morning all just a quick question today :P ...
i'm going to sort out some supports for some peas and beans i have and wondering if anyone could shed some light for me.
i would like to make wigwams and i've got the following to support...
French bean
runner bean
mange tout
sugar pea
can i presume that the beans have to go one plant to a pole and the peas can go two to a pole with the beans needing 8ft poles and the peas only 4ft?
also what sort of distance do the poles need to be away from each other?
i've not been able to put any well rotted manure down as i couldnt get hold of any and the plot was not used last year is there something i should pop down before planting or (as i'm not expecting massive yeilds this year anyway) will they be ok without?
thanks in advance
I use eight 6ft canes, about a foot or so apart for each of my wigwams as I have lots to spare. Build it how you want really as it's not critical and it may well depend on available space.
Depending on how many seeds I have I plant one or two per cane, usually one for runners and two for the rest.
I put a couple of handfuls of ordinary compost in a hole by each cane before sowing.
These are mine starting to grow this year
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,60392.msg617901.html#msg617901
:) thank you yours look great, mine are huge but then i'm starting everything off at home this year else i'd loose the seedlings in amongst the weeds!!
The peas can be planted much more densely than the beans mine go in 12 to a cane. It is difficult to advise on the height of the support unless you name the varieties as different varieties of peas can range from 18" to 14'.
ok i've got
French bean: blue lake
Runner bean: scarlet emperor
Oregan sugar pod
and Carouby de Maussane
When I collect hazel sticks for bean poles, I look for a good 7-8ft for the bean pole (1ft will get stuck in the ground), I don't bother cutting off the tops until I get home, as often these will be a good 4ft+ and much more twiggy - ideal for mangetout.
When I put the more branchy ends in the ground for mangetout, I also do a crisscrossing of garden twine throughout the "construction". Mangetout grow using tendrils so need smaller twigs and string hoist themselves up. Re mangetout spacing - if sown direct the seed packet says about 2 inches apart, so I just put the pot started plants quite close together.
I would use 8' canes for both the beans 6' canes for the Carouby de Maussane peas & 4' canes for the Oregon sugar pod peas.
Oregon Sugar pod are quite large plants. T&M say 3ft but sutton 4 ft. I also use hazel twigs for peas I find that they do not seem to cling onto canes very well.
Scarlet Emporer I would use 8 fit canes. Again they grow better up hazel and I have managed to source a few. It seems a shame that we import bamboo when there is so much hazel around I came back from Gatwick on the train recently and with a bit of coppicing there could be masses of it. I suppose the problem is the cost of manpower and bamboo stacks more easily.
I usually use 6ft for french beans but I have one variety called Major Cook which will have the honour of 8ft ones and even that may not be tall enough.
The best tip for the height of climbing bean poles is "As high as you can reach". I made the mistake of having one french bean pole too high, and as I couldn't get to the very top to pick the beans, they started going to seed and my harvest period/crop was much less than a regularly picked plant.
Last year, my runner beans were quite near next doors apple trees, as his tree got weighted down with the apples, a couple of the runner bean plants grew another 3 feet up through his apple tree. ::)