Trellis for pole beans

[beatpoet]

So I'm going to be growing some pole beans this year, first time growing them. It seems from what I'm reading that a trellis is the way to go. I've seen a few different designs out there, but figured I'd see what everyone's experience is with what works best. I'll be growing in a raised bed and will likely be growing Kentucky Wonder pole beans.
I've seen some designs that look like an a-frame with string/twine and some that stand straight up but not sure which is best.

[saltmarsh]

One way to do it.

I use a 1" plastic conduit cut to 7' with a 10" x 1 1/4" metal point to drive in the ground. the plastic conduit drops into the metal point after the point is driven into the ground. Posts are on 4' centers with 1/2"metal conduit fastening the tops of the posts. Plastic conduit cost about the same as pvc but is UV resistant so it will last about 7 years. Claud

[shelleybean]

The A Frame design is nice for cucumbers but I prefer straight sides for beans. They grow and climb differently. Beans vines spiral around their support. Cucumbers send out tendrils which attach themselves to the support.

I use several sets of two square tomato cages stacked on top of each other. I space each of these square towers about 18 inches apart to make sure they're getting enough light in between and I plant on all four sides. For green beans, I space my plants about four inches apart. For limas, more like eight inches apart. They just need more space. This method has worked well for me for the last several years. Let us know what you decide to do.

[Worth1]

Well you have made the right choice I love Kentucky Wonder or any flat bean like it.

Worth

[tjg911]

i use an A frame trellis. pole beans on one side cukes on the other.

tom

[kath]

Cattle panel on T-posts permanently in place. Rotate beans, cukes, tomatoes, etc. from year to year. Tried tepees but it's much easier to find the beans this way.

kath

[debles]

I grew them years ago using stacked tomato cages (the strong square ones). I rigged a makeshift trellis in a couple of earthboxes two years ago and had super productive rattlesnake beans, but the wind would tip the whole earthbox over. I could easily right them and they never seemed to notice. Last year I grew the long asian beans on a permanent trellis in a raised bed.
This year I plan to plant in grow bags along a very tall chainlink fence. I've seen people grow them along their porches on strings that provided edible privacy screens.
If they get the right temps, adequate water and nutrients, I think they'll climb anything provided for them.

[kath]

Originally Posted by debles

I've seen people grow them along their porches on strings that provided edible privacy screens.

I'll bet the local deer would LOVE an edible privacy screen on our porch!

[Worth1]

I let mine crawl all over my tomatoes.

Didn't seem to hurt them at all.

Worth

[habitat_gardener]

I've used those cheap 4-prong v-shape tomato cages, one stuck in the ground the "right" way and the other one stacked on top upside down, so that the wide parts are together. I tie them together at 4 points. The silhouette is an elongated diamond (sort of the opposite of an hourglass). I plant the beans all along the ground, probably 4-6 inches apart, in rows along the edges of the cages, and add a few small bamboo stakes in-between the metal prongs to encourage the beans to climb. I can't quite reach the top of this assemblage, which is a good thing when I want to save some seed (because I can't reach the top few beans, so I end up saving more seed than I otherwise would). I also use a strong stake (preferably rebar) to stabilize each assemblage.

My most productive bean patch last year had 3 of these assemblages in a row, and I planted 24 beans on them.

I also have an arbor on which my scarlet runner beans grow each year. It's one of those flimsy metal ones from Big Lots, but I have it braced and staked and tied, and it works fine.

What hasn't worked as well is planting the beans in a circle rather than in a row, using either these assemblages (as separate "islands") or wider, taller cylindrical cages. It's harder to find and pick the beans, and different varieties get tangled together. The beans also seem to do better if the trellises are at least 6-7 ft. high., but not much taller, or else I can't reach the beans safely.

[Father'sDaughter]

I grow about 16-20 pole bean plants on one of these that I picked up used on eBay several years ago --

http://www.gurneys.com/product/bean_tower/bean-seed

A few other places carry it as well. It fits beautifully in my 4' wide raised beds and leaves me space in the "corners" for low plants such as lettuce. And I can even get away with planting early crops in the middle of the bottom ring that will be harvested before the beans get too tall.

My dad uses trees! In his landscaping days whenever he was asked to remove a young tree, he would cut all the branches off the trunk and trim the bottom into a point. You need a good sized step ladder to pick beans in his garden!

[dustdevil]

KY Wonder can easily grow to at least 8-10 feet tall. How many pole beans are you growing?

[rxkeith]

i use t posts and fencing.

also used 2 tomato cages one upside down on the other as mentioned. use 2 sets side by side for additional support, but plan on securing them to a stake driven into the ground or they will topple in a wind.

some alternative supports are discarded christmas trees, and old tv antennas are supposed to work good too. be creative, and resourceful or cheap. any support that is tall enough and strong enough for beans to latch on to and climb will work. it doesn't have to be pretty looking, just functional. the beans will soon cover it, and you will have a wall of greenery.


keith

[madddawg]

I have grown my beans a just a fence the past few years, 5' tall' and pretty much let them do what they want from there. But those darn rabbits seem to cut them down to half every year
But this year I will putting a fence around my fence that will learn them.
And yes KY Wonder....love em !pick two eat one.. bean of choice here

[joseph]

This is the method taught to me by my grandfather.