How to Stake Pole Beans With Cane Poles

Green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), grow as a bush or runners. Runners are also called pole beans. Pole beans are preferable because they are easy to harvest, produce more beans and are more tender and sweeter. Pole beans are vines that need a support system as they grow. Sturdy wire, fencing and twine can be use to support pole bean vines. A favored method of supporting pole beans is cane poles, made from bamboo stalks, which can be purchased in most garden supply stores.

Things You'll Need

• Pole bean seeds
• 2-inch diameter cane poles (bamboo stalks), at least 10 feet tall
• 12 gauge wire
• Twine
• Heavy gardening knife
• Small nails
• Hammer

Instructions

1. Beans should be planted after the last frost. Set up the cane poles before the pole beans produce runners. Space rows at least 4 feet apart. Push the pole canes into the ground with about 6 feet of the cane above ground. The canes should be spaced every 6 feet, adjusting for the total length of the rows.

2. Working row by row, make a notch at the top of each pole and stretch the 12 gauge wire along the tops of the cane poles, wrapping it tightly around the poles at the notches. Stretch twine from cane poles about 6 inches above the ground, nailing it to the poles. Tie twine from the wire to the bottom twine, creating a crisscross pattern.

3. Plant pole bean seeds directly into the soil 2 to 4 inches apart, about 1 inch deep. Pole beans grow best spaced 3 to 5 plants per foot.

4. Instead of planting pole beans in rows, create a hill and push one pole cane into the center. Plant four seeds around the base of the pole cane, 1 inch deep. The pole beans will produce vines that grow up the stake.

Tips & Warnings

• Pole bean plants are heavy, so the thickest diameter pole cane available is the best choice. The deeper the pole cane is set into the ground, the sturdier the support system.

References

• North Carolina State University
• Foodie Mama
• Texas Gardener