Hi - Seems that in the winter here there is less sun exposure, less heat... if it still is too much you can move your pots to an area that gets less afternoon sun... I have grown pole-beans in huge pots, garbage pots, Home Depot pots, etc. and put the metal mesh they use under cement in the driveway, it has 4 inch holes that you can put your hand thru', and I set it at an angle so the beans hang down, and I can walk under it, maybe a 10-12 foot length of it because pole-beans grow really long, and prop it up with a 2 by 4 or a length of rebar..... the metal mesh and the rebar last forever and in the summer I just stick it behind a shed.... if you angle the mesh so the top is facing the sun, the beans grow toward the sun and makes it easier to pick them.... if the sun is still too hot for you, why not just cover the pots with something to block the sun, or maybe prop something like a piece of plywood to protect them ? I grow cucumbers this way also, and tomatoes, in big pots with the mesh to climb up, I make circles of the mesh for the tomatoes to hold them up.....I can't think of the name for the mesh, it is what they use when they pour cement for a driveway, to keep it from cracking... from Home Depot........... sally

hello. good afternoon sally, thanks for the idea on metal mesh and rebar. I'll have to see if that might work with our garden, but my only problem is spacing. I have VERY limited space on a city lot so the bean towers would be a good space-saver. I like your idea of plywood against the containers to block the sun, simple yet efficient.

As for the pole beans, I've never grown them. I was planning on planting them in March. But do you think it's too late to plant them this year? My location is central florida where it sometimes freezes a few nights during the winter.

Many thanks for your reply! =)

You could certainly try. I live in the same zone, but in S. Tx. If it threatens to freeze, cover with a blanket. If you lose them, oh well, it's just a few seeds, right?

Well, while everyone else is using huge containers I've gone the other way. I want to make LESS soil mix and not have such heavy containers so I took the SWC buckets and use them in reverse. Instead of a bottom watering reservoir I drill holes in the BOTTOM of the outer bucket and use the wicking cup to wick moisture OUT of the mix, not into it, thus the plants roots can occupy all of the container mix, and the holes in the bottom of the inner bucket hopefully allow more gas exchange at the root zone (Thanks Al!). Everyone please bear in mind that I live in an area of extreme humidity and most of my problems are with soil that retains too much moisture, even with a fast draining soil mix.

I get 5 gallon buckets free from Burger King. I do buy 3.5 gallon buckets, and they are about $3.50 each, but they are more durable than the totes in our intense Florida heat, and the double white buckets clearly cut down on heat in the soil mix.

The pole beans in the first picture are in 3.5 gallon buckets nested in 5 gallon buckets, this could just a easily have been done with two 5 gallon buckets but as stated earlier I want to cut down on both the soil mix and weight in the individual containers...four beans in each 3.5 gallon container.

Tom

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