Where to get support canes?

**burnie** · 31-01-2009, 07:44 PM

You could make a frame and grow your beans up string suspended from the frame.Frame can be metal,wood or canes.

**lynda66** · 31-01-2009, 08:02 PM

try wilkinsons they tend to have different varieties of supports in, i got some canes last year, and they have little green round things for making them into wigwams, i grew a pea plant up each pole, then used their bean net in between them for more

ie 4 at each end, and about 6 between them depending how big your bed is

or you can use posts with wires or string between, tree branches, netting up a fence etc.

**sewer rat** · 31-01-2009, 09:01 PM

Originally posted by coreopsis View Post

I'm going to grow some climbing beans this year-never had them before.The problem is they require some support and I haven't got any.I could imagine that it's not a problem get the bamboo sticks but I heard they are slippery.
What could I use and where to find it?

Your local garden centre will have a selection of bamboo canes which are perfectly adequate for your needs. As regards them being slippy, the plant twists round them and will not slip down. I use 8ft canes for climbing French and for Runner Beans. All I have to do is get them going in the right direction and they will climb up the canes themselves quite happily.
I also use 8ft canes for my indoor cucumbers.
About 12 - 18" of each cane goes into the ground. I have grown them in rows of canes and in pyramids of 4 canes to each pyramid - makes not a lot of difference though the double row of canes, pulled together at the midway point does make for easier harvesting.

**coreopsis** · 31-01-2009, 09:08 PM

Thank you

I was thinking about stripping some hazel bushes beside the road

**kernowyon** · 31-01-2009, 09:09 PM

our local wildlife trust hold working parties occaisionally which do clearing, they usually last for a morning and any pea sticks or poles you clear you can take. plus you do a bit for the countryside as well, maybe one in your area does it as well?

**Two_Sheds** · 31-01-2009, 09:11 PM

I use four bamboo canes tied at the top, with string/twine suspended between each cane, pegged down to the soil with a tent peg (8 plants per teepee)

The beans climb the twine slightly better than they do the bamboo, but both are perfectly adequate.

**tricky** · 31-01-2009, 09:39 PM

I went for a walk in the woods not far away from me ,there was plenty of branches that had brocken off,so i took them home.
They was great for my runner beans.
I know my grandad(bless him) use to get his bean poles from the trent bank which grew every year next to his village.

**Duronal** · 31-01-2009, 10:12 PM

You could go native and have a look for some hazel, or willow poles. As someone pointed out to me earlier in the year it is a bit odd that we import lots of bamboo to act as sticks to grow our beans up.

Saying that if you look down around your local river/canal you may find what i did. Free growing bamboo which is swamping the native plants. (i'm sure on the legality of chopping down bamboo canes which aren't on your land but i'm sure you could get away with it if you were sneaky......or phoned the council

)

**Two_Sheds** · 01-02-2009, 05:12 AM

Originally posted by Duronal View Post

You could go native and have a look for some hazel, or willow poles.

Just make sure they're properly dried out, or they'll root where you put them

**Harry T** · 01-02-2009, 06:08 AM

Our local gardening/allotment society sells bundles of bean stcks (hazel or ash that is coppiced by two old brothers who live in the woods). They are 8 foot long and adequate for at least two seasons before they get old and brittle. It saves importing bamboo all the way from China. see Coppicing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Some of the plotholdrs on our site coppice their own. The coppiced sticks are more sturdy than bamboo.

**bobleponge** · 01-02-2009, 06:45 AM

Because I'm tight I recycled the frame of an old garden swing chair thing, and have twine coming from top to bottom every 4". The twine is tentpegged into the ground. The beans climb up the twine no problems, and I get about 20 plants each side. It also allows me to try and grow celery in the middle as it will easily tolerate a shady growing area.

**coreopsis** · 01-02-2009, 08:16 AM

Thank you all for your advice.
I'm off today so I'll make a trip outside to get some air and look for some hazel(I know it grows here).I hope there won't be a problem with cutting it(forestry commission)

**Mike and Louise** · 01-02-2009, 11:35 AM

Virtually any garden center will stock them.

Our local one sells them in lengths from 2' upto 12'.

**zazen999** · 01-02-2009, 11:42 AM

If you want good long canes at a really good price - try Wilkinsons.

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Where to get support canes?

Where to get support canes?

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