Protect Your Shade-Loving Plants From The Harsh Sun With This Fun DIY

Don't make the mistake that beginning gardeners make way too often and forget to add shade for your plants when you need to. The hot summer sun can be brutal on tender plants, especially young seedlings or species that thrive in the shade. But you don't need to spend a lot of money to protect them from the harsh sun. With a simple DIY project, you can create a fun and unique shade scarf to install over shade-loving plants. This DIY works for all types of gardeners, whether you want to protect young tomato transplants during a heat wave or you want semi-permanent shade for shade-loving varieties of ferns and groundcovers.

Before you get to work assembling your makeshift shade canopy, you'll need a few supplies. You might be able to grab some of this from around the house, like old scarves or light, airy t-shirts or towels. If you don't have any old scarves or lightweight material, you can find shade cloth options on Amazon, like this Royal Shade 10FT x 10FT 30% Black Shade Cloth for $19.99. The end result will not be as whimsical or affordable, but you will get the job done to protect your plants all the same. Along with the fabric, you will need four stakes to secure the fabric shade onto. These should be taller than the height of your plants and preferably made out of a sturdy material like wood.

To make a sun scarf of your own, cut slits in your chosen fabric. By cutting slits in the cloth, it won't be blown away by windy weather, as wind will move through the holes. You can make a larger piece of fabric by stapling or sewing different pieces together. Using zip ties, secure the fabric scarf onto stakes driven into the pots or ground where your plants are growing. The fabric, suspended above your plants, will block the harshest rays of the sun. It's especially vital to have shade for plants susceptible to sunburn from excessive sun or heat, like watermelons, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

The goal of this DIY is to provide your plants with sun protection quickly and efficiently. This setup can be easy to put up and take down, which is ideal when summer temperatures rise one week and moderate the next. If you're curious about square-foot gardening and tips for getting started, a trusty DIY canopy is great for smaller gardens planted in limited space to protect your vegetables.

This DIY shade scarf also pairs well with other, more permanent methods to add shade to your yard. For example, if you don't want to plant trees in your yard, try this DIY shade structure or consider adding a trellis to your garden. Having multiple methods to help your plants stay cool and shaded during the hotter months is always a good idea.