What kind of support do I need to provide for French beans (climbers)?
Do I need to build some kind of bamboo frame, or can I just stick canes in the ground and allow the beans to climb up it? If it's the latter, I'm worried that the weight of the plant will be too much for the cane.
The seed packet tells me that they will grow to around 5ft.
Quote from: Cosmo and Dibs on May 15, 2009, 17:32:35
What kind of support do I need to provide for French beans (climbers)?
Do I need to build some kind of bamboo frame, or can I just stick canes in the ground and allow the beans to climb up it? If it's the latter, I'm worried that the weight of the plant will be too much for the cane.
The seed packet tells me that they will grow to around 5ft.
If you grow runner beans then just do the same as for them. They are very similar plants and have similar growing needs.
If you don't grow runners then the way to do it is to build a sturdy climbing frame of 8 foot long bamboo canes, secured well into the ground. How you do this is up to you, it can be circular wigwam(s), tripods or an 'A; frame of parallel rows of canes tied together at the top with a horizontal cross bar for strength. its really a case of what suits you best and the space you have to do it in.
Hope this helps.
I made a wigwam last week out of 8x8 foot canes, I watered the soil and made an imprint with a dust bin lid and staked the canes opposite each other and worked my way round, then I put some strong tape around the top of the canes to hold them together and went over the top of the tape with some string, as GA says it depends on how many you are doing. ;D ;D ;D
But they are a strange CFB if they stop at 5'... 10 is more likely!! :-\
Climbing ones wrap round, like runner beans and long canes are best.
The dwarf ones do not usually need any support at all. I have never used any although one year (many years ago) the bag of seeds I got said dwarf on the packet but they turned out to be a climbing variety.
Quote from: saddad on May 15, 2009, 19:23:57
But they are a strange CFB if they stop at 5'... 10 is more likely!! :-\
That's what I thought- but the packet definitely says 5'. They are Red Lake.
Should I keep trimming them to prevent them growing taller than my canes?
It is most important that you make sure the beans read the packet. ;D
Quote from: Digeroo on May 16, 2009, 15:36:07
It is most important that you make sure the beans read the packet. ;D
You're having a relaxing holiday ;D ;D ;D.
janet
I had that in reverse Zig-Zag... looked very silly with an 8' wigwam and dwarf beans... :-[
Don't bother C+D when they get above the supports they cling together then fall over... self stopping, either because the tops snap off or they can't climb anymore.. ;D
I grow french bean up 7 ft canes and runners up 8 ft. for no particular reason except the 7 ft canes are considerably cheaper. I saw some beans in Italy being grown up 15 ft supports. Have also let them wander through the fruit trees, certainly sometimes go very high indeed. Problem is getting at the beans, though ok if you are growing to dry them. can pull the whole plant down at the end of the season, if some squirrel has not eaten them.
I grow my climbing beans (runner/french) up an 'A' frame formed of canes the one in the attached picture is my indoor one for Climbing beans & Melons.
The melons had not been planted when I took the picture.
I have planted an early catch crop of lettuce in the foreground.
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd27/tgalmanac/May%202009/P1090704.jpg)
The one outdoors is similar but with additional bracing & support to cater for high winds.
I find climbing french beans are less vigorous than runners. Runners tend to out grow the canes i put up for them (variety 'White lady'), whilst the frenchies often don't get to the top of the supports (Variety; Cobra). of course varieties vary and of course weather can make a big difference to growth too.
I've never found them anything like as vigorous as runners.
I'd recommend Ryder's Top of the Pole then, (HSL) always flies off the top of the 8' canes, bit of a pain really!! ::)
I'm going for two wigwams, made up of 5 canes.
Should I put bone meal in the hole when planting the beans?
Are French beans the same as green beans?...... :-[
I think green beans are basically french beans but you've got into a complicated conversation ;D
we have dwarf french beans, grow about 18" tall, climbing french beans, climb up wigwams, runner beans, climb all over the place, supposed to climb up wigwams, purple podded beans, basically a 'french' bean but wih purple pods and haricot beans, we grow them for the beans inside,
In other words Manics "How many beans make five" ;D ;D ;D
spot on, shirl ;D
btw, cosmo, we rake some blood, fish and bone around where we're putting them, or chicken pellets