Growing pole beans to shade cauliflower?

[UnusualFarmChick]

New land means a new garden for us this year. I was given 3 flats of cauliflower- a cheddar & a violet variety. Never have grown cauliflower before but as I planted them in the new garden today, I decided to try planting pole beans between every other row of cauliflower.
My thought was, I could help keep the cauliflower shaded as the heat of summer turns up. Keeping the soil & plant cooler would maybe help prevent bolting. I am putting a tepee like structure up down the rows for the beans to grow up and once the cauliflower is done, the kids would have a neat "tunnel" to hide in while playing.
Anyone else try something similar?
Did it make a difference?
Did I make a mistake?
I was told cauliflower does not grow well at all in this neighborhood. of course, that was AFTER I was given the 3 free flats of it.
Thanks ahead for helpful input.

[sbemt456]

Hi Tammie, good to see ya! The pole bean idea should help shade the plants a bit and keep them cooler, as long as the beans dont take off and out grow the cauliflower and shade it too much. I think the heat does more to make things in the cabbage family have peppery bite than it does causing it to bolt. I do know that cabbage, broccoli and all greens planted in very early spring and grown in cooler weather does taste much sweeter. But the plants were free, so any cauliflower you have from them is more than ya started with right . :yes4: Good luck and let us know how they do and taste.

Have a great day!

stella

[UnusualFarmChick]

Thank you Stella. Really shows my cauliflower ignorance...bolting..ha!
These already have grape size heads, so not sure if my bean idea will grow quick enough to make a difference. I statred some from seed(pole beans) but the squirrels have made my porch into a buffet.
Thank you for the help. I was looking everywhere online to see the result of shading, but nothing was found.
The same lady friend is giving me a few flats of paste tomatoes next week when she shuts her nursery down for the year. (only open a few months of the year- she calls it semi retired). She said they go in my car or the compost. I chose my car, obviously. They are already producing little green tomatoes, so my canning will not be delayed as much as I had thought. :)

[bookwormom]

The cauliflower may grow faster than the beans. but your kids still can have fun. Of course cauliflower bolts, too and Stella is right. has nothing to do with the heat. I lived in a rather cool climate and lettuce, broccoli, cabbage bolted like they are supposed to if they want to make seed. Good luck, I have never been able to grow decent cauliflower. Resorted to sevin out of desperation, but the worms just laughed.