Bean poles

[Smiles Jr.]

Every year when I start to erect some crazy concoction for my pole beans I wonder if there is a better way. I have a couple cattle fence panels that I use sometimes. But I always have to support them with 2x4s or 4x4s and at the end of growing season the vines in the panels are a royal PITA to get off. I have several three legged tripod thingies I made from 2x4s but they don't hold many bean vines. Sometimes I erect the tripods at the ends of rows and string a wire from one to the other and hang "streamer" cords down to the ground at each plant. But all of this is labor intensive and sometimes does not work very well.

Any suggestions and pictures out there?

 

[wsmoak]

I sent DH out into the enchanted forest to cut down some 8+ foot sweet gum saplings, tied them together at the top, and spread the bottoms out in a circle to make a pole bean tipi.

I think most people use bamboo, but I'm in favor of free stuff.

I also took some hay string and went around the circle made by the posts at about 6" intervals, making a sort of ladder for the seedlings that aren't planted right next to a post, and anybody else that wants to grow out sideways.

Last year they grew on a circle of concrete reinforcing wire (tomato cage) because they were *supposed* to be bush beans, but were clearly not, and needed something to climb on. That wasn't very successful (it wasn't tall enough.)

-Wendy

 

[patandchickens]

Because it's really windy here and I'm always skeptical that a linear trellis wouldn't blow over (although I might try this year...), I've done all my pole beans since we moved here on teepees.

I use probably 6 poles per teepee. I guess they're probably 7-8' long? (combination of scavenged saplings/wood and a few storeboughten bamboo poles when I came up short last year) to make a teepee maybe 6-7' tall and maybe 3-4' diameter at the base. I just tie the tops together with bits of baler twine.

The only thing is that my scarlet runners pretty reliably get about 2-3' longer than the tippy top of the teepee, so I have to choose between having to lop the end off or have a twisted-together "ponytail" of unsupported vine ends hanging off the top. But, <shrug>.

It would undoubtedly be easier to harvest from a linear trellis, as it can be sorta hard to see beans on the inside top part of the trellis (b/c poles and thus vines are so close together), but it works well enough that I keep doing it

If I try a linear trellis this year for some of my beans (I am going to ALL pole beans b/c of a serious rat/vole problem last year, sigh) I will probably do it by making a 3-pole teepee-shaped support every 5' or so and connecting them with a piece of electric conduit at the top and horizontal wires back and forth down to ground level. And it may still blow over, I dunno.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[journey11]

I use bamboo (preferred) or saplings, about 8' in length (part goes into the ground). Last year I did the Three Sisters planting , and that works well too, just be sure to pick a tall, sturdy variety of corn.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I understand what you are saying about them being a pain to clean out of fencing. That's the way I do it. I plant beans and cucumbers against the garden fence on the North and East sides.

I don't really know of a non-labor intense way to do it. I've done the teepees and they work. Probably the easiest way I have done it is to put in a post every 8' and put a 2x2 across the top of those posts. I had to run string down to give the beans something to run up on, and they beans overtopped the 2x2 and went back toward the ground.

I think I have noticed something with pole beans and would like to hear other people's experience. When mine run up the fence, the ones at the posts can go up quite a bit higher. It may be that they are just harder to pick, but it sure seems like these produce much better than the ones that do not climb as high. Maybe because they get more sun or maybe the wind does a better job of pollinating them. Has anyone else noticed that or is my imagination just running wild?

 

[thistlebloom]

I use the three pole teepee method. I use tree stakes, the 7' long ones, and drill a hole in the tops of them, then wire together. I wrap twine horizontally around them as the peas/beans grow.
Works well, is very sturdy and the stakes were free to me, but cost about $4 new at a nursery.

Ridgerunner, I haven't noticed what you describe, but that could just be because sometimes I'm slightly oblivious .
This year I'll pay attention!

 

[digitS']

Well, I think they are likely to do better if they do not lay back over themselves and begin growing back towards the ground, then up, again . . . Couldn't swear to it, tho'. I grow only a few every year and they always reach the top and begin tangling with themselves.

I use a 4 pole teepee over a 4 foot bed. Some ground space is wasted by the beans, I suppose. The poles are hardwood and were salvaged from a cabinet shop scrap pile many years ago now. Or, I may use 1 by 2's, 8 feet long.

The poles are driven about a foot into the group with a sledge hammer and me standing in a wheelbarrow. They are then wired together at the top. I've never had a teepee blow over.

Steve

 

[Collector]

This is what i built out of cherry limbs from a tree I cut back last winter. We are hoping it works out good.
We pounded the branches in the ground till they were solid then crossed them at the tops and lashed them with twine. Then we tied some larger branches across the top where the upright crossed. it turned out pretty solid.