For climbing plants, such as garden peas and green beans, you can’t beat this teepee-style support for simplicity and portability (the bamboo poles make it relatively lightweight). To secure the tower in place, all you need to do is drive a few spikes into the ground and wire or tie the bottom of the poles to them.
T-PEA TOWER. This bamboo plant support is ideal for climbing peas and beans, and it’s a snap to erect.
Lumber
Ten ½" bamboo poles (6' long)
Supplies
¼"-thick rope or wire
Strong rubber band
Ten gutter spikes
Tools
Utility knife
Wire cutter
Hammer
Assembling the t-pea. Choose your garden location. Bundle the bamboo together, and wrap the rubber band around the top of the bundle. Spread the bottom of the bundle to create the perimeter of a teepee, with the poles spaced equally apart.
Hammer the gutter spikes into the ground around the perimeter, each one perpendicular to the end of a pole. Tie or wire the bamboo to the spikes to secure the structure to the ground. Reinforce the rubber band at the top of the teepee with rope or wire.
FIG. 1
Teepee Planting Tips
Unlike bush beans, pole beans can grow as tall as 6' to 8' and will benefit greatly from a teepee-style structure to climb. If the poles of your teepee are farther apart than the one featured here, fill the spaces with a zigzag pattern of twine to provide additional climbing surfaces. When planting the seeds, space them about 2" apart around the perimeter of the teepee. As the vines mature, train them to climb the poles, and mulch with straw or grass clippings to help retain soil moisture.
