North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Patsy King <pking888@gmail.com>]

Hi everyone,
Hey, I have been wondering for several years:  why, when a car or anything metal is too hot for us to touch in the summer sun, don't plants that are climbing up metal trellises get burned...or do they?   I suppose things like grapevines that have those hard wire-like tendrils would not get harm to the tendrils, but what about leaves and stems leaning against the metal, and what about other types of climbers or even tomato plants whose stems rest on metal supports surrounding them?   I have some new dwarf apple trees that need support, and I am planning to erect a strong wire fence alongside of them and grow them in a somewhat espaliered way.  Would the metal burn them?