How to Make a Green Bean Teepee
One of the best ways to get your kids interested in gardening is to let them grow their own plants. While giving a child a little plot of land can spark an interest in growing things, making the process fun is an even better solution. Instead of growing green beans up a fence or on a trellis, create a green bean teepee in your yard. Your children can play inside the structure all summer while the beans are growing, and the harvest is simple because the beans hang down into the interior of the teepee. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 6-foot bamboo poles
- Sturdy garden twine
- Shovel
- Compost
- Green bean seeds
Instructions
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Hold six bamboo poles together into one bunch. Wrap sturdy garden twine around the bunch of poles at a spot six inches from one end. This will be the top of the teepee. Tie a secure knot to hold the poles together.
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2
Set up your teepee frame in a spot in your garden that gets at least six hours of sun every day. Start setting it up after all chance of frost is gone in your area. If you're unsure of the frost dates around your garden, contact your county extension service or check a resource such as the Farmer's Almanac.
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Set up the teepee by spreading apart the loose ends of the bamboo pole bundle. Leave the tied-together ends as the top of the teepee and set the legs out at and angle, describing a rough circle. Have all the legs equally distant from all the other legs, and spread them apart to create a sturdy structure.
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4
Tie a piece of twine about 2 feet down on one pole. String the twine to the next pole, and tie it about 2 feet down on that pole. Keep wrapping and tying the twine until you have tied the twine all the way around the structure except for the last set of poles. Leave this set open as the doorway to the teepee.
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Tie another row of twine 2 feet lower down on the poles, again wrapping it around the entire structure except for the doorway opening.
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Dig down around each pole about 8 inches deep. Dig in a shovel full of compost in each hole. Dig two holes near each pole, each one about 3 inches apart. Plant two bean seeds in each hole, planting them about 1 inch deep.
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Water your seeds thoroughly. Give the green bean plants an inch of water per week. As your vines begin to grow, gently twine them around the poles to help train them to grow up the structure. The vines will cover the teepee frame and create a playhouse for your kids all summer.
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Tips & Warnings
Plant a row of marigolds around the teepee for a decorative touch.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit green beans image by agno_agnus from Fotolia.com
