I've had fairly good success for the past two winters sprouting seeds indoors, then growing them on in transparent storage containers outdoors, which is no suprise, since I'm in a mild winter climate. Now I'm trying to do the same thing in summer with much less success. I have the seedlings on a side porch that gets good morning sun, but it isn't good enough for most of them. The vincas are the only seedlings that aren't lanky and stretching, and because they aren't covered, some of them are being attacked by pests. I want to make a small shade tunnel in a full sun area of my yard, but I can't find any info on which percentage shade cloth is best for seedlings. Does anybody have experience growing on seedlings outdoors in a hot summer climate?

Hi Darryl,

I lived and worked in Fort Worth a good many years ago, and devoted my entire backyard to gardening. A lot of the things I grew (zinnias for flowers -- they were a hobby even that long ago) and sweetcorn and watermelons for veggies) seemed to actually enjoy the heat. As you know, in Texas, for many days in a row, you can exceed 100 degrees. In fact, the local weathermen refused to call it "hot" unless the temperature exceeded 100 degrees. I did have a big garden hose, one inch in diameter, and I used a lot of water during the Summer. And I had a Bermuda grass lawn that took a lot of water also.

"I want to make a small shade tunnel in a full sun area of my yard, but I can't find any info on which percentage shade cloth is best for seedlings."

If you have a tent, you might try erecting it in your garden with the sides open in the up position.

ZM