# Forum Home Renovation Landscaping, Gardening & Outdoors  Whate shade cloth for shade house

## cam_jim

I am in melbourne and building a shadehouse 2.4 x 2.4 x 2. Will be used mainly for orchids. Was going to cover with 50% UV filtered green shade cloth. Does anyone in Melbourne have a shade house and if so what is their recommendation and or experiencees? Thanks

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## Moondog55

My mothers house has an orchid shade house. Uses 50% on walls and roof but it is 2700 high and she did wish it had been built much taller to accommodate better the large hanging baskets. It is falling apart now but it has lasted over 20 years which isn't too bad for H3 timber

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## cam_jim

> My mothers house has an orchid shade house. Uses 50% on walls and roof ...

  Thanks Moondog. What colour - green? 
Seen some reports where some colours are better than others. Two colours mentioned that promoted better plant growth were Red and Blue which I have never seen but am sure are availale somewhere. Not really interested in using those colours though. I am interested in  peoples experiences (particularly in Melbourne area) with the different available colours. To me, Green seems to be a better balance for light and heat. Beige possibly too much heat and Black maybe a bit too dark/cool. I don't know  :Cry: . Seems I will have plenty of time to decide as I was after 3.66m wide green cloth but can't buy any at the moment in any of the local Bunnings. All sold out. Seems to have been a bit of a rush for the stuff now that summer is here.  :Smilie:

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## Moondog55

Green
Isn't the light filtered through the canopy layer greenish ?
Red shade cloth is actually a dun colour at Bunnings, more brown than fire engine red.
I never notice much difference in temperature underneath shade sails and we have quite a few on our house but the paler ones do seem brighter underneath, but no green shade sails here
There should be transmittance data around somewhere on the differences between grades and colours of shade cloth, but green is more psychologically soothing

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## John2b

Different colours have different effects on plant growth, but also what the plants look like. https://www.cmac.com.au/blog/underst...t-plant-growth

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