Runner beans up a wigwam

[Millymollymandy]

I'm trying to work out how many beans to plant as I'm going to grow them up a wigwam due to space constraints.

I've put up a wigwam of 4 x 8 foot long hazel stakes spaced about 2.5 feet apart. I was thinking of one bean per pole and one in between going up string. Does this sound about right?

What happens when they all converge at the top though? That'll be 8 plants all trying to grow at the top of a wigwam with not much space!

Yes I'm a runner bean newbie - I did try once about 10 years ago on dry soil in a hot climate and didn't get anything at all.

[godfreyrob]

It will get very crowded at the top - not a problem really as the vines just keep growing anyway. Not sure if its a good idea to have 8 plants so close together - might be better to stick with 4 and give them room to expand.

The only problem can be that it all get top heavy and can get blown down in strong winds. If the canes are 8 feet I'd have 2 of those in the ground for stability. Is there something nearby that you can anchor it to?

[theabsinthefairy]

I grow mine up 3 x 2 m saplings, tied to a wigwam at the top, then string to the next wigwam a metre away, and then they have the string to grow up to, and if they are particularly virulent, you can then tie string back down to tent pegs in the ground so that they grow up , across and then back down.

Hope that makes sense.

Monika

[MKG]

We've grown 6 plants up a wigwam for the last two years (in the flower bed!!!!!) and those have supplied the two of us with plenty of beans. I love the things, so I'd happily eat twice that amount. However, 3 or 4 plants per beanophage should be adequate. Once they're producing, they'll happily take all the water you can throw at them.

[red]

I usually do two to apole - in case one gets munched by slugs

have heard that if you leave out one of the wigwam poles you can get inside to pick the ones that hang down.

[Millymollymandy]

Ooh I hadn't thought of that - more beans on the inside!

I dont want too many beans because I'm growing lots of other things but I'd like some to freeze.

I could tie string from the top of the wigwam to the fence post about 2 metres away for them to grow along - that's a good idea A. Fairy!

There's about 1 foot of pole in the ground - can't go much further as there's granite bedrock close to the surface in a lot of that plot. (I shall have L-shaped parsnips this year!

Thanks for all your input. Maybe 5 plants with a gap like Red suggested would be about right. Sounds like that'll produce enough beans - I've no idea on average how many beans you get per plant!

[Millymollymandy]

Lucky I was taking some photos this morning:

[MKG]

MMM - nice photo. You could get a dozen plants around that easily.

[Millymollymandy]

Oh now I'm confused! 12, or 6, or 8 or.....

[MKG]

Imagine just a plateful of beans (with black pepper) steaming on the table, with nothing else but good bread and a bottle of wine (white, chilled). You can't possibly grow too many runner beans (although the French, I believe, would argue with that). They'll grow up that wigwam in no time. Pinch half of them out at the top. The others will carry on upwards, using themselves as support, and give you a crop as long as the weather lasts - you just have to stand on tiptoe to get them. Enjoy.

Oh, by the way - once those beans have wrapped themselves around the wigwam, a force 8 gale ain't going to shift 'em.

[red]

last year I did a whole packet of runner bean seeds. plently to eat, plenty to freeze.

[MKG]

Another by the way, MMM. I'm sure you already know this ... but when the beans have finished, don't pull the roots out. Cut the plants off at ground level and leave the roots where they are (nitrogen-fixing nodules and all that).

[multiveg]

I usually do two to apole - in case one gets munched by slugs

have heard that if you leave out one of the wigwam poles you can get inside to pick the ones that hang down.

Son hid in the wigwam a couple of years back..!

[Millymollymandy]

Another bright idea!

Dunno who I'll hide from though.

[Mrs Moustoir]

The French hereabouts grow runners as floral decoration. There was a bed on a roundabout in our local town last year with runner beans growing up some pyramids.

I had to go round the roundabout a few times just to confirm what I was seeing!