Rain Protection
Advanced protection and growth optimisation under rain covers
Gain precise control over fruit maturity, size, and quality through advanced microclimate management. Hortivate rain protection systems regulate humidity, airflow, and rainfall beneath the canopy — engineered to perform in New Zealand’s unpredictable environments and proven to deliver consistent, high-quality fruit outcomes.
Gain precise control over fruit maturity, size, and quality through advanced microclimate management. Hortivate rain protection systems regulate humidity, airflow, and rainfall beneath the canopy — engineered to perform in New Zealand’s unpredictable environments and proven to deliver consistent, high-quality fruit outcomes.
Unpredictable rain. Predictable risk.
Rain events are becoming more frequent, more intense, and less predictable — especially during key growth and harvest windows. For premium crops like cherries and berries, excess rainfall can lead to splitting, reduced pack-outs, and disease pressure.
Rain protection is no longer just a safeguard — it’s a tool for control. Growers who manage the environment under cover can influence fruit development, accelerate maturity, and deliver consistent quality in every season.
Built for NZ weather
Designed to handle high winds, UV exposure, and heavy rainfall without constant maintenance.
Keeps fruit dry and protected
Directs rain away from the canopy to reduce fruit splitting, bruising, and fungal issues.
Improves fruit size and timing
The growing environment under cover can be manipulated to suit your crop — helping fruit mature earlier, size up more evenly, and maintain consistent quality across the block.
Long-term value
Durable materials and simple components mean fewer replacements, easier repairs, and a lower lifetime cost.
Custom design for every block
Each system is tailored to your crop type, row layout, and terrain — no one-size-fits-all setup.
Integrates with other protection
Works easily alongside bird, hail, or wind systems to create full-coverage orchard protection.
Our Rain Protection Solutions
Rain protection isn’t one-size-fits-all. Hortivate offers a range of systems that give you the control, flexibility, and performance your orchard needs — from simple manual operation to fully automated covers.
Retractable Rain System
Our retractable system lets you deploy or retract the covers when you need them — not for the entire season.
This gives growers control over both protection and climate without unnecessary cover time.
Key Benefits
- Fast and easy to deploy or retract
- Can be operated on demand or ahead of a forecast storm
- Requires minimal labour and can be managed by unskilled staff
- Enables quick adjustment of temperature and humidity under cover
- Can be retrofitted beneath existing hail or bird netting
Specialised Rain Netting
This innovative mesh breaks up and diffuses raindrops, protecting fruit while allowing for suitable airflow and microclimate management.
*Image shown above installed with zip closure system
Key Benefits
- Low shading impact on the crop
- Allows natural airflow and ventilation
- Breaks rainfall into fine mist to reduce fruit impact and disease risk
- When installed at the correct angle, provides excellent water-repellent performance (testing and specifications to confirm)
- Acts as a full protection barrier against wind, rain, frost, temperature swings, and common pests such as Drosophila suzukii, Cochineal, and Aphids
Automation & Sensing
Automation brings the next level of efficiency and control to rain protection.
Automated systems allow you to deploy and retract covers at the push of a button — or automatically if linked to on-site weather monitoring.
Key Benefits
- Reduces labour cost and manual effort
- Responds automatically to incoming rain or wind conditions
- Gives full control over climate under the covers
- Allows multiple deployments and retractions throughout the season as conditions change
- Ideal for large blocks where rapid, precise control is critical
YOUR NEXT STEP
You don’t have to figure it out. WE ALREADY HAVE.
You’re not just buying posts and net—you’re getting a mapped, and
thought-through solution that saves time, money, and stress.
Let us help you:
- Visualise structure layout
• Know what it’ll cost
• Be ready to build – without delay
Trusted by NZ growers | Built on 4 generations of orchard experience
GROW BETTER BY CROP
From intensive pipfruit to vulnerable berries, we understand the specialised protection needs of different crops and growing styles.
Success story
See how our end-to-end solutions are protecting crops across New Zealand:
