When I saw the Christmas pole lima bean in Baker Creek’s catalog, it reminded me of the beautiful, marbled limas my amazing grandma grew. Since our oldest loves lima beans, it was definitely worth a try. Next, we needed a pole bean trellis.
Pole Bean Trellis Options
We mostly grow bush beans for ease. However, pole beans need a trellis. There are a number of options you can find online for bean trellises. Even simply, poles. Imagine that! We decided to go with what seemed like an easy option. But we had no idea how much these beans would grow. As a result, our first attempt was an utter failure.
Failed Trellis
The first year we grew these, we made a trellis with bamboo poles and string. That was a huge mistake! The vines grew so big, they took over the trellis as well as that whole section of the garden. They were even using the nearby tomatoes as a trellis. The bamboo poles and string quickly collapsed, leaving the vines in a big heap. And while they produced a lot of pods, they never filled out. No beans to harvest.
New Pole Bean Trellis
Our new pole bean trellis is made from heavyweight wire cattle panels, T-posts, and clips. We used two 4’x8′ cattle panels, one short side of each resting on the ground and the other short sides touching each other almost 8′ up. Sort of like a tent. We used fence clips to hold these panels to four T-posts. This monster did the trick! It held up without fail and the setup allowed the plants to produce pods that matured. So exciting! Not only that, but every bit of it can be used again for a trellis or taken apart for some other project we dream up.
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