Problems with bamboo bean poles

GardenRN · Mon Feb 07, 2011 10:19 am

Does anyone else have problems getting the beans to actually climb the bamboo poles? I went out and cut down thirty-something bamboo poles to try to make tee pees last year and the beans wouldn't climb them. It was like the bamboo was too slick for them or something. Do I need to roughen them up or something? Or did I just have lazy beans. It was a nice quick, free way to make structures for the beans to climb, but if it doesn't work it doesn't work.

Any advice?

soil · Mon Feb 07, 2011 10:40 am

did you even attempt to "help" them up the poles. I find once they know the way up they go for it. but sometimes they have a hard time finding it. that and make sure your not growing bush beans.

GardenRN · Mon Feb 07, 2011 10:49 am

they were pole beans...lol. I even went back, at the time, and double checked. But I haven't ever bought bush beans. (unless they were packaged wrong).

I did try to "help" them find the poles. Even tied them on at one point. But as they continued to grow they just went off the side of the pole. Weird. The were healthy plants, just wanted to stay on the ground.

DoubleDogFarm · Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:05 pm

I believe a rough surface is suggested. The rough surface tickles the vine and stimulates growth.

Eric

GardenRN · Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:09 pm

I know they say the definition of stupid is doing the same thing and expecting different results, but I'm doing it anyways. The bamboo poles are now 3 years aged and full of cracks and weathered and nowhere near as smooth as they were when they were green.

Maybe it'll make a difference.

DoubleDogFarm · Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:28 pm

Not stupid, persistent.

Eric

applestar · Mon Feb 07, 2011 3:52 pm

It may also have to do with the diameter of the bamboo poles. Beyond a certain thickness, I think the beans will have trouble winding around.

GardenRN · Mon Feb 07, 2011 3:57 pm

They're about the diameter of a quarter.

applestar · Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:05 pm

Ah. That's exactly what I mean. Try poles about the thickness of a permanent marker. I think I bought (wish I could go out and cut some like you!) 3/4" or 7/8"d and they work well. Last year, Calif. #5 Blackeyed peas climbed up a tripod teepee and tipped it over after each gusty wind storm (the poles were in the ground but I guess not deeply enough or it just got way too top-heavy

). This year, I'm going to put cross braces across tops of multiple teepees like jal_ut posted photos of somewhere.

gershon · Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:30 am

You are very lucky to have a lot of bamboo poles available.

What I did in the past was make a little house 10 feet square. I laid farm fence over the top and on the bottom and ran string up and down leaving a about a 4 foot space in the middle to walk in. It takes 9 poles to make a house like this. 4 for the corners, 4 for the square on top, and one for the peak. And a couple short pieces for the vertical part of the peak. I just used cord to lash the poles available.

If your space is limited, just put two poles in the ground about 8 feet apart and two cross poles on the top and bottom and run string up and down.

Fishing line works great if you don't have cats or dogs. Otherwise, I'd suggest a string they can see better.

applestar · Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:04 am

I'm trying to visualize this bamboo/pole house. It took me a minute to picture the frame, but I got that image.

...What is a "farm fence" and do you lay that FLAT on the top with the peak structure above or bent over the peak? (Bent over the peak does seem likely...) And I didn't quite understand the part about putting this fence "on the bottom" -- Flat on the ground? Plant your seeds through/between the grids? Walking on the fence in the middle path area?

FWIW, I prefer using untreated natural twine that is strong enough to last the growing season but will break down over the winter and can be tossed in the compost or used as mulch along with the legume vines.

gershon · Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:33 am

applestar wrote:I'm trying to visualize this bamboo/pole house. It took me a minute to picture the frame, but I got that image.

...What is a "farm fence" and do you lay that FLAT on the top with the peak structure above or bent over the peak? (Bent over the peak does seem likely...) And I didn't quite understand the part about putting this fence "on the bottom" -- Flat on the ground? Plant your seeds through/between the grids? Walking on the fence in the middle path area?

FWIW, I prefer using untreated natural twine that is strong enough to last the growing season but will break down over the winter and can be tossed in the compost or used as mulch along with the legume vines.

Farm fence has 4 inch squares. One could use hog fence or whatever is on hand. You could even use chicken wire and just space the string about every 4 inches.

I made the entrance just over 6 feet tall since I'm 6 feet tall. The ridge pole was about 7 feet high.

I lay the fence bent over the top. And more flat on the ground. I ran the string from the fence on the top to the fence on the ground and just space the seeds about every 4 inches between the fence on the bottom. I don't recall if I had fence in the middle area as that was about 20 years ago. The reason I stopped doing it is I prefer the flavor of bush beans.

To relate to another topic, once the beans started to grow, I didn't worry about weeds. I just pulled them before the next planting and they loosened the soil enough for the next planting.