French bean supports

[wag_ec]

This year I purchased some 20mm x8ft coated garden stakes for my runner and french beans.
The runners climbed well, but the climbing french bean (Cobra) kept slipping down the poles.
Needless to say, they havent done very well!! Are the stakes too thick?

[sequoia]

Could be weak stems,might need more feed they twist and grow around all support even slippery fat ones

[arpoet]

Climbing Frenchies are not doing very well this year in my garden so I would not worry too much if I were you.

[Dorothy rouse]

Was it a pyramid type structure? I ran some of the green garden string around the canes about half way up, that seemed to help the French beans hang on and climb up, also did the same with the Runners.

[rhonsal]

I used 6ft bamboo canes in a pyramid and they spiralled up that fine - i've had a great crop so far this year and they are still going strong. They had lots of feed over the season as i was told they were greedy plants.

[Kristen]

I grow Climbing French (and Runners) up bamboo canes (8' ones, they will be in the ground 12" or more, and at a slant the tops will then be "as tall as I can reach"). They, too, are somewhat shiny, although maybe the nobly joints help? but the plants seem to climb them unaided (some help when they twirl in thin air and don't find the pole, but its minimal and only at the outset)

[Alison]

I grow Climbing French (and Runners) up bamboo canes (8' ones, they will be in the ground 12" or more, and at a slant the tops will then be "as tall as I can reach"). They, too, are somewhat shiny, although maybe the nobly joints help? but the plants seem to climb them unaided (some help when they twirl in thin air and don't find the pole, but its minimal and only at the outset)

Exactly the same here - not sure that the diameter would be a problem but the slippiness could be I suppose. Could you sand them down a bit to roughen them up?

[bananamelon]

A frame with netting seems work well for both pea and climbing bean.

[wag_ec]

I am using the same structure as Kristen for both french and runners, runners have gone up them no problem hence the reason for my question of diameter. If thats not a problem then I can only assume I am having a bad year ( the 1st in 5 years growing them.)

[Chippy Minton]

Interesting as I had the opposite problem, the French beans went right up the poles, the runners flailed about and sulked, up the equivalent 8ft bamboo poles. However as a result the Frenchies have pretty much finished but the Runners are just nicely cropping

[wag_ec]

I am getting a few french beans to eat, last year had a freezer full. As for my runners still getting a fair few but the cold snap a couple of weeks ago made them think its autumn and they are starting to decline.

[BUFFS]

I use welded mesh fencing, 2inch squares, a 6ft by 6ft piece tacked onto 8ft lengths of 2 by 2 fencing battons with the 6ft across top and bottom, all the different beans climb this fine, i fill a trench with last years compost and just shove the frame into the ground over it, the main problem is controlling the growth to reachable heights so next year it is raised beds and dwarf plants..