Shade Gardening

Following the recent announcement from the Bureau of Meteorology predicting a hot and windy summer for 2025, it’s evident that we are already feeling the effects of climate change. With increasingly frequent extreme temperatures and unpredictable weather, our summer shading strategies can no longer consist of draping sheets over plants during the occasional hot days. We’ve moved beyond that. We need removable shade structures that can remain in place for days while still allowing the plants to thrive underneath.

Watering alone is not enough

As a fan of wicking beds, I’ve learned that even with plenty of water, intense sunlight can still harm your crops. We can’t rely solely on watering to combat extreme heat. While it may see counterintuitive—since summer vegetables thrive in sunlight—creating shade in vegetable gardens is becoming increasingly essential. Shade not only protects crops from harsh sunlight and sunburn but also conserves soil moisture and reduces heat stress, leading to healthier plants and improved yields.  Even for sun-loving crops like tomatoes and cucumbers.

Cool it!

Recently, I participated in a community workshop at the Farnham Street Community Garden in Flemington as part of their ‘Cool It’ Project. Focusing on climate resilience, the workshop explored transforming vulnerable spaces into thriving gardens, with both natural and manmade shading approaches.

Food forests for shade

Food forests offer a natural way to enhance your garden’s resilience against extreme heat. Consider the refreshing coolness to be found in a wooded area on a hot day—this is the same concept behind a food forest, where dense layers of foliage provide mutual protection. However, not everyone can establish a food forest; some prefer to use distinct garden beds for growing their food.

Framing options for shade

Many off-the-shelf wicking beds offer exclusion netting frame options, which can be adapted with shade netting. But if you’ve built DIY wicking or raised beds, these may not be suitable. At the Cool It session, I learned that effective solutions can often be found in hard rubbish, reusing materials and taking it a sustainability step further.  Clothes airers and PVC piping can be upcycled to create all manner of solutions. These lightweight yet sturdy materials can protect specific plants or areas in your garden beds. Alternatively, you can use simple “build-a-frame” kits with metal brackets and garden stakes to cover entire beds. Net securing methods can vary based on your resources and preferences; stainless steel clasps work well, but skilled sewers can attach Velcro straps or go for the fitted net approach relatively easily.

Don’t forget about pollination

When designing your shade, keep in mind that most summer vegetables depend on pollination for fruit development, and nets can hinder this process. It’s important to design your temporary structure with flexibility in mind, keeping it small enough so you can remove it entirely for periods of time or at least have the ability to roll up one side of a larger netting installation. This will give pollinators access to the flowers when it’s cooler. You also need to be able to harvest your vegetables easily. Many summer fruiting vegetables rely on regular picking to keep them producing.

I can’t wait to hear how the ‘Cool It’ project progresses as it tests out different styles of netting and shapes and strategies this summer. The project has been grant funded by Moonee Valley City Council, to explore garden resilience techniques. We’ll be sure to share their findings.

Three Main Benefits of Shading Your Vegetable Garden

1. Temperature Regulation: Shade lowers soil and air temperatures, reducing heat stress on plants.
2. Moisture Retention: By filtering sunlight, shade decreases evaporation, helping maintain soil moisture crucial for healthy root systems.
3. Extended Growing Season: Shaded areas can create microclimates that allow crops to thrive longer.

Using a shade cloth is an effective option to build resilience to food growing in the summer months, but there are some other alternatives which are a little simpler and less committed than a full-on food forest –

• Companion Planting: Taller plants, like sunflowers, can naturally shade shorter vegetables, maximizing space. Easy to create than a full scale food forest
• Trellises and Arbors: These structures provide shade for climbing plants while sheltering others beneath or behind.
• Utilizing Existing Structures: Position your food garden near trees or fences to take advantage of natural shade.

As climate conditions are set to evolve, incorporating shade into vegetable gardens is becoming increasingly important to improve our gardens resilience and the production of food. The strategies above benefit both you and your garden, and when adopted by the community, they contribute to sustainable food systems in an unpredictable climate.