Grow Your Own Magazine

My OH has very kindly built a support for my runner beans out of long canes. Trouble is, I was expecting them to lean together at the top, making an A shape, as that is what I have seen in pictures etc.

Instead all eight canes are exactly perpendicular and braced at the top by horizontal "cross bars". It seems to be very sturdy, and the OH is very pleased with himself, but will the beans like it?

The beans aren't as faddy as us so will climb it just fine. As far as I'm aware, the main reason for leaning them in is so that the beans hang free of the plant and are therefore easier to see / pick but so long as it's sturdy I'd just use it and thank him sweetly for his help. Maybe you should do him a sketch if you want something different next time he's helping..............

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

The reason you usually have two rows joined at the top is that they are triangulated i.e. An isoceles triangle is formed with the cane uprights and the distance apart in the rows. A triangle is one of the strongest structures man can build.
They may seem fine now, but when the beans are up to the top you will in effect have a solid wall of greenery which has most of the weight at the top, which even a mediocre wind will attack with venom.

You may get away with it, but do you want to take the chance?

Here endeth the geometry lesson!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Do you think I can use your geometry lesson for Kesiah - I need all the help I can get for home tutoring!

Next year try following this ace video on Runner Bean Wigwams :

How To Build A Wigwam Support For Runner Beans (DIY & Home: Gardening Basics)

I've found wigwams to be the most stable of the structures, followed by the A-frame of bamboos. Trouble is that when your beans are in full leaf and flower that is when the gales seem to happen, and it's soul destroying to see all your hard work knocked flat.

I love this website - you are all so helpful!

the link to the video is great and it looks like there are lots of other useful videos there too.

We will be converting the Roman style colonade to an A Frame tomorrow!

Good luck with the Beans. I tried them 1st time last year. Could not believe the fantastic flavour. Best picked young unless perhaps you have a "stringless" variety . I have seen some plots with canes placed singularly all over the place and sunk quite deep say 2 feet thay stand quite well. The main point of doing this I think is to avoid building a "wall" of plants which can suffer from the wind. Also consider if planting in a row where the shade will be created

You are really aiming for stability. I use the wigwam method for small quantities of beans - for example, a dozen climbing beans. For large quantities - my main 'fresh' eating varieties, I use an A frame. It's surprising how strong the winds can be even in summer. I've had one lean drunkenly but never blow over!

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

In engineering terms, the triangle is the strongest geometric shape for building things (it's why bridges have triangular trusses and alike). Wig-wams and a-frames are variations of a truss (kinda). Tubes or cylinders are also inherently strong, so an a-frame or wig-wam made of canes or poles should withstand a nuclear blast!

I'd also go with the idea that letting your beans dangle makes them easier to see coming picking time.

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A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Updated 30th November

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I've always included a diagonal to brace it. Driven in at 45 degrees to the horizonal next to the end upright, I then fasten it to each of the uprights in the row, then do one the opposite way on the other side, stengthens it all up tremendously :-)

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So does growing purple or yellow ones!

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

I once read making a "V" shape worked well because the beans hung outside of the leaves making them easier to see and pick. I'll be sticking with the "A" shape for strength.

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http://plot62.blogspot.com/

I think I've got some Blauhilde and Negritos to plant Ma. Should be easy to spot?

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A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Updated 30th November

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev036pr___.png

Negritos are a dwarf bean chuckie - you don't need an erection for those

__________________
Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

Cool! We're not allowed any permanent erections on the site anyway.

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A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Updated 30th November

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev036pr___.png

Ow! Me eyes are watering!

__________________
Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

I can't even pronounce most of those words Snadger - let alone have a clue what you are talking about! Are you a maths teacher in your spare time? Bernie aka DDL

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Hi Oleander,
I asked my OH today to help me put up my bean supports, i asked him for a wigwam like last year
No....
he suggested an A frame with a horizontal support at the top???
(last year the back didn't get enough light and all the beans grew through too the front)
Well I just stood there blank faced not having a clue what he was on about,
I passed bean poles and string as and when instructed, not nessecasarily in the right order, which caused a small amount of annoynce on his part, but still couldn't see what he was on about.
I must admit it looks like the beans will love it.
Although tomorrow OH is going out to straighten the tops of the poles as they are annoying him, all being different lenghts!!!!!!!