Bean Tepee Vs. Trellis

Pole Beans

• Green beans are a warm-weather crop. Although most varieties come as either bush or pole beans, many people prefer pole beans because they produce about two to three times more beans than bush beans do in the same amount of space. They also produce longer than bush beans do. Pole beans grow on vines that will grow 6 to 8 feet, which is why they need support because they do not produce well if they are sprawling in a jumble on the ground. However, pole beans actually occupy very little space in the garden because they do grow upward, supported by a trellis or tepee of adequate height.

Trellis

• Make sure you locate the trellis in a spot where the beans growing on it will not shade other plants growing in your garden. A trellis should be from 6 to 8 feet tall. You can make the frame for a simple trellis with bamboo poles or saplings or buy a trellis frame from a garden supply store. Then you can use twine to make the actual trellis, attaching twine to the frame vertically and horizontally every 2 inches, or you can buy a ready-made twine trellis from the garden supply store and lash it to the frame. As they grow, the pole bean plants climb up the twine trellising, which is supported by the trellis frame.

Tepee

• As with a trellis, make sure you locate a bean tepee where it will not shade other plants. A tepee is constructed in a tripod shape by lashing or wiring three poles together. As with the trellis frame, you can make the tepee with bamboo poles or saplings or buy one from the garden supply store. One advantage of a tepee is that you do not need the twine trellis. The pole beans just latch on to the poles to grow upward. With either the trellis or tepee, make sure the poles are long enough to push deeply into the ground and still be 5 to 8 feet tall to support the growing beans.

Basics

• Regardless of whether you utilize a trellis or tepee, construct it and place it in the garden before you plant the bean seeds in the ground to avoid injuring them. Allow 30 inches between trellises or tepees. However, wait until after the soil temperature is above 60 degrees Fahrenheit to plant pole beans. Then plant the seeds at a depth of 1 inch. If you are using a trellis, plant seeds four to six inches apart in rows along the trellis. When using a tepee, plant five to six seeds in a circle around each pole, spaced six to eight inches from the pole. Water deeply in the morning and give pole beans about 1 inch of water weekly. However, avoid watering the foliage to prevent diseases from developing.