Pole beans climb support trellises.
Pole beans are a high-yield vegetable with many uses in the kitchen. Freshly picked beans can star in soups and side dishes, or be preserved by canning or pickling. The most familiar pole beans may be green beans and wax beans, but there are dozens of pole bean varieties. Pole beans can grow in any type of garden and require a trellis or pole to help them stay upright. produce the greatest yield can vary depending on region, but the best way to grow pole beans is to provide them with a trellis to climb. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Plant beans after the threat of frost has passed, usually by mid-spring in the northern United States. Soil temperature should be at least 65 degrees F.
2. Create wide rows 30 to 36 inches apart in a sunny location with fertile, well-worked soil.
3. Construct pole trellises from wood dowels. Arrange 4 bamboo poles about 6 inches apart so they span over the row to create a square. Insert each pole into the ground about 8 inches.
4. Push the top ends of the poles together, to make the shape of a tepee or pyramid. Tie the peaks of the trellises together by wrapping twine around the top.
5. Plant individual seeds underneath each trellis about 4 to 6 inches apart at a depth of 1 inch. Multiple plants can share trellises, so plant 3 or 4 seeds as spacing and trellis base size allows. Water the seeds thoroughly. Seedlings will emerge in six to 10 days.
6. Circle the trellises with a layer of compost or manure to fertilize the soil.
7. Water to a depth of 18 inches when the top 2 inches of soil is dry. Measure watering depth with a graduated stick inserted in the soil near plants.
8. Thin plants to 2 or 3 inches apart when the plants have their second set of true leaves.
9. Train plant tendrils to grab the poles by gently wrapping the tendrils around the base of the pole. As the beans grow they will continue to grasp the pole and grow upward to a height of about 5 feet.
10. Harvest beans when pods are 4 to 5 inches long and firm to the touch. Several bean varieties are ready for harvest in about 60 days. Harvest frequently to encourage plant production.
Tags: inches apart, about inches, about inches apart, bean varieties, beans grow, pole beans