUNBURN AND HEAT
Losing at least 15% of your grapes each year because of sun damage is pretty common these days (and expensive!). But here's a secret: it’s preventable. Our vineyard shade cloth effectively protects grapes from sunburn and dehydration and allows your grapes to flourish.
Finding the perfect balance between shade and light is not only crucial for grape preservation but also for quality. Since light is used for the development of color, flavors and phenolics, blocking out too much can be detrimental. It's important to choose your supplier carefully.
We only work with suppliers we feel are the best in their field. That’s why went straight to the the person who invented shade cloth for vineyards to get ours. He has more than 40 years of experience using shade cloth in agriculture and owns a vineyard himself.
How much money can shade cloth save you? Just multiply the value of your grapes by your annual loss. Our customers have been saving an average of $1,000 per acre. That’s $100,000 savings on a 100-acre vineyard.
How does shade cloth work?
Shade cloth protects grapes by minimizing the potency of harmful UVA and UVB light. It can also reduce heat, which prevents dehydration.
Our black shade cloth has been proven to lower grape temperature by up to 9° Fahrenheit.
Photo: (Left) Grapes damaged by sun. (Right) Grapes protected by black shade cloth.
What type of light does it block?
Visible light is used by the plants for photosynthesis and aids in the development of color, flavor and tannin. We like this kind! It's important to let in plenty of this light and block evenly across the color spectrum to mimic the balance found in nature (our does this!).
Ultraviolet light, particularly UVA and UVB, are the most damaging and cause sunburn, but some is good for plants. We want to block only the amount that burns the grapes.
Infrared is heat, and too much can cause dehydration. Using the right shade cloth can lower fruit temperature and prevent damage.
How long will shade cloth last?
There are three things that can cause a cloth to break down and tear:
1) UV light
2) abrasion
3) vulnerability of edges
UV light breaks down the material of the cloth itself, so the longer you can protect it from UV, the longer the cloth will last. That's why our 8-year UV-protection warranty is so valuable. Many shade cloths on the market will turn powdery after 2-3 years because of this.
Abrasion is normal wear and tear that happens from the cloth moving around. A heavier cloth will last longer because it minimizes abrasion. Our cloth is about 40% heavier than typical shade cloth, which means our cloth will last 40% longer based on abrasion alone.
Also, our edges are heavily reinforced. Shade cloth edges are the most vulnerable areas. Having extra reinforcement makes a big difference in how long the cloth lasts.
Want to learn more about shade cloth? Check out our blog posts: