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Teepee bean question

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 9:26 pm
by Dpmaki
About 2 weeks ago I built a teepee and planted some bean seeds at the base of each pole. I now have several sprouts coming up. Should I clip all the sprouts except for one, or let them grow?

Thanks,
David

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:38 pm
by gumbo2176
Beans grow pretty crowded. My Japanese Yard Longs are spaced about 3 inches apart on my 24 foot long trellis. When I used the tepee method, I'd plant the seeds in a circle around the whole structure. They will find a way to climb up the poles and on each other given time.

You didn't mention how big a diameter the tepee structure is or if there are several sprouts at each pole or all the poles of the trellis. A bit more info may help get a more accurate answer.

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:38 pm
by gumbo2176
Beans grow pretty crowded. My Japanese Yard Longs are spaced about 3 inches apart on my 24 foot long trellis. When I used the tepee method, I'd plant the seeds in a circle around the whole structure. They will find a way to climb up the poles and on each other given time.

You didn't mention how big a diameter the tepee structure is or if there are several sprouts at each pole or all the poles of the trellis. A bit more info may help get a more accurate answer.

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:40 pm
by albucsfan
I'm probably doing it wrong... First year growing beans on teepees, but I let all of mine grow and am just training them all up the legs. They seem to be doing pretty good... Have gotten all the way to the top, blooming and setting beans.... So not too wrong anyway :lol:

Steph

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:51 pm
by Dpmaki
gumbo2176 wrote:Beans grow pretty crowded. My Japanese Yard Longs are spaced about 3 inches apart on my 24 foot long trellis. When I used the tepee method, I'd plant the seeds in a circle around the whole structure. They will find a way to climb up the poles and on each other given time.

You didn't mention how big a diameter the tepee structure is or if there are several sprouts at each pole or all the poles of the trellis. A bit more info may help get a more accurate answer.
I put four 8' long poles as the main structure. Planted the seeds around the base of each pole and probably have 8-10 sprouts coming up at each pole. The poles probably have 3'-4' of distance between them at the base. I'm planning on running string between them horizontally and vertically if necessary but leaving the front open so my daughter has a little hiding place.

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 11:03 pm
by gumbo2176
Dpmaki wrote:
gumbo2176 wrote:Beans grow pretty crowded. My Japanese Yard Longs are spaced about 3 inches apart on my 24 foot long trellis. When I used the tepee method, I'd plant the seeds in a circle around the whole structure. They will find a way to climb up the poles and on each other given time.

You didn't mention how big a diameter the tepee structure is or if there are several sprouts at each pole or all the poles of the trellis. A bit more info may help get a more accurate answer.
I put four 8' long poles as the main structure. Planted the seeds around the base of each pole and probably have 8-10 sprouts coming up at each pole. The poles probably have 3'-4' of distance between them at the base. I'm planning on running string between them horizontally and vertically if necessary but leaving the front open so my daughter has a little hiding place.

Running strings between the poles will definitely help in getting them to climb and spread out from their base.

One word of caution about the living tepee for your daughter to play in. I've had, on several occasions, yellow jackets build a nest in my bean foliage and also in my cucumbers on my trellis. I, and my wife, have both been stung quite a few times by them. I know you wouldn't want your little one getting hit by anything as nasty as a wasp, so be careful.

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 11:08 pm
by Dpmaki
gumbo2176 wrote:
Dpmaki wrote:
gumbo2176 wrote:Beans grow pretty crowded. My Japanese Yard Longs are spaced about 3 inches apart on my 24 foot long trellis. When I used the tepee method, I'd plant the seeds in a circle around the whole structure. They will find a way to climb up the poles and on each other given time.

You didn't mention how big a diameter the tepee structure is or if there are several sprouts at each pole or all the poles of the trellis. A bit more info may help get a more accurate answer.
I put four 8' long poles as the main structure. Planted the seeds around the base of each pole and probably have 8-10 sprouts coming up at each pole. The poles probably have 3'-4' of distance between them at the base. I'm planning on running string between them horizontally and vertically if necessary but leaving the front open so my daughter has a little hiding place.

Running strings between the poles will definitely help in getting them to climb and spread out from their base.

One word of caution about the living tepee for your daughter to play in. I've had, on several occasions, yellow jackets build a nest in my bean foliage and also in my cucumbers on my trellis. I, and my wife, have both been stung quite a few times by them. I know you wouldn't want your little one getting hit by anything as nasty as a wasp, so be careful.
Definitely don't want that to happen. Thank you for the advice.