DIY Home Garden Guide – Vertical Trellis For Pole Beans

Growing crops vertically is an efficient and space-saving way to save space while deterring pests. This trellis is easy to construct and can accommodate an assortment of vegetables and flowers.

Travis utilizes this trellis to grow cucumbers in the spring and English peas in the autumn. He plants two cucumbers per panel while leaving plenty of space between each one for air circulation and proper root development.

How to Build a Trellis for Pole Beans

Growing pole beans has many advantages over bush bean varieties, including two to three times higher yield per plant and the ability to harvest for longer. Furthermore, pole bean plants tend to be more resistant to mildew while their increased air circulation helps protect them against disease. Trellising is another key way to ensure healthful production from your beans.

Many different structures can serve as bean trellises, without needing to build anything elaborate or costly. Even simple fences can serve this function; wire and chain-link fencing is recommended as they can support the weight of several dozen bean vines clinging onto them; wooden fences may work if secured at both ends with twine strung up and down their lengths.

Purchase commercial metal bean arches that are easy to install and visually appealing in the vegetable garden. Pliable hazel or birch poles can also serve as bean supports; weave them together Florida-weave style at their bases to form an arch.

Gardeners with lots of vertical space to cover can use T-posts as an efficient and quick bean trellis solution. Simply drive two T-posts apart a few inches, tie loose twine between them with knots at both the tops and bottoms, and repeat diagonal ties all along each post for added support.

Planting

Pole beans are long vining plants that cling to garden structures such as trellises and obelisks, saving space in your vegetable garden while producing three times as many beans per square foot than bush varieties. Easy to grow in most climates and offering interesting visual interest – pole beans make an excellent addition to any home garden!

Before planting pole beans, prepare the soil by loosening and adding a generous layer of compost or aged manure. A light layer of organic mulch may also help retain moisture while keeping weeds at bay.

Plant seeds approximately an inch deep and three inches apart in rows. When seedlings appear, it’s time to begin training them onto your trellis; for windier sites it may be beneficial to stagger plantings by 10-14 days apart.

Once the bean vines have reached 6-8 inches long, you can begin building your trellis. Your structure can range from simple teepee to elaborate Florida-weave structures – just ensure the poles will support a heavy load when full! When using Florida weave structures be sure to leave enough distance between each rung so as to reduce rotting stems.

Pruning

Pole beans provide higher returns per square foot than bush bean varieties, making them an excellent choice for small vegetable gardens. Though pole beans require support to grow vertically, creating an effective trellis structure is simple and adds an attractive element to any garden design.

There is a range of trellis supports available, ranging from cattle panels and recycled pallets to sticks and bamboo poles. Bamboo canes are especially suitable for bean trellises as they are light yet sturdy – ideal for creating latticework or arbors! If using string trellises instead, choose biodegradable strings which can be composted when finished growing season has ended.

Once the trellis is installed, water the beans regularly but gently to help them recover from pruning shock. Watering also prevents mildew growth while increasing air circulation which is essential to plant health.

Start with a frame made of cedar 1x 2s. We used three 8′ pieces in this trellis; however, you may choose different lengths to meet the needs of your garden bed. Attach two middle pieces to a center upright piece. Next add a pair of horizontal pieces which butted together at their top corners so they rest on top of middle gussets – you can secure these horizontal pieces using twine or wire for stability.

Harvesting

Pole beans tend to reach greater heights than bush varieties and require staking or trellising for support. By installing a trellis into your garden, harvesting pole beans becomes much simpler and will produce larger yields. But just erecting the structure won’t suffice – managing their growing season requires regular pruning of their vine. By eliminating extra growth or decreasing flowers on it, air circulation improves which reduces mildew growth as well as other diseases that might threaten them.

As part of your pruning routine, be sure to cut away any damaged leaves or branches entangled with the trellis and any that encumbrance the plant, in order to promote new growth that keeps your plant healthy and ensures continued production. Furthermore, nearing the end of its growing season pinch out any extra leading shoots or cut back some entangled growth to encourage fruit development more quickly and speed ripening time.

Teepee structures are timeless; however, other structures like Florida weave trellises or obelisk trelliss may work better to stake pole beans. When choosing a structure for your vegetable garden, keep its longevity and aesthetic appeal in mind; for instance if using metal bean support year after year choose something with a tall circular design over more complex arches that may prove difficult to move around.