Climbing beans and peas - How do you support yours?

I had wigwams last year - very pretty but I found harvesting slightly awkward-
I was forever finding pods I'd missed, plus the beans out grew the structure by half a metre.

This year Im thinking tradition and regimentation!

So tell everyone how YOU do it! Regale us with tales of inventive string, cane and netting arrangements.



(Not my garden I should hasten to add, I was just taken with the multiple support arrangements within such a small area. )

I love how geeky I can get on here without being abused or laughed at!! :D

 

For self-clinging Beans you have Wigwam, A-frame and X-frame.

I think A-frame (which is probably the most popular) ahs smae drawbacks as Wigwam - beans-on-the-inside. But it is strong because the horizontal top-cane is against the spring of the vertical canes.

X-frame, where the cross over is about 1/3rd of the way up, has the beans hanging on the outside. But it needs cross bracing at the top to make it sturdy.

Make sure that canes tops are above eye-height too.

 

For peas - horizontal strings between canes either side of the plants. They aren't self climbing, but I think this is easier to extract the dead plant from at the end of the season than large-mesh plastic pea/bean netting

 

Very pretty Shiney. I tempted to emulate you but fear I'll have my eye out 10 times over.

Wow John- what can I say, your frame is a brute!

 

Those canes are probably 8' tall? [and if not they could be] (Well, sorry, but I'm assuming you are not an Amazon?!!)

My tops of the canes of my X-Frame are definitely way too high up to take an eye out (but it is a consideration, of course)

 

If I had the spare timber, I would build one of Johns Munty frames.

(Is that taken from the word Muntin ? The thick timber with a groove in it that held the planks on a plank and muntin partition wall, common in the 16th Century, but now consigned to describe the plank in the centre of a timber door ? Or did you just make that up)

But I haven't so i've just built one of Shiney's x frames

Made it to fit the twinwall plastic sheets i've got, instant cloches, nice one.:happydance:

 

Do you have any problems with drooping (Oo er mrs) under the weight of the crop ?

I was wondering if there would be any ground in tying across the top of the X'es

 

Ive just put in a series of X formation supports.

I calls 'em my X-Men. Im thinking of copyrighting the phrase.

 

I do. I run horizontal canes along the top, and brace them side-to-side. The weight of the crop, coupled with a decent wind, can bring the whole lot down otherwise



Not a thing of great beauty ... but it held my beans up