Climbing beans and peas - How do you support yours?

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by Melinda, Mar 25, 2011.

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  1. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    Looks good, Kristen :dbgrtmb:

    With my back and shoulder problems I would have a little difficulty fixing the canes across high up.

    As I cross my canes quite a bit higher up than you do they have more support. Also, as I have more than one set of canes (I sell a lot of beans for our charity) the beans grow across the paths between the rows - with a little assistance from me - and help they support each other. I just walk down the path between the sets of canes and reach up and pick. :D

    [​IMG]
     
    shiney, Apr 8, 2011
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  2. Loofah

    Loofah Admin Staff Member

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    I'm testing out growing them up and over an archway this year; it frees up a bit of ground for other crops and covers the arch... in theory;) Should be easy pickings too!
     
    Loofah, Apr 8, 2011
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  3. Steve R

    Steve R Soil Furtler

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    Good job Shiney...a bean tunnel !!

    Steve...:)
     
    Steve R, Apr 8, 2011
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  4. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    Thanks, Steve :thumbsup:

    Loofah,
    a good idea but it depends on how high the archway is. If it is quite high and the gaps aren't large enough you may find that some beans get stuck on top of the archway and are difficult to pick.
     
    shiney, Apr 8, 2011
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  5. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    The Runner Bean Arch :) at Helmingham Hall (and one of their half dozen!! Asparagus beds)
    [​IMG]
     

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      Kristen, Apr 8, 2011
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    • Loofah

      Loofah Admin Staff Member

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      It's only about 7', maybe a tad higher at the the peak, light trellis at the sides and pergola style over the top so lots of gaps thankfully!
       
      Loofah, Apr 11, 2011
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    • fosilised

      fosilised Apprentice Gardener

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      I use the old method. A post at each end of the row, a wire between the posts at top and bottom, then tie baler twine between the top and bottom wires at about 9 inch centres.
      You can do single or double wires
       
      fosilised, Apr 11, 2011
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    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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      In addition to growing the beans in my normal way I do grow some on teepees (wigwams) in order to slot them inbetween my other veggies.

      This year I'm also going to grow some in the flower beds. This is what the Victorians originally brought them to this country for - as ornamental climbing flowers and - they didn't cotton on to them being a good vegetable until later.

      I've just put these pyramids, made from hazel, into this bed in readiness :thumbsup:. I used them elsewhere for sweetpeas last year. Peas, beans - doesn't matter which :heehee:


      [​IMG]
       
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        shiney, Apr 24, 2011
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      • Sian in Belgium

        Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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        Ohh - lovely supports, but they look a little complicated for me to make!!
         
        Sian in Belgium, Apr 24, 2011
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      • shiney

        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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        I bought them last year at a local garden centre. I think they cost £6.99 each.

        They can fold up or be opened out much further. :thumbsup:
         
        shiney, Apr 24, 2011
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      • Scrungee

        Scrungee Well known for it

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        I've tried to incorporate everything into this one with an asymmetrical X frame with four 3 cane pyramid supports at the front (that will have a dozen sweet peas). I meant to get the intersections lower, but I was hot and tired. Looking at the examples above, I think I'll lower that intersection by about 300 - 400mm tomorrow. EDIT: unpicked the strings and lowered that intersection by 300mm this evening - looks so much better, but too dark to take new pic.

        [​IMG]

        Here's the slightly revised version:

        [​IMG]
         
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          Scrungee, May 6, 2011
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        • Melinda

          Melinda Gardener

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          Sir, I salute your feat of engineering. Your support framework is at the nexus of where art meets science! Its beautiful!

          [​IMG]
           
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            Melinda, May 6, 2011
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          • Kristen

            Kristen Under gardener

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            "asymmetrical X frame with four 3 cane pyramid"

            Gordon Bennett!
             
            Kristen, May 6, 2011
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          • Gay Gardener

            Gay Gardener Total Gardener

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            Just reviving this old thread as I found it useful and have some questions on this as I'm planning next years veg growing.
            I generally grow peas/beans on wigwams but have been finding as others have mentioned that the pods hang inside and they can get very congested towards the top.

            I'm thinking of trying the X frame this year as shown above. I'm hoping to get a decent crop from a 5' x 4' section of a raised bed, not big I know. So:

            1. Can I grow Broad (never grown these before) Runner and French Beans (all cordon types) and Mange Tout (tall) on an X frame affair? I'm assume so.

            2. For these what is the optimum spacing between Xs?

            3. As I don't have a great deal of space and want to maximise crops, would it be possible to have a double X? What I mean is a one quite splayed X and on top of it a more narrow X, so each section would have 4 canes IYKWIM.

            Thanks
            GG
             
            Gay Gardener, Jan 19, 2014
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          • shiney

            shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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            shiney, Jan 19, 2014
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