New Idea for Runner Bean Frame

I don't think that's a new idea to be honest. I saw beans growing on something like in Cornwall last year at Heligan gardens, and the year before last I saw grapes growing across a pergola roof which was kind of similar in principle. Still a good idea though, it would make a little private den

 

Why stop at just a deck chair? You could dig a 2ft cube hole in the middle, line it with pond liner, fill it with water, put a trapdoor over the top, then you've got somewhere to keep a few tinnies cool on those hot summers afternoons when you are 'working' really hard, and if the missus catches you and locks you out of the house in protest, you've got somewhere to shelter until she calms down

 

Are the boards strong enough (and supported enough) to retain the soil above the greenhouse John?

I started migrating towards an X-Frame, rather than A-Frame, for my Runners last year - to allow the beans to hang-down, rather than "hang inside" as with A-frame (in similar style to the Munty-frame), making them easier to see & pick. Being a lazy person I found the idea of building a frame, and setting up lots of strings, looked more work than just pushing some canes in at a jaunty angle!

I also read that two-plants-per-cane is the norm, I've always done only one. Trying to plant two module cells per cane was fiddly, and I hate trying to get plants out of modules anyway so next year I plan to plant two beans-per-3"-pot and then plant out "one pot per cane" so as to get two plants per cane.

First picture is last year's lazy-A-frame with X-frame tendency , and you'll see that this year's has the cross-over of the X-frame legs lower.

(Click thumbnails for bigger picture!)

 

JWK
That is a work of art:gnthb:
Must have taken you ages to build that
robert

 

I have been growing runner beans like this for years at the moment on my allotment i have two 18 ft scaffold tubes attached to four uprights approx 8 feet high one on each corner and across at either end i have 4 feet scaffold tubes so this then gives you a box frame 18x 8x 4 then in the ground between i plant lettuce etc because they come well before the beans.

 

I like the idea John. Does this mean you will plant next years runners in the same place? I have heard conflicting views about whether this is advisable because of a build up of pests etc. but others say that runners are one of the few veg that is fine.

I must say that when I chop mine down in the Autumn, over the winter they produce humungous roots, and they often have new shoots coming out of them by March. I have often wondered what would happen if I just let them grow again and whether I would get a decent second crop of beans from them.

 

Really like the idea John it just came a little late for us to try out this year but it's a nice idea, do let us know how well your crop does.Hel.xxx.