I saw a nifty thing a few days ago...but can't remember where...maybe here...anyway they were growing cukes on a wire trellis that was slanted to cover the lettuce that was growing underneath..The growing cuke vine provided the needed shade as it grew.

Here is what I was remembering...scroll down the page tocucumber trellis....truthfully I wouldn't even bother with a brame ...I use plastic mesh for trellising so I'd hook it to the fence or something and anchor my mesh with a stone...

Here is a link that might be useful: cucumber trellis

There's a cooler space, but I planted broccoli there last year, and it got run over by flea beetles, so I'm not planting it there for another year or two. Plant it in the cooler place anyway. Because flea beetles are so mobile, and because so many genera and species are involved, crop rotation, by itself, has little effect as a control strategy.

Apparently the most practical trap crop is Chinese Southern Giant Mustard (Brassica juncea var. crispifolia), seed of which is widely available. Research has shown that planting this trap crop about every 55 yards between rows of cabbage, broccoli, or cauliflower (or as a border around the field) can do an exceptional job of protecting them. To retain effectiveness, reseeding of the trap crop may be necessary, especially if the pest destroys the first planting.

You don't need shade cloth. What you are looking for is a row-cover material such as Reema which can be used to cover seedlings and provide a barrier to adult beetles. It is advisable to get the row cover in place at or before emergence for maximum protection. Garden centers such as Lowes or Home Depot, farm supply stores, or local nurseries should have this. If they don't ask them to refer you to someone who does.

Lilacs, here's the one I mentioned to you in the other thread... read the description about it lowering a plant's surrounding air temps.

I wouldn't bother ordering the hoops, you can use 10ft 1/2" CPVC pipe for tall tunnels (like PVC but for drinking water in homes, smaller diameter & more flexible) or even 9 gauge solid galvanized steel clothesline wire for tunnels under 2ft tall... I just bought three 50ft coils ($3.72 each 50ft coil) from hardwareworld.com (Item #GJXJ3V Anchor Wire 123183 #9 50ft. Galvanized Clothesline Wire.) A few years ago I even bought 9 gauge galvanized wire at Home Depot for under $10. 9 gauge is about the same heavy thickness as concrete reinforcing wire used to make the 5ft tall tomato cages, maybe even thicker.

There was an old episode of Victory Garden with Roger Swaine where they had a contest for "best viewers garden" and a guy grew lettuce all summer long during hi temperatures using a shadecloth tunnel.

Mark

Here is a link that might be useful: Green UV treated ploy shade cloth

violet, row covers like Reemay and 100 degree temps don't help broccoli much, it won't cool much and may even increase temps. And planting trap crops often attracts the pests you're trying to trap to your yard. The woven shade cloth will both lower plant temps as well as protect against pests if installed immediately. Maybe aphids can get through it but the weave if fairly tight enough to protect from most other pests.

Mainly I'm concerned about not cooking my broccoli until it's grown up and I can have it with some potatoes and garlic. :-)

The raised beds where I plan to put it get sun pretty much all day. Anything that would shade it and cool it during the hotter part of the day would help.

They sell those shade cloths on a roll at Home Depot or Lowes...and it comes in several colors....and widths.

Here's my no frills, low dollar solution to what you are trying to accomplish.

Buy yourself some 1/2" or 3/4" PVC pipe. It comes in 10ft lengths at your local home center.

Bend those pieces, one at a time into an arch, pushing the ends into the ground on either side of your planting area. My raised beds are 4 feet wide and this arrangement works perfectly.

Buy yourself some big binder clips from your local office supply. The biggest ones they have.

While at the home center get a roll of fiberglass replacement window screening. You can use either black or gray. The screening needs to be 4 feet wide.

After your PVC hoops are in place unroll the screening and clip it to the pipe with the clips.

Voila!

You have a shade house.

It's portable, it's reusable and best of all, it's effective.

I've been using row cover to throw over beets and potatoes when the sun is a little too hot and strong for them, and it seems to be effective. I think what it does is moderate conditions whether those conditions are hot or cold.
-O

korney19,

That's why I said to plant in the cooler place anyway. And if someone is worried about 100 degree temps and broccoli, that broccoli should have been planted earlier in the season to avoid the average high temps for this cool season crop or should be planted for a fall planting. Each gardener has to decide priority. The first post sounded more concerned about flea beetles then later switched priority to heat, in which case, yes - shade cloth will drop temps up to 15F degrees. Not all row covers are created equal and obviously ventilation is an issue so do your research first.

Anything that would shade it and cool it during the hotter part of the day would help.

A simple wooden board placed straight up a few inches away on the south side of the plant will keep it cooler in the hotter part of the day.