Do they have drain holes? If not, that's likely the problem.

The two brands of potting medium you've mentioned just happen to be associated with poor plant performance in these forums. I believe it's because many people find it difficult to master how to water properly with a fine textured mix.

Other than that, and the drainage situation that Jean mentioned, we can't really determine if you are watering too much or too little. Only you can!

YES; I do have 5 holes of about 1/2 inch diameter in the totes.

Do you think I need more holes, or would MG 'moisture control' soil be a better choice.

It just seems odd to me as I also have a mater in a 18in planter [non-blue rope tote] that is quite green. Besides a few yellow-ish leaves on the plant that are few and far inbetween; it is not a real problem as the tree is making maters.

Well, there is no way to tell whether you are under-or over-watering, as there is no info given about moisture levels.

o 5 holes from a 1/2 drill bit is plenty.

o I prefer SuperSoil as there is no vermiculite in it, but it needs supplemental fert, like most potting mixes do IMHO; all my container soils are mixed by me and SuperSoil is the base.

o The soil temp might be too high for beans and you may want to shade the pots - blue is pretty dark. I don't do pole beans in containers any more as they never work - too hard for moisture and soil critter control. Bush only if I do it.

Dan