Repurpose Old Bedsheets For A Little Extra Shade In Your Garden

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If you feel as though some sun on a warm day is nice, but too much is too much, some of your garden plants probably agree. Like people, plants can get sunburn, but they don't really have sunscreen as an option to prevent the problem. Aside from container-garden plants that could be moved to a shaded area, garden plants are stuck where they are and may have to deal with prolonged exposure to sunlight during a heatwave. It happens; planting things in the wrong place is a common mistake that beginning gardeners make. However, plant sunburn, heat stress, or leaf scorch cause plant problems such as wilting leaves that dry and curl prematurely. 

One of the best ways to protect your plants from sunburn and heat stress is to offer them some shade. You could keep your plants happy in summer with a clever parasol hack to shade specific plants, or by repositioning a patio umbrella to offer plants shade in the hottest parts of the day. Another way to whip up some large-scale shade is to repurpose old bedsheets into a DIY shade cloth to keep your rooted friends cool. Though bedsheets won't offer the same protection against ultraviolet rays as a UV-blocking shade cloth, they will offer much-needed shade, keeping the plant and the soil around it a bit cooler. Protect your plants from the sun with a DIY shade scarf for a slightly different approach.

Transforming old bedsheets into shade cloths for your plants can be done in many ways. One simple way is to attach each corner of the sheet to a post or stake above the plants. Another method uses a flat sheet and curtain rings with clips, such as the 44-pack by Lansian. Space the clips evenly around two opposite sides of the sheet. Decide where to place a shade; positioning it on the west side of the plants protects them from the hottest afternoon sun but still allows morning sun to shine on them. Hammer one tall bamboo stake into the ground in the selected area, slide the curtain rings from one side of the sheet over the stake, then have a friend stretch the sheet towards the area you'd like to shade. Hammer a second bamboo post in place there, slide the rings on the second side of the sheet over it, then use zip ties to secure the upper and lower rings on each pole to the bamboo so the rings can't slide.  

Use a similar technique to create a horizontal shade, securing the rings on a clothesline at both ends. If you already have other structures to support the shade, such as a patio railing, that can be used as well. The curtain rings make it easy to unclip the shade when you don't need it. Dark, thick sheets will provide more shade than thin, light-colored sheets. For more permanent solutions, fold one side of the sheet down a few inches and sew a rod pocket in it, wide enough to insert a bamboo stake. Do the same on the other side, and it's simply a matter of inserting the bamboo in the ground as desired, sliding the sheet on, and using zip ties or hook and loop tape to keep the sheet where it belongs on the rods.