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This will be my first year to plant pole beans, so I need some poles. In the past I have always planted Blue Lake bush beans, at my age picking beans is hard on my back. Where do I get some good poles? A pack of 5 bamboo poles 5 ft long are $9.99, a bit short and probably will have to be replaced every 2 or 3 years. 1x2 and 2x2 pine boards are $2 and $3 each again probably have to be replaced soon. After spending some time thinking about this I had an idea. Cement rebar is $3.70 for a 20 ft length. If I cut them in 3 pieces they will be 6' 8" long = $1.23 each. Cement rebar will last for many many years.

Does anyone have a good idea for bean poles?

We grow them along our fence. You can buy a 50' roll of fence and stake it up with 2x2s fairly cheaply and it's reusable for years.

I go down by the creek and cut willow shoots for poles. The price is right.

https://www.victoryseeds.com/catalog/vegetable/beans/beantrellis.html

Scroll down to 'Swing Set Trellis'. This is what I do:

1) Get you a FREE old swingset from Craigslist - FREE
2) Couple rolls of twine at Dollar General - $2
3) Three 8' furring 1"x2" from Lowes - $.88 / Each - $2.64

Drill some holes at the bottom of the swingset legs and at the ends of the furring strips and tie the furring strips to the swingset with twine.

Then tie the twine to one end near the leg, string twine over swingset, wrap around furring strip on other side, repeat, repeat, repeat...

When you get to the other end, tie off twine. I space my twine about 4" apart because that is typically what you will thin seedlings to.

End result: Sturdy, windproof, solid, moveable trellis for less than $5.00!!! + Your gas a little effort.

You cannot beat that.

jal_ut wrote:I go down by the creek and cut willow shoots for poles. The price is right.

Ditto

Stick them in the ground in a circular pattern and tie them on the top like a tepee or build two "A" frames, run one pole along the top, and run your twine up the legs of the frame (like the swing set idea, only you can make this one so that it doesn't take up as much space)

Grandpa's were sticks from the yard or woods, tied with twine at the top.
< $1 for 10 tee pees. Poles only last 2-3 years under $1 per year.

Dad's concrete reinforcement wire lasted 20++ years, <$100 for 10 cages, this can be left as a fence row if preferred. <$5/year

Mine is 8 2x4's and 9 1x2s and some yarn each year(under $1 at dollar general) less than $20 has lasted 4 years and looks good for another 4 years. There was a $4 box of screw that I used half of them. Including the $1 for yarn a year that is <$4/year.
Mine is a trellis/pergola set up 3 2x4's placed in the ground 4 feet(total 8 feet) apart in a row, the others are 5 feet away in a parallel row. The extra 2x4 goes 6 inches above the ground to the rows of 2x4s. This adds bottom support to hold the 2x4s in place and keep them plumb. There is a 1x2 at the top of the 2x4s, then a truss type connectors joining the two sides with the apex some 8 plus feet in the air. There is a center ridge beam 1x2 and these are all connected with small wood screws. The yarn is woven around the 1x2s. The beans love it. One of the good things is, the really high beans hang down under my trellis and are super easy to pick.

Oh yes, I built a wood seat under the trellis. I sit in there during the summer heat it is part shaded by the bean leaves. A great place to watch the garden grow.