I finally stopped my balcony kale from bolting with a super dumb trick

My kale kept going to seed after like 2 weeks of hot weather here in Austin. I tried shade cloth and watering twice a day but nothing helped. Then I saw my buddy's grandma using this old bedsheet over her garden in the backyard. She just draped it over some sticks during the hottest part of the day from 11am to 3pm. I tried it on my little balcony setup with a cheap white sheet I got from Goodwill for $4. It actually kept the soil cool enough that my kale stayed leafy for a full extra month. Has anyone else tried random household stuff like old curtains or tablecloths to shade their balcony plants?

2 comments

2 Comments

derek9391mo ago

I read somewhere that light colored fabric works better than dark for keeping plants cool.

jordan6531mo ago

Shade cloth works way better for keeping them cool.