Any benefit to shading plants?

[Organilush]

Just wondering if there is any benefit to giving plants some shade or filtered sunlight through shade cloth for a portion of the day?

Do some strains/genetics benefit from some partial shade or having indirect light for a portion of the day?

Or should all plants be given as much direct sunlight as possible?



I live in the central valley of Cali where it is around 90f to 105f+ from basically May until the end of September, along with very low humidity and intense sun light/UV.

My plants receive direct sun almost all day, from shortly after sunrise until shortly before sunset.

Considering how hot & dry the air is and how intense the sunshine is around here I'm surprised at how well my plants actually do...but I'm just wondering if some plants/genetics might benefit from a little bit of filtered sunlight or shade/partial shade for a portion of the day?

Or just shading them during the most intense & hot days of summer?



And by "benefit"...I'm thinking less stress for the plants during those super hot days of summer, and maybe some sort of influence on the terpene content & profile...?...

I've never seen pics of anyone ever shading their plants, but it's something that was on my mind last summer during those roasting hot days.



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[SolarLogos]

Just wondering if there is any benefit to giving plants some shade or filtered sunlight through shade cloth for a portion of the day?

Do some strains/genetics benefit from some partial shade or having indirect light for a portion of the day?

Or should all plants be given as much direct sunlight as possible?



I live in the central valley of Cali where it is around 90f to 105f+ from basically May until the end of September, along with very low humidity and intense sun light/UV.

My plants receive direct sun almost all day, from shortly after sunrise until shortly before sunset.

Considering how hot & dry the air is and how intense the sunshine is around here I'm surprised at how well my plants actually do...but I'm just wondering if some plants/genetics might benefit from a little bit of filtered sunlight or shade/partial shade for a portion of the day?

Or just shading them during the most intense & hot days of summer?



And by "benefit"...I'm thinking less stress for the plants during those super hot days of summer, and maybe some sort of influence on the terpene content & profile...?...

I've never seen pics of anyone ever shading their plants, but it's something that was on my mind last summer during those roasting hot days.



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I'm in N. Cali and we've been getting as high as 106F during summers, often going a month between 96-105. I've never had problems with plants that were put out early and matured before the high heat.

I do have some each year that do get more evening shade than others and they typically finish a week or so before the others. I've always preferred all day sun as long as the plant can tolerate it and mine seem to. Make sure you water early morning or late evening on particularly hot days and not in the middle of the day.

The part about using shade cloth. I've not done it, but bear in mind a plant's defenses, such as shade avoidance, which, when a plant receives too much shade, it will elongate the internodes (spacing) and cause stretch. I believe it has to do with too much red filtered out and more far red than red. I don't know how much shade a plant needs in order for this to happen. It probably won't be an issue if you're only shading them a couple hours a day during the hottest days.

 

[Organilush]

That's kinda what I was assuming.

Thanks for the reply.


If anything, I'll just give them a little bit of shade during those ultra hot days...When it's up around 105+ , when ever I see the leaves start to "canoe" and fold up a bit.



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[Noonin NorCal]

You might think about hardening them off...Before giving them full sun which they should take too... Put them on the side of the house or have a big umbrella or some shade for a few days before planting into their final homes...
Unless you have them in a greenhouse or hoopy before planting outside, in that case you wouldn't have to worry about hardening them off. Good Luck!

Don't let your soil dry out on those hot days, and some straw on top of your soil will help keep it moist and cooler on the top