Staking Beans

[jeff]

I am planting some Black Jungle Butter Beans. Can anyone offer me some different suggestions on staking these and other types of pole beans. It is my understanding that the Black Jungles are very vigorous and grow rampant.

Thanks
Jeff

[john]

I have made a teepee out of 3 or 4 long straight sapling posts. That works well. Especially if you leave little stubs where the branches were. (It gives more grip) I don't bother with poles anymore. I grow the pole beans right up my corn plants. I just let the corn have a little head start and then I plant the beans. I usually wait until the corn is about 3-6" before planting the pole beans.

[macmex]

I like what John does. I also like to do single poles. I grow my own bamboo, and I have a friend with a lot of it too. So getting poles is not a problem. But any sapling about 7-9' long can be a good support for beans. I also like to use 16' cattle panels for larger (for me) plantings. I support the cattle panel about 5" off the ground on three T posts. This makes an excellent, sturdy support. Here's a picture of Borlotto Pole Beans on a cattle panel. I took this picture a little over a week ago.
g

When growing on corn be sure you know both the corn and the bean. Sweet corn seldom is sturdy enough to support a vigorous bean. I like to use a good old fashioned dent, flour or flint corn, which as one can find at Sandhill Preservation Center.

sandhillpreservation.com/catalog/corn.html

I alternate between Mesquakie Indian and Cherokee Squaw. There are some beans which are weak climbers and some which are super vigorous. Some tolerate a bit of shade and some don't tolerate much at all. So, before you depend on corn too much, experiment a bit so you know that you have a good combination.

Heck! I even heard of one person who used an old bed spring for a trellis! Then, there are some really good systems using posts and heavy line between them, with strings going down for support. There are a lot of options. I'd love to hear what others here like to do.