How many beans per pole??

[Trevor_D]

When you're constructing the wigwam, don't make the poles meet at the very top, but cross them over a couple of feet down, so that the top splays out again. Then you get a depression at the top so that the beans hang into it.

And, to answer the original question, two.

[Trevor_D]

[bupster]

Was reading that beans and cucumbers make good companion plants. Anyone tried this? Could you train the cucumbers up the same poles if you made a trellis with twine? And would it make a difference to how many plants per pole?

[GrannieAnnie]

I'd prefer keeping them separate just so I wouldn't miss spying a ripe cuc. They ripen so quickly and are easy to miss.

[glosterwomble]

loads of ideas, thanks everyone for your advice. I am going to try 2 per pole, let's see how we do!

[chappy]

You can dry them, but once it's ripened a few pods, the plant stops producing. Doubtless you can eat them like broadies. If you want dry beans, it would make sense to pick them until, say, the end of September, then leave the last lot to ripen.

Gotcha.

[greenstar]

I did a bit of a (not very scientific) experiment last year - grew 20 or so plants, put a few of them two per cane and the rest had their own canes. the canes were all spaced at about 8".  Each cane seemed to yield the same amount of beans, whether it had one or two plants growing up it: you couldn't really tell by looking which canes had the single plants on them and which the double.  In fact, the plants that were put two to a  cane didn't last as long.  So it's one per cane for me this year.

Maybe the bushiness has to do with watering and feeding?

[betula]

I do two per pole--------I had so many beans I do not think I could have coped with anymore :)

[tim]

As always -

1. If they always overproduce, why double your trouble?

2. With even one to a cane, it's quite difficult to know whose is which? How many do you miss which go to seed & slow down the production?

3. However successful people are with two - & have they compared that with one only? - think of the demand on food?

4. If 'you' can do better, why the age-old guidelines?

[sawfish]

I build flat sections like walls of poles with large holed netting strung across. Then you can plant loads of beans right along.