What Shade Net Percentage Do I Need?

Buying Guide · August 2026

Shade percentage — the amount of sunlight a net blocks — is the first question on nearly every inquiry we get, and the one growers most often get wrong. Pick too low and your greenhouse turns into a slow oven by mid-afternoon; pick too high and your plants stretch pale and leggy chasing the light. This guide matches the shade net percentage to what you’re growing, where you’re growing it, and whether it’s inside or out.

What Shade Net Percentage Actually Means

Shade percentage (also called shade rate or shade factor) is how much light the net filters out. A 50% shade net blocks half the sunlight and lets half through; a 90% net blocks nearly all of it. If a supplier quotes light transmission instead, it’s the same number inverted — 50% shade equals 50% light transmission, and the two always add up to 100.

Be clear on one thing from the start: shade percentage is about light, not strength. A 90% net is not “heavier-duty” than a 30% net — it simply blocks more light. Strength comes from GSM, which we’ll separate out further down.

Shade Percentage Cheat Sheet: Match the Crop

For most vegetable growers the workhorse is 40–50% — the range that keeps leaves cool without robbing the plant of the light it needs to set fruit.

30%, 50%, 70% or 90%: What Each One Does

30% shade net is a light filter — a relief from peak sun that still lets the crop photosynthesise hard. It suits sun-loving vegetables in milder climates, or spring and autumn use in hot regions.

50% shade net is the all-rounder and the default for most vegetables, nurseries and greenhouses. It cuts enough heat to stop wilting while keeping growth on track.

70% shade net is deep shade — right for ferns, orchids and shade-loving ornamentals, and for keeping animals cool under a shed roof.

90% shade net is near blackout — for carports, patios and people areas where you want real cover, not just relief.

As a rough rule, a 50% shade net over a greenhouse drops the inside temperature by 5–8°C on a hot afternoon. That is the difference between a tomato that sets fruit and one that drops its flowers.

How the Wrong Percentage Hurts Your Yield

Too little shade and you get sunscald, blossom-end rot and leaves that curl and wilt by two in the afternoon. Too much shade and the problem flips: plants reach for the light, stems turn soft and leggy, and fruiting collapses because the plant can’t photosynthesise enough. We’ve seen growers crank a greenhouse up to 70% “just to be safe” and then wonder why their tomatoes won’t flower. There’s no prize for over-shading — a plant can only use so much light, but it can always be starved of it.

How to Pick: Climate, Crop and Structure

The right percentage is a three-way balance:

• Crop light need — leafy greens want less light than fruiting vegetables.
• Climate intensity — a 50% net in a cloudy region does very different work from a 50% net under desert sun. The stronger your sunlight, the higher the percentage you need for the same crop.
• Structure — inside a greenhouse the glazing already filters light, so you rarely need more than 50% indoors (usually 30–40%). Out in the open field under full sun, that same crop might want 50–60%.

If you’re deciding between two, order a percentage you can live with all season — or run a lighter net for spring and a heavier one for peak summer. Our knitted HDPE shade net is made to your exact width, up to 12 m, so you’re not forced into a stock size.

Shade Percentage vs GSM vs Color — Don’t Confuse Them

Three specs get mixed up constantly, so let’s separate them:

• Shade percentage = how much light is blocked.
• GSM = the weight (and strength) of the yarn.
• Color = how the net behaves in practice. Our green shade net blocks more light than the same percentage in white, and our aluminum shade net reflects heat rather than just filtering it.

They’re independent — a 50% net can be a light 40 gsm or a heavy 350 gsm. For the full picture on strength, see our GSM selection guide, and for reflective cooling read shade net vs aluminum shade net.

Shade Net Percentage FAQ

What shade percentage do I need for tomatoes?

30–50%. Use 30% in cloudy or mild climates and 50% where summers are hot and dry. Push past 50% and you risk leggy plants and fewer flowers.

Is 70% shade net too much for vegetables?

Usually, yes — for fruiting crops like tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers it starves them of light. Reserve 70–80% for ferns, orchids and shade plants, and 90% for people areas and carports.

Does a higher percentage mean a stronger net?

No. Percentage is light; strength is GSM. A 30% net can be built stronger than a 90% net. Specify both separately when you order.

Can I use one shade percentage all year round?

You can, but most growers run lighter in spring and autumn and heavier in peak summer. If you only want one, 50% is the safest all-season compromise for vegetables.