Netting for tomato plants falls into three main categories: trellis netting to support vines, shade netting to protect fruit from sun and heat damage, and bird or pest netting to keep animals out. Each type serves a different purpose, and many growers use more than one over the course of a season. Choosing the right netting depends on whether your biggest problem is sprawling plants, scorched fruit, or hungry birds.
Trellis Netting for Supporting Vines
Trellis netting gives indeterminate (vining) tomato plants a vertical structure to climb. It’s typically made of heavy-duty polypropylene or nylon cord arranged in a grid pattern, with openings usually between 6 and 7 inches square. You hang it vertically between two sturdy end posts, and as the plants grow, you weave or tuck stems through the grid squares. The netting distributes the plant’s weight across multiple contact points instead of relying on a single stake or tie, which helps prevent stem breakage once fruit sets and branches get heavy.
For the end posts, T-posts or thick wooden stakes driven at least 12 inches into the ground work well. Space them roughly 6 feet apart, and run a rigid crossbar (a length of rebar, a PVC pipe, or heavy wire) across the top to keep the netting from sagging under the weight of loaded plants. One effective setup uses T-posts connected at the top with PVC couplers and a horizontal rebar, then the netting or individual strings hang down from that top rail to ground level. Keeping the top rail rigid is the key detail most beginners miss. Without it, a few heavy plants in the middle will pull the whole line downward.
Trellis netting works best for indeterminate varieties that keep growing all season. Determinate (bush) tomatoes usually do fine with a simple cage or stake, since they stop growing at a set height and fruit over a shorter window.
Shade Netting to Prevent Sunscald
Sunscald shows up as white or yellowish, papery patches on the side of the fruit facing the sun. It happens when temperatures climb above 90°F and direct sunlight hits exposed fruit for extended periods. Shade netting (also called shade cloth) filters a percentage of sunlight while still allowing enough through for healthy growth and ripening.
A 30% shade cloth is the standard recommendation for tomatoes and most garden vegetables. It provides meaningful cooling without blocking so much light that plants stretch or fruit production drops. Higher percentages, like 50% to 70%, are better suited to heat-sensitive leafy greens like lettuce. Going above 30% on tomatoes can delay ripening and reduce yields, so stick with the lower end unless you’re gardening in an extreme desert climate where afternoon temperatures regularly exceed 105°F.
The most common shade netting material is UV-stabilized high-density polyethylene (HDPE). A quality HDPE shade cloth lasts 3 to 10 years with proper care. Without maintenance, exposure to wind abrasion and UV breakdown can cause failure in as little as 1 to 2 years. At the end of each season, take it down, brush off debris, and store it out of direct sunlight to get the most life out of it.
How to Frame Shade Netting Properly
Shade cloth should never rest directly on your tomato plants. The fabric traps heat against the foliage and blocks airflow, which invites fungal disease. You need a simple frame to hold the netting above the canopy with at least 6 to 12 inches of clearance.
The easiest approach is a hoop structure made from half-inch PVC pipe in 10-foot lengths. Drive short sections of wider-diameter PVC (about 12 to 16 inches long) into the ground on each side of the bed, leaving 3 to 6 inches above the soil surface. These act as sleeves. Slide the ends of the half-inch pipe into the sleeves on opposite sides, bending it into an arch over the bed. Space hoops every 3 to 4 feet along the row for consistent support.
Attach the shade cloth to the hoops using snap clamps (sometimes called PVC clips), which grip the pipe and hold the fabric taut. Keeping the cloth tight prevents sagging and flapping in the wind, both of which cause premature wear. In windy areas, add extra clips between hoops along the sides of the bed for security. If your tomato plants are tall indeterminate varieties, adjust the hoop height accordingly. You can use longer PVC pipe or set the ground sleeves farther apart to create a taller arch.
Bird and Pest Netting
Bird netting is lightweight mesh, usually with openings between half an inch and three-quarters of an inch, designed to keep birds, squirrels, and other animals from pecking at ripening fruit. It’s typically made of polypropylene or nylon and is much lighter than shade cloth or trellis netting.
The same hoop frame you’d use for shade cloth works perfectly for bird netting. Drape the netting over the hoops and secure the edges at ground level with landscape staples, bricks, or soil. Leaving gaps at the bottom is the most common mistake: birds and chipmunks will walk right under loose edges. Make sure the mesh is pulled snug against the frame so birds can’t push through it to reach the fruit.
One thing to watch for is that very fine pest netting (sometimes called insect netting, with mesh smaller than 1 millimeter) can reduce airflow enough to raise humidity around the plants. Tomatoes are already prone to fungal problems like early blight and septoria leaf spot, so if you use insect-grade mesh, make sure there’s plenty of vertical clearance and the ends remain open for ventilation.
Choosing the Right Netting for Your Setup
- Trellis netting: Best for indeterminate varieties in rows. Use 6- to 7-inch grid openings, and always support it with a rigid top rail. Replace it each season if it stretches or frays, since weakened netting can drop an entire loaded vine.
- 30% shade cloth: Best for regions with hot summers where sunscald is a recurring problem. Most useful from mid-June through August in temperate climates. A UV-stabilized HDPE version is the most durable choice.
- Bird netting: Best when wildlife damage is your primary concern. Lightweight and inexpensive, but needs a frame to keep it off the plants and secure edges to keep animals from sneaking underneath.
- Insect netting: Best for organic growers dealing with hornworms, stink bugs, or other insect pests. Use it early in the season before pest pressure builds, and remove or ventilate it during the hottest weeks to prevent humidity buildup.
Many growers combine two types. A trellis net for vertical support paired with shade cloth draped over a hoop frame above is a common setup in hot climates. You can also swap shade cloth for bird netting once temperatures cool and fruit starts coloring up, since that’s when birds become the bigger threat. The hoop frame stays the same either way, so building a good structure once gives you flexibility all season.