how about okra as a shade crop it grows tall and does better the hotter it gets mine are now about 5' tall and producing like mad

My reliable summer producers are okra, summer squash if you replant frequently, eggplants, as well as basil and other sun-loving herbs.

I managed to grow lettuce in the light shade of a mesquite, so maybe planting under your trees would be possible. Again, repeat plantings will be needed.

You can plant a lot of things that other people grow in the summer as a winter vegetable here: many of the leafy greens will collapse in a light frost and recover in a few hours.

Lettuce, spinach, swiss chard ... they went from November through May for me. Light shade would have helped.

Pole beans often die when it gets hot. Try Armenian cucumbers instead. They are rampant growers that prefer to spread above ground (unlike many squash that prefer to sprawl), grow well on a trellis and the cukes don't go bitter in hot weather.

Great for tsatziki, gazpacho, and cucumber curry.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lettuce at 110!

hellbound (man I hate the sound of that) I don't like okra.

lazygardens help me out here. Why do I need to frequently replant summer squash? Not trying to be a jerk; I really don't know.

I was planning on growing cucumbers in the spring. Those Armenian cucumbers sound interesting.

I don't care for okra or eggplant.

In another forum I have received a few bean suggestions.

Rattlesnake pole beans.
Hopi Red Lima pole beans.
Yardlong pole beans.
Tarahumara Pink Green pole beans.

Try tepary beans - the bean that laughs at drought.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tepary Beans

you replant in order to extend your harvest one set of plants is spent the next set steps right in and keeps producing u do it with cabbage, corn or lettuce too.

Ok I missed that he said lettuce. There is no need to replant zuks or summer squash as they will keep producing.

thisisme -
I found that the summer squash "wore out" and production declined, and by planting a few more as backups about 6-8 weeks after the first ones I could just yank out the aging ones without losing production.

The lettuce - yes, succession plantings are probably needed through the summer.

I'd put my money on the yard long beans. They love to grow on trellises, and strong producers, and do well in the heat. I know people who harvest green bean - well, a coupla feet long green beans - all through the summer after spring planting.

Thanks lazygardens thats good to know so I can plan for it.

crista I will for sure give the Yard Longs a try. I have seen some pretty cool looking trellises over in the Bean, Peas and other Legumes forum. Can't wait to try one or two of them.

I grow climbing blackeyed peas and pick them while the pods are tender and use as snap beans, they stand up to the heat like you won't believe. I planted the ones from a bag at the grocery store. I agree with the armenian cukes, they love heat and you can eat them fresh or peel and cook like zucchini, really good grilled. I grow swiss chard all summer with just early morning sun and it does great. My peppers produced all through the summer heat except the jalapeno which shut down by August but the gypsy's, Joe Parkers and Red Marconis are still going strong. Tomatillos will take the heat and a good source of vitamin C. Anybody who likes bush beans should try Dragon Tongues, I ordered them from Baker Creek Nursery, they are now my favorite bush bean. The beans are large and meaty and stringless. They are a beautiful yellow and purple striped bean that cooks up yellow and taste great,prolific producers and take the heat well.

Thanks sundrop07 I have added climbing blackeyed peas, Dragon Tongue Beans and Tomatillos to my list.

I plan on starting most of my crops in 1 gallon and 5 gallon nursery pots and transplanting to raised beds. If anyone has a best planting time or transplant times they would like to share please do.

sundrop07 how close do you plant your Dragon Tongue Beans? Seed Savers says to plant them every 2". To me it sounds like they have them mixed up with pole beans. Dragon Tongue Beans are a bush bean. I was thinking I should plant them one to two foot apart.

Thisisme, I plant my Dragon Tongues in wide rows about 3 in. apart in all directions. They are bush beans and this spacing allows them to grow up together supporting each other, shades the soil keeping in moisture and discourages weeds. I get a lot of beans in a relatively small space this way.

Thanks for stopping by sundrop07. I will use that knowledge to my advantage in the spring.

Have you tried Armenian Cucumbers, they love our heat here. I grew some for my first time this past summer and will be growing them every year from now on. They do great on a large trellis (One plant took up about 30 ft of wall space). I ran across one at Homedepot the end of April and planted it in the ground the 1st of May. It didn't do much until we hit triple digits then took off like crazy.
Also speaking of pole beans have you tried the Asian long beans, they are suppose to do good here and the beans get
3 ft +. These should give you some nice shade for the rest of your garden.

Yes gemfire, they are all on my planting list.