How to Make a Pole Bean and Pea Tower
Pole bean and some pea varieties require a support system to climb up. Though any type of trellis provides a suitable support, a bean tower takes up minimal space. The tower provides three sides to support the beans or peas. It's constructed from readily available and durable materials, which allows you to use the tower for years. A well-constructed bean tower is an attractive way to grow these climbing plants. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Dig three 6-inch-deep holes in the garden bed. Space the holes 18 inches apart, placing them to form the three points of a triangle.
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2
Use ¾-inch diameter PVC pipes or dowels. Mark the poles at 1-foot intervals, starting at the top and making four marks down the length of each pole.
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3
Drill a ¼-inch hole in each marked spot. The holes will hold the twine for the tower.
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4
Insert a pole into each hole. Fill in the holes with soil and pack it into place.
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5
Gather the tips of the poles together to form a tripod. Thread twine through the holes in the tip and tie a knot, securing the top of the poles together so they maintain the tripod shape.
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6
Thread another length of twine through the next hole down from the top in one of the poles. Tie the twine to secure it to the pole. Pass the twine through the hole in each pole at this level until you return to the first pole. Tie the twine to the first pole.
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Repeat with another length of twine for each set of holes on each level. The completed tower consists of three poles in tripod, a lattice of twine wrapped horizontally around them.
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8
Sow five bean or pea seeds at the base of each pole. Guide the vines up the poles-and-twine framework of the tower as the plants grow.
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Tips & Warnings
Grow peas on the tower during the cooler spring or fall season and use the tower for beans during the warmer summer season.
