Here is a question: can you trellis pole beans using a common pole (stake)?
I know that there are countless methods to trellis just about anything that has vines, but, given their name, how to you think that pole beans would do with a pole to each plant? How tall should the pole be?
Thanks for your input.
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I think most pole beans need supports that are about 7' high ABOVE ground. A teepee rather than a single pole per plant would be better because the more vigorous pole beans grow side shoots, plus the entire mass can get pretty heavy.
applestar wrote:I think most pole beans need supports that are about 7' high ABOVE ground. A teepee rather than a single pole per plant would be better because the more vigorous pole beans grow side shoots, plus the entire mass can get pretty heavy.
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I found a picture of willow bean poles.
The one has a scarlett runner bean growing on it. You can see how the vine just wraps around the pole.
Left side you can see a trellis for some pole beans that are just getting started climbing. I had two rows of beans and put the poles about 2 feet apart and tied four together at the top. This helps them stand up against the wind. Then I put one horizontal too. Makes a good inexpensive trellis. The poles can be used for several years.
I use 3 plastic covered metal poles from Walmart tied together to make a teepee and let the beans climb up. They need some encouraging in the beginning- you can tie them or just help them to wind around the poles once they are long enough.
1/2" cement rebar works great for pole beans. It comes in 20 ft lengths cut it in 3 pieces. Stap it in the ground 4 pole about 3 ft apart on each square corner. Bring the tops of the poles together and tie them together with rope or wire at about 6 or so feet high. Plant about 8 beans at each pole in a circle around the pole. They are easy to pick it won't hurt your back bending over. A trellis will work great. I planted pole beans on a 6 ft fence once 30 years ago it worked great.
Gary350 wrote:1/2" cement rebar works great for pole beans. It comes in 20 ft lengths cut it in 3 pieces. Stap it in the ground 4 pole about 3 ft apart on each square corner. Bring the tops of the poles together and tie them together with rope or wire at about 6 or so feet high. Plant about 8 beans at each pole in a circle around the pole. They are easy to pick it won't hurt your back bending over. A trellis will work great. I planted pole beans on a 6 ft fence once 30 years ago it worked great.
Gary brings up a good point: how many beans do you plant to a pole? I was originally thinking one, but now I'm wondering if I can't get away with three.
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I let 5 or 6 grow up each of 3 poles in a teepee using Fortex beans and found that they produced fine but for me it was too dense a planting and I found it a bit difficult to harvest-think I will try spreading them out along a trellis for better sun/airflow/easier harvest.
kath wrote:I let 5 or 6 grow up each of 3 poles in a teepee using Fortex beans and found that they produced fine but for me it was too dense a planting and I found it a bit difficult to harvest-think I will try spreading them out along a trellis for better sun/airflow/easier harvest.
I think that a trellis would be better than pole, to be honest. The problem is I don't have a trellis long enough for my rows, but I do have quite a few sticks .
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I plant my pole beans between hills of tall corn. I get both corn and beans. However, I have been told that the corn does better using poles as you plan to do.