Cuts half the incident light — the usual choice for hardening nursery stock and protecting vegetables through a north Indian summer.

Heavier shade for ferns, orchids and propagation benches. Too dark for fruiting vegetables, which will run to leaf under it.

Black underside blocks weeds; silver top reflects light back into the canopy and disorients aphids and thrips. Laid the wrong way up it does neither.

Woven so water passes through but weeds cannot come up. Pin it down and cut crosses where the plants go.