Thinking of French beans planting and support.

[Jamesy_uk]

I am thinking out loud here on best use of space in the garden with regards to french beans this year. My folks have a strip of garden about 45ft long with a 3ft to 4ft wide bed running the length of it, lengthways its East to West so it's getting full sun from the south a good portion of the day. So I was thinking, Could I dig a trench just off the fenceline the whole 45ft length of the bed and drive in 8ft bamboo canes deep so they stood alone with no support?
This way they aren't really shadowing anything in the bed leaving me free to plant something else where the frame for the french beans would normally be. I guess the concerns are wind damage and adequate support, has anyone tried anything similar before?

[Two_Sheds]

I'm not with you (yet). You say 8ft canes, but no support?

I grow mine (very windy site) in 4-cane teepee shapes, each cane 18" from its neighbour: they stay up.

[Two_Sheds]

What I did at school, just to fill a gap against a wall, was this. One cane per plant, angled to the wall, tied at the top to chain link fencing (out of shot). This worked well, but it's a sheltered spot

[chris]

I think he means vertical canes... which I've done before, but I found it difficult to stop the plant at the top of the cane.. I'd put them in vertically, and then attach a horizontal run of canes along the top - if you miss a plant, at least it'll grow along the top too. I'd also every now and again run a short cane to the fence to provide stability. Probably ever 4/5 or so.

[Two_Sheds]

I think he means vertical canes...

In that case, no. A single cane angled against the wall would be better. A single vertical cane wouldn't stay that way for long in any kind of wind, esp. once laden with greenery

[Jamesy_uk]

I literally meant drive single canes vertically into the ground standing up straight like a fence post. Was just a crazy thought as I could grow a lot more beans this way without digging up a large chunk of flower bed

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[VirginVegGrower]

He means an unsupported munty frame style beans dropping forward. I have seen this in books, canes driven deep and at an angle. But I've also seen stories of them collapsing under the weight of the bean vines.

Ah, it appears not then, following the additional post. Bean tips will race to the south so if you placed the cane against the fence, which is what, north or south?

[Jamesy_uk]

I could do a horizontal bar across the top pretty easily, I just ordered 50 x 8ft canesthe other day heh.

[Two_Sheds]

I've also seen stories of them collapsing under the weight of the bean vines.

I only lost one of my teepees to the gales last year, and it was the one absolutely groaning with Moonlight runners. The whole teepee got blown backwards at a 45 degree angle, so I propped it up best I could with additional canes for the rest of the summer

[Two_Sheds]

btw, my early French bean is now a foot tall with 2 pairs of leaves

[Jamesy_uk]

I guess thinking about it, I could support the canes by driving eyelets into the fenceposts and tying them on at intervals.

[VirginVegGrower]

I've always used traditional A frames, but this year I am going for a munty frame.

[Jamesy_uk]

btw, my early French bean is now a foot tall with 2 pairs of leaves

You see, now im jealous im filling 2 raised beds with the Dandy's vegegrow topsoil today and am dying to get something planted hehe. May turn over the potato area to broadbeans this year just so I can plant something soon

[VirginVegGrower]

btw, my early French bean is now a foot tall with 2 pairs of leaves

sitting on hands...sitting on hands!

[Jamesy_uk]

He means an unsupported munty frame style beans dropping forward. I have seen this in books, canes driven deep and at an angle. But I've also seen stories of them collapsing under the weight of the bean vines.

Ah, it appears not then, following the additional post. Bean tips will race to the south so if you placed the cane against the fence, which is what, north or south?

The side of the fence im thinking of gets the full sun all day its the south side er yeh so sun shines on it it isnt the other side thats in darkness (my head hurts now lol, been re-writing database code all morning)

For a nerd I sure do love getting my hands dirty heh.