[oh no]

I don't know how many of you folks plant pole beans. I gave up bush beans a few years ago as it gets me right in the back picking them.

The good deal with pole beans is YOU DON'T HAVE TO BEND OVER TO PICK THEM. They were made for us lazy old farts. A few years ago I picked up some cattle panels at Tractor Supply to use as trellises. They worked great. They are 16' long and about 4' high. I had 4 row es 32' long for pole beans and they took up a lot of room.

Last year I had a brain fart [ idea ] and drove 2 steel posts in 4' apart then wired the end to them and walked the panel twards the posts causing the panel to make an arch. Then I drove another post in to hold it. Boy did that work slick. The beans grew over that arch and were real easy to pick. As I stood in the middle, I was in the shade of the bean plants and the beans were just hanging there . Man was that easy picking.

To people who have not grown pole beans in years, there are lots of variety's that have no strings. They have a lot more flavor than bush beans in my opinion.

Cattle panels cost about 15 dollars apiece and last forever.

I'm just trying to convince people to save your backs and pick beans in the shade. lol

:wink::tounge_out::wink::big_smile:

 

[ldw45]

By golly Jim that sounds like a good idea....... I have an old pannel or two and will try it this summer....... thanks for the idea

 

[Kutter]

Jim, I got one question. How do you remove them from the panels, after the season? I like to never get them removed from regular woven wire fence I have been using.

I like the idea of the archway. I use those panels, cut into thirds and pull them around, hook them with hog rings and they are ready to go for tomato cages that are over 5 ft tall.

 

[oh no]

I pull them off by hand or get the propane burner out in the spring. It will burn them right off the wire. Neighbors kids work good for pulling off the vines by hand.

:big_smile::big_smile:

 

[MRR]

Haven't done any gardening in years but that sounds like a real good idea. The only thing i can see easier is <Let someone else grow them and then go buy them from them>.When younger I used to enjoy a good garden.Now my poor ol back says NO WAY oooh:

 

[fishnfwl]

That just how I/we do them, also made the cages for ma's maters out of one, and like you said, I have been laying them on the usual yard brush, limbs I burn off ever fall and that does good for ridding the bean and matter vines off......

 

[Netmanjack]

That a great idea. I'll have to give some pole beans a try we always plant bluelake bush.

 

[Kutter]

I thought burnin the vines off would cause premature rusting on the panels??? I pull them off by hand, but my arthritic hands don't like doin that much. As for the neighborhood kids, uh, well, I guess I am, "If ya see ol man Kutter, run!".

 

[oh no]

Netman --- Bluelake has a pole variety -- Also there is a Kentucky Wonder/Blue lake cross, they call it a Kenlake.

 

[oh no]

Kutter --- The cattle panels are made of thick enough material 3/16" wire and some 1/4" wire. You won't live long enough to see them rust out. lol

:big_smile::tounge_out::smile2::big_smile:

 

[Kutter]

Netman --- Bluelake has a pole variety -- Also there is a Kentucky Wonder/Blue lake cross, they call it a Kenlake.

Or, Blue Wonder?

 

[fishnfwl]

I thought burnin the vines off would cause premature rusting on the panels??? I pull them off by hand, but my arthritic hands don't like doin that much. As for the neighborhood kids, uh, well, I guess I am, "If ya see ol man Kutter, run!".

I don't think they are any more rusty then from just setting out in the weather?....... I mean heck Cutter, some of the ones I am using are from back years ago when they were still keeping the hogs secure :wink: Hey, by the way, you ready to go fishing tomorrow, LOL!

 

[Mickey]

Jim thanks for a great idea. I vote for the Blue Lake pole Bean. Great taste and good yield. Your making me hungry.

 

[michealf9]

I vote for teh blue lake pole beans. I switch every other year between bush and pole beans. Keeps the wife guessing!!!!!!!

 

[ldw45]

Ky Wonder Wax are delicious as well.........

I wonder how those pannels would work for cukes?

 

[oh no]

I tryed them on cukes last year and was not that impressed. They kept trying to go to the ground. Maybe regular small pickles, but Staight 8s & 9s pulled the vines down. Heck just let them have at it on the ground.

 

[john catfish young]

I grow pole beans everyear. I grow a pole bean called ...Turkey Crawls. They are delicious and make a dark brown broth when cooked. I also like the Kentucky wonder pole beans. Last year I used 250 cane poles and made tri-pods for the beans to grow up onto. I had plants that went over 15 feet high and had to use a 8 foot step ladder to get the ones on top. That was a lot of work. I grew over 250 plants and canned a bunch and froze a bunch and gave a bunch away to family and friends. I'm thinking of cutting back on the beans this year. Maybe only a 100 plants or so.:big_smile:

 

[Netmanjack]

Jim. I'm thinking that I can gain some space in my garden by using the hog panels out in my yard. A dirt strip on each end and mow through the middle. What do you think? And how many bean plants per side?

 

[oh no]

Jim. I'm thinking that I can gain some space in my garden by using the hog panels out in my yard. A dirt strip on each end and mow through the middle. What do you think? And how many bean plants per side?

My panels are cattle and they are about 5 foot tall/wide I plant the pole bean seeds about 2-3"apart on both sides of the panel. Boy they go nuts.

It would work great in the yard as long as they have plenty of sun. Why not use the yard for good. You can take a break from mowing and enjoy the shade of the arch +++ pick and eat a few raw beans.

The news stations have been preaching on how high food prices will be this summer. More beans is better.

 

[Netmanjack]

Thats what I'm gonna do. Yes sir ree! I have the sun and the room for four. They say in the catalogs that blue lake produce very well. Tammy and I put enough up for the year plus eat them and give some away. Do you think that is enough plants.