A Better Way to Support Beans

Last year all the bush bean plants fell over, which made the pods a lot harder to harvest. This year I tried a new method of supporting the plants which was more successful than I though it would be.
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[@stubbi]

My grandma grows quite a large amount of plants of bush beans, and I must say that these are my most favourite ones. You can eat them in salads, stews, just blanch and eat them fresh... I really love this type of beans. Very good idea of supporting them, I need to try this for ourself.

[@REDGardens]

They are great crops when the weather outside is warm enough for them to thrive. In the polytunnel I think there are more useful options.

[@tomjones4318]

Simple, cheap, multipurpose, long lasting metal, stackable. These are the tools I like and are often more effective than expensive glaring solutions. The welds are most likely spot welds and weak. The scrap wires can prop up damaged seedlings. Or tie things. I've also made hooks to hang dry field corn stalks with low carbon wire. We call it bailing or rebar wire. Very handy to have a role around. I used Florida weave on a fall crop of sweet corn cause my corn always gets blown over. Then interplanted English peas to start climbing when the corn is done. I'll trim the corn above the lines and most leaves. Nice to see your intelligent solutions.

[@REDGardens]

🙂 thanks!

[@joeoleary5346]

You have a great channel. Your pace of speech is just right and I really appreciate the lack of hype and extraneous talk. Also, you are very balanced in showing and explaining successes and failures. Very much appreciated. I

[@REDGardens]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@niamhfox9559]

An endless supply of weeding wires if you secure them to an old wooden handle! I have pieces of an old pool fence that I'm using to keep the pigeons off my garlic bulbs this year but have used them to keep bush tomatoes off the ground which really helps reduce damage.

[@REDGardens]

An endless supply of wire weeders sounds fun!

[@theredrover3217]

LOL my climate is nothing like Ireland (tropics) yet I always learn something from you and look forward to each video you share. Have only a few gardening channels I follow, (so many I've checked out just aren't applicable and/or nothing I don't know already ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). Thank you for continually providing and producing such great content.

[@sislertx]

Mine too..evidently i live in a.desert now...no water..well we got .25 of an inch while LITERALLY 5 miles.around me go dozens of inches...slightly over average. I also live in the preferred area for every aphid snail flea beetle rolly poly white fly in the state...

[@REDGardens]

That is awesome to hear you get something out of my videos despite being such in a different climate.

[@jamescanjuggle]

while on youtube i find myself learning something from your parts of the world too, being from ireland myself haha. Im always trying to see how i could grow tropical plants over here.

[@robb5984]

Nicely done! I have a bunch of 2x4 inch welded wire fence that I can try this with. Thanks for you creativity working with what's in hand. My first thought when you mentioned the leftover wire was staples. I do the same with odd bits of leftover fence wire for strawberry runners and also drip hose.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, I think most of them will end up as staples.

[@gailwarrington3841]

Thanks Bruce, what a great idea 👍. So glad of your videos and that you inspired me to start growing vegetables in bigger quantaties over the last four years. Thank you somuch for your hard work 👏👏

[@REDGardens]

Awesome. Glad you found inspiration in my videos!

[@katipohl2431]

Good idea which could be commercialized and used for cut flowers too.

[@REDGardens]

Hmm, that sounds like it could work well.

[@moonbladem]

Ingenious design! Multi-purpose use because you can use it for other plants as well! Impressive.

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@akicarus9508]

as a metal worker, good job dude. Glad you didn't over think it and adapted/repurposed good material.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks man!

[@michaelmcclafferty3346]

As always, a very thought provoking video Bruce , thanks. I’ve been growing potatoes in tubs and support their foliage with big gauge wire fencing turned on it’s side supported by posts. This might be another use for your frames as an experiment. I think that it’s time for some community art to use your leftover pins. I’m sure that the local kids will have plenty of ideas.

[@REDGardens]

That would be interesting, as I have started to explore growing a lot of things in large grow bags.

[@simonedreyer9025]

This video has come at the right time. Thank you

[@REDGardens]

Glad to hear that!

[@seedhound]

Beautiful bean quality!

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@loicader56]

Thank you for this new video.

[@REDGardens]

👍

[@andersonomo597]

Love it! What a great repurposing of materials.

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@SpringNotes]

Love your creative ways of reusing, easily discarded materials !

[@REDGardens]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@DenSvaraTradgarden]

That’s a very clever idea! Love it!

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@Pixieworksstudio]

What a brilliant idea!!

[@REDGardens]

😀

[@aprilschneider5250]

Genius! I wonder if this would work for peppers too? I really like the style of your videos, and how you lay out the results of your experiments.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks! I think it could work for peppers.

[@Aermydach]

Thanks Bruce! I appreciate your experimentation and analyses. They provide invaluable lessons for other growers. Cheers,

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@paolomaggi8188]

Wow...Well done!!! you had a very bright idea! Congratulations

[@REDGardens]

Thanks.

[@anniegaddis5240]

Am going to save this vid. for use next Summer. Love your explanations, are so helpful.

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@goirish2786]

Super helpful thanks!

[@StayPrimal]

Thanks for sharing ! I also grew this variety this year, I think they were my favorite snack to eat in my entire garden, so deliscious.

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@alisonburgess345]

Good one - I grow my bush beans outside so these techniques will be useful - thanks!😊

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@nickthegardener.1120]

Hi Bruce I think you nailed it this time! You could also use the frames to protect onions from birds before they're needed for the beans! Well done great video and harvest.👍

[@REDGardens]

I hadn't thought of that. I do have issues with birds getting the onions when they are young, and it would be a good use for the frames over winter.

[@nickthegardener.1120]

@@REDGardens no worries! I've had lots of great information from you.👍 I'm going compost mad at the moment mainly because of your no rules composting nd Charles Dowdings method. Do you have any worm bins? I'd advise looking at homemade ones if not. Great soil amendment and quite fun. 👍

[@PuigdoYT]

Amazing video!! Thanks!

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@jacksonclan]

Thanks for sharing!

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@hanzketchup859]

You’re alright, Cheers !

[@llanitedave]

That is exactly what I was needing to address a similar problem. Next year, I'll know what to do...

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@steezeeJ]

That’s a great idea I’ve never thought of using cattle panel horizontally, Might have to try this for some peppers next year🤔

[@REDGardens]

I think they might work well for peppers.

[@What..a..shambles]

Perfect use at the ends.. Steeples get expensive after a while and a bit of a menace being so sturdy when lost 👍🏻

[@REDGardens]

👍

[@TheEmbrio]

The little metal pieces can be bent to make stakes for strawberry runners, fleece, nets, landscape fabric, shade cloth, hold nametags, tomato/cucumber string hooks... (one of your viewers, yt channel Hollar Homestead, made some tomato string holders...) Shape into S for tool hooks, kitchenware hooks, etc.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks for the tips!

[@ahpoo7755]

Genius! Thank you

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@artandmore575]

Great, great !!!! You are working so hard ..in this video you looked very tired... .take care en go on .!!! Juan

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, I am tired. A lot going on.

[@prjndigo]

the short bits from the mesh can be put through holes in stakes for any bag trials of climbers...

[@jeffmartin693]

I get a lot of wind here and might find this useful for going over potatos and onions to keep them from getting blown over and shortening their growing season... Thanks for the vid!

[@REDGardens]

I hadn't thought of that, but keeping the hauls of potatoes upright, as well as onions, may work well.

[@KiraNeverSurrender]

Maybe bend those left over rods in half for fabric pins? I use similar left over fence pieces like this to pin chicken wire, weed barriers, tarps, poly sheets to the ground. They are called fabric pins or yard staples at the hardware stores here in the states.

[@REDGardens]

Good idea, thanks.

[@MichaelMiller-bi7by]

This is a great idea! I tried using netting for this purpose with peppers after I had planted them - it was a complete failure - the netting just wrapped around the plants. Maybe would have worked better if put up before transplanting. Great info!

[@REDGardens]

Thanks!

[@kgarden8960]

Definitely going to do that for my Dwarf French Beans next year, thanks. I grow Bush for an early crop, and delay sowing climbers so when planted out they are well clear of any late spring cold weather. You'll be more mild where you are / less of a problem :). The Bush crop sooner of course, I plant an "Outside" row either side of where the double-row of climbers will go and leave them to go to seed once the Climbers are cropping. I do another batch in the Autumn, sown mid-July, that crop after climbers give up - until mildew defeats them (all under glass). We've planted different varieties and done a tasting and couldn't find any difference, so I reckon its just down to e.g. Speedie cropping and finishing earlier.

[@REDGardens]

Sounds like a good relay strategy between the bush and climbing options.

[@Car-jy8pw]

What an innovative idea! We use cattle panels set up on their long side for tomatoes and in archways on their shorter sides for the pole beans. I only grow bush beans that produce all at once for canning (Calima bush beans), so I don’t bother to stake them.

[@REDGardens]

It is interesting that things like cattle panels are not available at all over here (Ireland) but seem to be so common in North America. I have had a lot of people recommend using them, but I have to make do with what I can find! I am interested in your canning of beans. I have only just started canning, and haven't tried beans. Do you just can them in water?

[@Car-jy8pw]

@@REDGardens yes! I raw pack them with hot water and a little sea salt. Pressure can (at 10 pounds of pressure for my altitude) 20 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts.

[@REDGardens]

@@Car-jy8pw Thanks

[@cartermiller2705]

Nice! Maybe use to support indeterminant tomato trusses as they are lowered 👍

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, that is another interesting option. I wonder how much weight they would be able to hold.

[@tonisee2]

That was a great overview, thank you! About those pieces of leftover wires - maybe they could be used to create tomahooks to tie up plants?

[@REDGardens]

That could work well, I think the wires are strong enough.

[@thomasd9424]

Hi Bruce, in Ireland the most convenient I have found are Clipex metal post (galvanised triangular profile post with spring loaded indent for attaching wire mesh fencing). Put up and down in a flash. Little pricy but a good investment.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks, I’ll have a look into that.

[@BlaBla-pf8mf]

In this trying times we all must come together and support beans

[@REDGardens]

Indeed!

[@BalticHomesteaders]

Interesting as always. We grow a fair amount of bush beans but I cant say that the odd mildew/rot problem from falling over would make me want to try and fix that. I do think something similar for growing sprawling gherkins would be useful. We also have the same cattle panel supply problems here.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks. I think they could work quite well for gherkins.

[@timobreumelhof88]

Haha I just noticed I click the like button before watching the video as I just know I'm going to like it anyway..

[@REDGardens]

Awesome, I appreciate that.

[@fredrickvanolphen3299]

Thanks for sharing, Bruce! I haven't tried Bush Beans yet but this is all good stuff to know. BTW I believe The Great Tribulation starts in a week. This may begin with serious financial problems in Germany quickly affecting most currencies.You're in a way better position to Weather what's coming than most of us.

[@REDGardens]

👍

[@p0ln]

maith an fear, informative as always

[@REDGardens]

thanks

[@kgarden8960]

Those wires look long enough to make a U-staple to hold woven weed membrane down (maybe angle the ends to make it go through more easily), or keep leaky-hose in place

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, I think that would be a good use for them.

[@razpet20]

Pieces of wire could be bent into a J or U shape and used as hooks for fleece, for tents...

[@REDGardens]

Good options!

[@titanlurch]

If you can bend the tube stock you could frame low tunnels. Nothing wrong with a little sweat equity to up cycle somebody elses waste but those band clamps have seen better days .

[@REDGardens]

Not sure how well they would bend, but that is an option to look into. I am still waiting for a good use for the tube stock. For now they are helping to hold down edges of crop cover.

[@TheEmbrio]

Peppers would also benefit from this kind of support. Perhaps be useful as drying racks for winter use. It probably was a lot of time invested making them but they seem to be able to last decades.

[@REDGardens]

The peppers and drying racks are both good ideas, and I hope to get a lot of divers uses out of them!

[@leahhoward1212]

What we have here in Ireland is called "sheep wire", not exactly the same as cattle panel but similar enough and can be used for the same exact projects.

[@REDGardens]

I should check out sheep wire. I wonder if it comes in wide enough widths to cover the full bed like this. Ideally it would be 1.5m wide.

[@VanderlyndenJengold]

I bend the wire left over to make ground pegs for weed supressing fabric etc.

[@REDGardens]

Sounds line a good idea.

[@whatisgoingonineedtoknow.]

I could make good use of those spikes, keeping the cats off pooping on my garden beds with seedlings in.

[@REDGardens]

I hadn't thought of that. Good idea, thanks.

[@VagabondAnne]

Those wire stakes can be placed thickly and vertically wherever you don't want cats to dig and squat.

[@REDGardens]

I know just the bed to try that in.

[@swittman9123]

I bet those wire segments could be bent into some of those hooked twine winders you featured in an episode a while back, provided the wire isn't too soft.

[@REDGardens]

I think they might be strong enough for that.

[@acctsys]

Is that about 1 ft high above the soil?

[@REDGardens]

Yes, about that. It seems to work well for inside the polytunnel. For outside, in this climate, I suspect lower would be better

[@gailthornbury291]

Looks like it would be good for cut flowers like gladeoli and broad( fava) beans in spring.

[@REDGardens]

Sounds like they could really work with cut flowers. I suspect the broad beans may get too tall for it.

[@rochrich1223]

There is a slick, single wire, greenhouse string spool/hook out there your wire might be long enough to copy. TomaHook is the trade name of the thing I'm thinking of.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, a few tomahooks would probably work.

[@milttollin1]

Could cut the wire frame between the end section (seed crop) and the main section (harvest crop) to make it easier to remove the main section plants and bed prep.

[@REDGardens]

Probably, but I’ll not likely do that again so prefer to keep them uniform across the full length for other crops.

[@mikeharrington5593]

Thanks. When you were pulling out the plants & leaving a seeding plant on the end, did you consider cutting them to within an inch of ground level? This would presumably allow the root/rhizomia process to continue (bacteria-nitrogen), & you could plant the lettuce in the gaps. (Just a layman's thoughts)

[@REDGardens]

I was thinking of doing that, but decided against it. I tried to snap them out of the soil so that most of there roots and nodules would stay in the soil, but dint want to deal with the stubs of the old plants.

[@Razzy-sr4oq]

I envisioned a trellis EXACTLY like this year's and years ago, but lack the tools to build it. I'm reduced to staking every single bean plant individually and it's hell.

[@REDGardens]

I am really glad when I find methods that make things so much easier!

[@at1the1beginning]

How do you feel about seed saving with this many varieties planted close together? I know beans are mostly self pollinating, but hybridization does occur from time to time (if pollinators are present). Are you worried about this?

[@REDGardens]

I am not too worried, especially as there are very few pollinators in the polytunnel, and any that come in seem to ignore the beans and head for the courgette and melon plants.

[@caitrionamcgee114]

Such a pity we don't have cattle panels here. There seem to be so many uses for them in the garden. And presumably on the farm...

[@REDGardens]

Yeah. I wonder why they don't exist here like they do in other places.

[@kirstypollock6811]

Mine seem ok with no support outside. I guess they don't get so big and they are pretty dense. I'm finally getting some beans from the 2nd sowing! I'd given up hope.

[@REDGardens]

The ones we grew outside didn’t grow as tall either, didn’t really need support. The plants in the polytunnel could be 2 or 3 times taller.

[@raufjaleel8317]

When the European settlers arrived in America they saw the Native Americans were growing squash, beans and corn together ____ all in one jumbled bed. This type of companion planting known as a three sister garden.

[@raufjaleel8317]

"Cornstalks act as a trellis for the beans (the plant’s thin tendrils don’t get in the way of the growing ears). The beans, like most legumes, have a quasi-magical ability to take nitrogen from the air, where it is abundant, and convert it into a soil-bound form that is useful to other plants. This process, known as nitrogen-fixation, is especially useful to corn, which requires large quantities of the nutrient. Lastly, squash plants grow low and wide around the corn and beans, their huge leaves carpeting the ground and preventing both weed growth and evaporation of soil moisture." _________ copied from an article saw on google.

[@REDGardens]

I have two large patches of the 'three sisters' growing this year, as it is such an interesting idea. The patch outside isn't doing very well, as just not enough nitrogen and conditions are too cool here in Ireland for any of the three to grow really well. The patch in the polytunnel is completely overgrown, with the beans overwhelming the corn plants and causing a bunch of them to collapse. And the squash plants are climbing over everything else! So I obviously need to work on the density of planting, and the choice of less vigorous squad varieties. Not sure how much I will get out of it all, but very interesting to see.

[@Growveguk]

Bruce I was thinking of a solution to the very same problem this year! Simple minds think alike or is it our Irish enginuity that sends us down the rabbit hole looking for solutions to problems?? I'm Irish by decent via my grandfather in my Dad's side. Unfortunately I never got to meet him as he abandoned my father at the end of WWII in a peg basket and then left for Australia never to be seen again.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, simple minds looking at the same problem!

[@nunyabusiness7001]

hey man the reason ya not having luck reinforcing is cos ya need to re weld em. just a tack is fine ;)

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, I need to learn how to weld.

[@nunyabusiness7001]

@@REDGardens its simple af honestly haha mig is probably easiest but costly but stick is cheapest 100 bucks get a cheap stick welder and just go to town mate haha who cares about ugly welds. connect electric clamp to metal ya want to weld put ya helmet on press stick against metal congrats youre welding hahaha

[@donquixote8462]

I support my beans. Regular pep-talks and a small allowance for frivolous things here and there. 😬

[@REDGardens]

A very supportive approach!

[@sislertx]

Ive always grown bush..just so easy..i NEVER EVER USED SUPPORTS...EVER........im switching next year mainly to save space...and asthetics ...TUNNELS FOR GRAND KIDS. This fall tho ..a.summer.of.zero rain at my place..its almost.like God has smitten me..ALL AROUND ME GOT INCHES...ME... POINT 25 OF ONE INCH!!! ...NOW a fall gearing up to be massive attacks of bugs..aphids so bad in the trees that while working 3 hours underneath them yesterday it left me with hair that.felt like someone poured honey over my hair!!! I do love those cages tho...for flower support and heck may make some rather than use that plastic netting i bought 5 years ago...just something about plastic i dont like... Beans are nitrogen fixers..i always leave the roots at the very least.

[@REDGardens]

Sounds like a tough summer! I try to leave most of the roots in the ground but with these plants some ended up pulling right out.

[@arturomateo3920]

like

[@REDGardens]

🙂