Topic: How to I build a Munty Frame please...

[Jeannine]

then just how many peas  or beans can I plant on it

Thank you

XX Jeannine

[grannyjanny]

OH knocked 2 poles in the ground so they are 6' tall, ours are 8' apart because that's the width of the bed, he then knocked 2 more poles in 5 feet away. They are 3' high. He then tied in 3' canes to the front of the frame & put strings across to  the back. We have 9 supports & will plant 2 per support. It needs to face due South.
We actually started off the wrong way round because of the picture we were going by. I asked advice from a friend & she suggested we tried mange tout peas up the canes at the back.

Jeannine I had a new computer for Christmas & lost all my email addresses. If you would like to see a picture of ours I could email it to you.
NB Notice when all the hard work has been done it becomes ours ;D.

[ACE]

Stolen picture, but the structure can be as cheap and cheerful as you want. how much room have you got.

[grannyjanny]

Thanks Ace :).

[pumkinlover]

So do the plants grow up over the "back" part as well.
I think it looks great but for the vertically challenged amongst us it looks a bit hard to pick?

Do people grow something underneath? I thought about a quick salad leaf crop?

[tomatoada]

I tried one 2 years ago but had to spend time training the bean plants to go along the slanting canes and tying them in.   It did face south.   I would love to make it work.   I only used 6 canes, and it was not so high as in the picture.  I hope you will keep us informed.
Good picture.  Thanks ACE.

[shirlton]

We grew our squash up something like that a couple of years ago. The only difference being the slanted side reached the ground so that we tied the squash as it went up the straight and let it fall down the sloped side.Only problem was we used sharksfin and bon bon and they were too robust and heavy and broke the frame (Thanks Saddad)
I would think that peas and beans would be ok.
Makes gardening fun whatever we do ;D

[ACE]

It's down to the good old scaffolders again. reject scaffold poles for the price of scrap metal, they hacksaw  and drill quite easily to size and if you can get a bigget tube to hammer in the ground they can be dismantled and moved easily.. Like I said that picture was stolen but I make all sorts of supports from scaffold poles. After so many accidents with those movable goal post frames they are usually dumped in a corner of a sportsground, a little drink to the groundsman and you could find one ready made, just string it up.

[aj]

So do the plants grow up over the "back" part as well.
I think it looks great but for the vertically challenged amongst us it looks a bit hard to pick?

Do people grow something underneath? I thought about a quick salad leaf crop?

Yes. They grow towards the light [south]. some you have to just twist round the slanting bits but most will work it out.

If you make it to fit your own height then you should be able to pick wherever you want.

I usually put 3 stepping stones underneath for ease of under eave harvesting, and fill with squashes, dwarf beans, beetroot - it's a regular bed as it faces south - not a catch crop bed. Runners can go up the tall posts [Yard Long Beans look snazzy during mid summer growing up and over the 'goalposts'].

[Jayb]

My Munty frame is pretty much the same as in the picture although I used bamboo canes in place of string. I had some spare cable ties which I used to secure them in place.  I've thought the other way around to GrannyJ  ;D the short end is the back and the tall part the front!

The Short end is approx 4' and the other 6'. I think this is its 4th season and its been fantastic. No more wigwams blown over or rows flattened in late summer, autumn storms. I agree some beans can be a little waywood when they get to the slope bit, but as AJ says a few little twists and they are off again.

It looks gorgeous fully loaded with beans which mostly all hang down, keeps them lovely and straight and much easier to pick, although my next frame  will be taller as this is just a tad to short for me to make picking ultimate joy. (Height can be what suits you best).

I like the idea of stepping stones, very much.

As previously said the frame points south enabling crops to be grown underneath. My Munty bed has onions in the front and then a row of early beetroot further back, these will be followed by salad leaves as soon as space allows.

[Jeannine]

OOh thank you..our beds are 4 feet by about 7 or 8 feet.

Facing south would be good for us too as that is the easiest way for it to be.

The only snag I can see is the shade it might cause to our neighbours, our plots are small. We have just doubled in size we now have 20 feet by 25feet.. I know it is a joke, and that is 2 plots!! They actually have half size ones at 10x12 feet.

There are no paths between plots on our gardens either which makes it feel even smaller.

But I like the idea and John  can do that for me.

Thanks for the info from you all and the lovely picture Ace.

Grannyjanny, I will  email you my addy anyway. I too am on a new laptop so have lost a lot of my stuff.

Thank you all again, I can always rely on you lot!!

XX Jeannine

[elsie]

While googling for images of a Munty Frame, I came across one made from concrete reinforcing mesh, and am wondering if I would be able to grow squash up it, as Shirlton did, but hoping that the mesh would be up to the job of bearing the weight. This is assuming that my OH can get hold of some of this mesh for me, and the size as well.
Would it need less of an incline?
Also could I face it the same way as a Munty Frame, or would the "back" need to face south? It would be great if I could use the ground underneath for bush varieties of winter squash too, assuming that I can grow it with the "mouth" facing south.
Hope that this post makes sense, I'll add the picture I found if I'm allowed  ??? to hopefully make it clearer

[ACE]

I use concrete reinforcing mesh for all sorts of supports and frames. I should be well up to the job. Offcuts can be found for a small drink on most building sites and it just cable ties together in any shape you want.

[Hector]

Any of you folks used this to span over a path between semi raised beds? Thinking this saves me room in beds?

If so....how close to edge of a two meter wide brd do you think.i can put in my runners / have the frame for this to work

Or in this conext/ over  a path....am I better just putting over a tall arch ?


I see Muntys are mentioned for beans....anyone do this with tall peas?

[Plot 18]

Munty frames have a short side of about 3ft. So if you build over a path, you'd be banging your head on the cross bar.

An arch would be better IMO.

Peas don't climb like beans do, so you have to tie them up to the frames.

[Hector]

Could I make shorter bit taller and long bit longer ( I should write songs)

Hubby resistant....he wants an arch....is their a difference in practical terms?

[Obelixx]

Elsie - I have grown pumpkins up the wire mesh for reinforcing concrete very successfully.  It keeps them off the ground away from slugs and gets them up in the sun to ripen better.   Ours was strung between posts to make a fence between our veg plot and the arable field behind.   I've done it with Crown Prince, Butternut and Utchi Kuri and a medium yellow one whose name I forget.

[Hector]

Thanks for replies...going to try Munty....and arch and a staggered row.