51cg

Hi what shading netting is best to use.
What UV rating is best, In the UK they use what's called PIN with 4 Pin offering 50/60 % UV protection and 3Pin offering 30/40 UV protection which is best to use.
It will only be used when we get very hot days here which is unusual but does happen.

Many Thanks

I have never heard of shade cloth used in UK before. I have seen it for desert like areas in America, but never Europe. I doubt there are any need to shade trees in UK. The problem in north Europe is to get enough light, not too much light.

40% is generally used and mine is on all summer. It has been very hot for over two months and my trees are still getting stressed with the heat as well as the sun. If you put it up then you need to leave it up until the weather is much different than it is now.

Some people here build elaborate environments for their trees involving overhead roofs that are about 1/3 wood and 2/3 air, creating partial shade year round. Most of us don't.? I don't know how much protection the trees actually need from sun, of which we have plenty. All of the trees evolved to live decades with lots of sunlight/UV and mine seem to be holding up just fine.

It is possible that a place in the UK gets enough sun to need protection but I would wonder. Find a bonsai group very near and talk with people there, particularly people with lots of old trees.

My trees is kept by the west facing wall of my house. They get around 5 hours of direct sun. Even If I would wich for more sun, it does work well.

I think moving the trees to a better location have a better chanse of looking aestetic than shade cloth.

We have had three heatwaves so far this year with temps in excess of 30C and up to 35C so yes we need shading in most of the country. And we have had not rain for over two months.

That is pretty much as our summer in 2018. I could not see any leaf burn due to the sun.

It is important to understand that the sun is equally strong on a 10c clear day as on a 40c clear day. It is the amount of clouds and time of the day that determine sunlight streangth, not temperature.

I want my tree to grow tight internodes. The only way to achieve that is full sun.

But, also I live next to a big forest. The trees there are doing fine without anyone providing shade.