donnabaskets, Don't give up. Try the Orient Wonder Pole Beans from Kitchen Garden Seeds. They are a "yardlong bean" according to type but they taste like "pole bean green beans". I grew them 2 years ago and they were super, super prolific in 100 degree heat. I am growing them again this year and again they are super, super prolific. There are other seed merchants that sell the Orient Wonder Pole Bean but I like Kitchen Garden because their seed packet has 175 seeds and most other seed merchants only have 50 seeds or less. I only plant 25 seeds per season so this packet will last me several more years. I will try to post a photo of the plants - Can't do so now because just harvested almost all for my MIL. Cheers, DL Here is a link that might be useful: John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds

Thank you shebear! The plants are in 1.5' deep containers, about 18" in diameter and are covered with cedar mulch (put down in about April and topped off in June and July). I wasn't sure if cedar mulch would release too much nitrogen so I have been adding calcium enriched slow release fertilizer once a month and since they reacted so well fish fertilizer every three weeks per instructions. Both plants have 5 or more flowering vines and more creep in everyday but I can't prune out the new ones because they curl leaf everytime I try. Not all the flowers set (only 3 so far since Sept 1st.) so I am hoping that assisting the pollination will help with the 30 or more flowers I have now... I drove off the pollinators with the aphids.

I recently made a list of Tomatoes which I understand do well in Hot Summer weather. IâÂÂm certain this is not all varieties but it is a good starting point. Much is based on an individualâÂÂs growing conditions and some varieties listed were varieties developed with certain abilities to deal with summer heat. Happy Gardening to us All! Gary Tomatoes for Hot/Dry Climates Atkinson Arkansas Traveler Mortgage Lifter Cherokee Purple. Kentucky Beefsteak Creole Rutgers Siletz Box Car Willie Amish Paste, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Creole, German Johnson, Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter, Gregori's Altai, Homestead 24-F, Mule Team, Stupice, Super Sioux, Tropic. Arkansas Traveler, Costuluto Genovese, Hawaiian, Heatwave, Homestead, Homestead 24, Manalucie, Solar Set, Sunbeam, Sun Leaper Sungold Ramapo Floradade Mortgage lifter German Red Strawberry Soldaki Opalka Riesentraube Sioux and Super Sioux ⢠According to the Dr. Tomato Seed Company, the Sioux is an heirloom variety that was originally released in 1944 by the University of Nebraska. It has a sweet, tangy flavor, and the plants produce reliably large harvests, even in hot, dry climates. The fruit is red and weighs about 6 oz. when ripe. It is indeterminate, which means it produces until the first frost, and sets in 70 days. The Super Sioux is an improved version of the Sioux, but the plant is smaller and produces 4 oz. fruit. Costoluto Genovese ⢠The Costoluto Genovese tomato is hearty and does well in hot weather. When ripe, it is red with a lobed, convoluted shaped. It has an intense, acidic flavor that makes it good for sauces and pastes. This variety will continue to produce even when the weather turns cool. It is indeterminate and sets in 78 days. Pearson Improved ⢠The Pearson Improved tomato plant produces large, red, flattened-globe-shaped, smooth-skinned fruit. This type of tomato averages about 7 oz. and is determinate, which means all of its fruit ripens in a short period of time. It sets in 80 days and is considered good for canning. Porter's Pride ⢠Tomato Growers Supply Company describes this canning tomato as medium-size with "larger, rounder and bright red" fruits. The tomato is plum-shape with tender skin and a sweet flavor. Its heartiness makes it suited for dry regions such as Texas. It is indeterminate and takes about 70 days to set. Abe Lincoln Heirloom Open Pollinated Tomato has beautiful large dark red fruits .... it does well in many growing conditions, especially in hot and humid regions ...

I am probably the master of low-energy cooking, and not just in the summer when we have temperatures over 100°F. - LOTS of NO-Cooking, or almost no-cooking meals ;-). I'll also a place stir-fry in this category, which can be done quickly. -I have 3 different Solar Ovens/Cookers I use all the time, not just in the summer. -The induction burner is used almost exclusively to keep the heat out when a cooktop is necessary, as well as using the microwave. I have a number of microwave recipes I've collected over the years, including REAL quick breads. -LOVE my little Redi-Set Go - indoor grills (I have the small and large one). I have a adapted it to a lot of quick meals using chicken tenderloins or boneless thighs, and the ever-popular 6-minute pizza using a corn tortilla for the crust. -My microwave is also a convection oven, so it helps keep the heat out of the kitchen. Things bake in approx. 25% less time and you reduce the temperature by 25° - all in a small space. I can stack three 12-inch pizza pans and bake cookies in 5-8 minutes. It will bake 2 full-size loaves of yeast bread in 25-minutes (one loaf in 20-minutes) and NO pre-heating necessary. When checked with a Kill-A-Watt meter, the Sharp will bake 2 loaves of bread for 3-cents while the Zojirushi Bread Machines will bake 1 loaf for 2-cents. The Sharp does a better (and faster) job than a toaster oven, plus it has a larger capacity. -Cooking in a Thermos - http://www.thermoscooking.com/ A great way to "cook" beans, rice, whole grains..... -Thermal Cooker - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_cooking I use this for large cuts of meat and use my induction burner to bring the contents to a boil and heat for the necessary amount of time (usually 5-15-minutes, depending on what you are cooking) before placing it in the outside unit. The passive "slow cooker". -I also made Wonder Ovens (http://prepared-housewives.com/alternative-cooking-wonder-oven-2/), which are another passive method for cooking. I've even made loaves of steamed bread in my Wonder Ovens. Examples of Cooking Times using the Wonder Oven: Whole Chicken – boiling time 20 minutes and Wonder Oven time 5-6 hours Steamed Bread – boiling time 10 minutes and Wonder Oven time 2 hours Pinto Beans – boiling time 15-20 minutes and Wonder Oven time 5 hours Oatmeal – boiling time 10 minutes and Wonder Oven time 1 hour or overnight -Not a big fan of the slow-cooker (Crock Pot), but I do use it occasionally. The biggest problem with using a slow-cooker is there may NOT be all that much savings in energy used. Check out this link if you want to know more: http://www.cookingmanager.com/slow-cookers-energy-efficient/ -Saladmaster Stainless Steel Cookware - These pans can be stacked so you cook everything on one burner. I can make a pot roast and vegetables in the Dutch Oven, and bake a cake in the top with the dome cover, and cook other things for that meal, or another entire meal, all at the same time on a very low heat. -Grainlady