Best Professional Hail Net – Choice and Reviews

Are you looking for the best professional anti-hail net? Today I will tell you about the best performing models and I will explain how to choose it.

The anti-hail net for vegetable gardens or vineyards becomes an almost indispensable solution, to be installed during the months of May and June. It is in fact the best time to get rid of this important thought, since hail can cause rather extensive damage to our precious crops, and destroy the work of many months. In addition, spreading the nets means protecting fruit and horticultural plants from birds and other hungry predators, so you will catch the classic two birds with one stone.

What is an anti-hail net for a vegetable garden

The net in question is nothing more than a partially elastic mesh, which has the task of protecting vegetable gardens and orchards from violent winter hailstorms. Of course, the advice is to install it especially if you have to circumscribe areas of medium or small size, since if the area is very large the costs could go up a lot. Then remember that there are different types of hail nets, and that not all are suitable for agricultural use.

For this I suggest you to opt only for specialized products, such as Defender Plus by Tenax, which I personally consider to be the top of the business. Generally these protections have a rather low cost, even if obviously it grows according to the purchased square footage. In spite of the low price, however, these are really robust jerseys and able to ensure an excellent level of protection of the crops you have decided to shield.

Consider that examples such as Tenax are so resistant that they are also used in sports, for example to fencing paintball fields. It means that they do not open even if they are hit by a paint bullet fired at high speed. Furthermore, while withstanding such violent impacts as those of bullets and hailstones, these nets maintain the lightness necessary for comfortable use. And they are heavy enough to partially avoid the annoying sail effect caused by the wind.

Characteristics and advantages of networks

There are reasons why you could never protect your crops with just any one shading net, and depend on the structural characteristics of the product. A good anti-hail net for vineyards or professional gardens, in fact, should have precise and specific peculiarities. These are the following:

• Non-deformable network structure
• High mechanical tensile strength
• High tear resistance
• Partial shading to protect the plants from burns
• They must allow the passage of air, water and light
• They must not discolour in the sun
• They must be able to withstand UV rays
• They must act as a windbreak to prevent fruit from falling
• They have to cushion the rush of rainwater
• They need to protect the plants from frost

Better hail nets

1. Tenax Defender Woven Net 6 × 10 meters

Tenax is undoubtedly one of the most specialized brands in hail protection, and the quality of the Defender net proves it. Although not double-woven (but that version costs a lot), the product in question is absolutely capable of withstanding the violent blows inflicted by hailstorms, floods and wind.

As for the dimensions, this particular version is 6 x 10 meters, but there are also smaller ones (4 x 5 and 4 x 10 meters).

As I have already anticipated, it is a single-ply woven fabric, and in a super-resistant material such as polyethylene. It means that it is able to resist ultraviolet rays, keeping its structure intact for a long time, and is not afraid of discoloration in the sun.

Despite being partly shaded, it still allows the passage of water and air: together with UV rays, these are fundamental elements for the growth of seedlings. Excellent for orchards, vegetable gardens and vineyards, it has the ability to keep birds away, too, if you use it for 360 degree shielding.

Other features to note? The meshes have a size of 7 x 8 millimeters, and the overall measurements are perfect for a small vegetable garden. In addition, it has sufficient elasticity to be able to stretch and install without problems or effort, but the package does not include the clips for fixing. I leave you a link, in case you wish to buy them:

2. Maniver Anti-Grandine Net 6 × 10 meters Green

Here is another excellent net for creating an anti-hail structure, although it has some defects compared to those produced by Tenax. Specifically, it is very resistant but tends to deform a little, in the case of accumulation of large hail pockets. Unfortunately it is a limit to be taken into consideration, also because a network of this type cannot be excessively elastic.

Excellent resistance against hailstorms, strong winds and floods, thanks to the size of the mesh. The weaving is quite dense, although it is still mono-thread, but despite its lightness it knows how to withstand the impact of hail. Resistance and compactness are therefore two of the best features of this anti-hail net for vegetable gardens and orchards, as long as you understand that it cannot offer the durability of top-of-the-range nets.

Also in this case there is no set with clips for fixing, which you will therefore have to buy separately, but it is a really negligible expense (around 10 euros). I advise you not to give it up, because the clips fix the net better and therefore make it more stable.

3. VERDEMAX 6767 Protection net 2 x 20 m

I could not fail to review a VERDEMAX product, a company specializing in garden accessories and greenhouses. This protection net has a particularity, linked to its measures, from 2 meters x 20 meters (height x length). The technical characteristics are the ideal ones for protection against hail, because the resistance is very high, and it has a double thread weaving.

I have personally tested its sturdiness for the protection of our orchard in the countryside, because even in Sicily when it hails… it hails badly. The jerseys, while maintaining a minimum of elasticity, are anti-tear and non-deformable, although a minimum of enlargement is to be taken into account, in the event of heavy accumulations of ice balls. Moreover, despite the presence of the double layer, it is light and easy to assemble.

I consider it as an excellent garden cloth, and not only, because as I explained to you it protects any plant or tree. However, consider that, even in this case, the package does not include the clips for fixing, so you will have to buy them separately.

4. Blinky 79804 Anti Hail Net 4 x 10 mt

I decided to close my reviews by telling you about this Blinky product, very interesting and sold at a more than reasonable price. Consider that there are different sizes available, so not only this 4 x 10 meters, but also other much larger versions (for example the 10 x 60 meters one). In summary, whatever your needs, Blinky has the answer.

Regarding the structural characteristics, this protection net has a slightly higher elasticity than the average. It can be an advantage, especially when handling and installing the tarpaulin. However, it does not allow the passage of hail, due to its particularly tight mesh. Know that it is also excellent for its resistance to UV rays.

Not having tried it personally, I can’t tell you the type of weaving, but to the eye it looks like a mono-thread (and the price would confirm it). User reviews on Amazon are still great, so there’s no reason to be wary, not least because Blinky is a fairly well-known brand in the gardening industry. Here is a list of the other measures:

How to choose a hail protection

There are several factors that can influence the choice, and make an anti-hail net for a vegetable garden or vineyard more or less professional. Below I will list all the key elements you should consider before making a final decision.

1. Materials

The most used material in the field of hail nets is HDPE (high density) polyethylene, since this fabric ensures considerable advantages in terms of protection. First of all, polyethylene is a material known as warp-knit: it means that the meshes of the net do not widen or deform, a risk that could allow hailstones to penetrate them.

Secondly, this synthetic fiber is able to withstand the action of UV rays, but only if you buy a high-density model. This is a feature that makes polyethylene suitable both for the protection of vineyards and for the shielding of orchards and vegetable gardens. However, it must be said that there are also other factors that contribute to the strength of the mesh, and the materials alone are not sufficient to guarantee high performance.

2. Weaving and weft of the net

On the market you can basically find two types of anti-hail shading nets, and these are the double-thread woven models, and the single-thread fabrics. It is clear that the first option ensures greater resistance of the net to mechanical stress and very violent blows. Some growers and gardening enthusiasts regard double strand as superfluous, but that’s not really the case.

A double-threaded polyethylene weft doubles the force that the net is able to oppose to impacts, and also guarantees a longer duration over time. It means it won’t tear and dry out easily in the sun like poor quality mono-wire models. Clearly the double weave also has some drawbacks, such as the increase in the overall weight of the tarpaulin and the higher price, but this is normal.

So is the mono-wire network to be discarded a priori? Again, the answer is no. It is important, as always, to buy a product that can be said to be of quality and good workmanship. In fact, single-weave polyethylene nets are also warp-knit, rather resistant and above all they are lighter than double-threaded ones. Even if they are less robust, they are more manageable and this obviously facilitates their installation. Finally, they allow you to save.

• Single-wire networks: they are excellent for the protection of vegetable gardens and, although less resistant, they guarantee a high level of reliability and sturdiness. They are warp-knit, resistant to UV rays, do not discolour and ensure the passage of air and water.

• Double wire networks: the double-thread weaving is that of a professional anti-hail net. It has a higher price, higher thickness and strength, and record-breaking wire toughness. It is optimal not only for greenhouses, but also for the protection of vineyards and orchards.

Finally, there are particular weaving techniques that guarantee an even higher resistance, as in the case of Raschel. It is a feature that increases the warp-knit properties of the anti-hail sheet for gardens, making it ultra-tough.

3. Dimensions

Before buying your next garden, vineyard or orchard tarp, check what the roll size is when unfolded. On sale you can find several options, such as the 6 × 10 meter anti-hail net by Maniver, or the smaller ones of 4 × 5 meters. Clearly the measures must be chosen according to your purpose of use.

To give you a concrete example, the rolls of 2 × 10 or 2 × 20 meters are perfect for protecting long gardens. Rolls that even reach 50 or 100 meters should be chosen if you have to screen large olive groves, vineyards and orchards. Those of 4, 5 or 6 × 10 meters are instead more suitable for the upper protections of a flat plant of a small cultivation. Finally, some rolls even reach a width of 100 meters and a length of 800 meters.

4. Edges and selvedges

For the edges, a similar argument can be made to the previous one, because an anti-hail net for a vegetable garden or vineyard should have excellent side finishes, equipped among other things with reinforcements. From this point of view, the triple selvedge structure is the best option you can find on the market, but the double selvedge is also very effective.

5. Shading

The degree of shading is also a factor to consider, as an excessive amount of shade can be detrimental to crops.

On the one hand, the net must still limit the amount of light able to penetrate it, all to prevent plants from getting burned by UV rays. On the other hand, however, excessive shading would prevent plants from growing, because the total lack of light would damage photosynthesis. If the wefts are too dense, air and water are not allowed to pass, and this too would compromise the development of the seedlings.

Conclusions

Today I explained to you how to choose a professional anti-hail net, but I still want to underline once again the advantages of this protection. Meanwhile, it prevents climatic events such as hailstorms, wind and heavy rain from disturbing our crops, since it is able to block the grains and dampen the impact of gusts and deluge.

Secondly, it protects the plants but does not prevent them from growing, since it still allows water, air and sunlight to pass through. However, it avoids the burn of the seedlings, since it resists ultraviolet rays, thus acting as a partial shade. Furthermore, by creating a closed structure, the net prevents the birds from eating the fruits of our labor.

In summary, it is a real must to defend vineyards, vegetable gardens, orchards and any other cultivation. And you can do it without spending a lot of money, especially if you don’t have big requirements in terms of square footage.