Growing Beans With Braces

Braces and Supports

• Pole beans can climb a variety of different supports and braces as long as the main vertical support measures no more than about 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter. A tepee provides the simplest brace to construct. It consists of five or six poles lashed together on one end, with the other end of the poles spread out to form the tepee. An A-frame trellis takes more time to build, but can support more beans, A-frames have an anchor post at either end with a top crossbar bridging them. Twine is stretched from the crossbar to the ground to form the braces for the beans to climb.

Site Preparation

• The growing site must receive six hours or more of sun daily and supply rich, well-drained soil. A brace facing south, placed on the north side of a garden bed, usually receives sufficient sunlight. Amending the bed with a 2-inch deep layer of compost and fertilizer, supplies the necessary nutrients. Fertilizer needs vary so it's best to determine your needs with a soil test. If a test isn't performed, you can use 1 cup of 5-10-10 fertilizer per 50-feet row. Beans have shallow roots, so mix the compost and fertilizer only to a 6-inch depth.

Planting and Training

• Beans require frost-free weather to grow and produce, so plant them in spring after all frost danger is past. Sow the seeds about 1 inch deep, placing them around the base of the braces. Planting at a spacing of 2 inches apart provides a dense planting, since pole beans grow upward and can tolerate close spacing. The seeds usually germinate within a week, and the vines climb the braces with minimal help. You can guide the new shoots onto the braces, wrapping them around once or twice, to get them started.

Basic Care

• Moist soil results in good growth. Water the beans once or twice weekly. The beans need about 1 inch of water a week from rain or irrigation. An inch of water moistens the soil to a 6-inch depth. Beans rarely require additional fertilization, although you can side dress them with 1 cup of 33-0-0 fertilizer per 50 square feet when they begin to flower if they're growing slowly. Beans grow quickly and rarely suffer from debilitating pest or disease problems, Planting disease-resistant varieties and keeping the bed well-weeded prevents most problems in a small home garden.