| I put in a vegetable garden for the first time this year and used more enthusiasm than research. I planted two rows of beans, one bush (Bush Bean Blue Lake 47) and the other pole (La France). Both have started to come up. The description of the La France states that it needs no support. Is this correct? Would I nonetheless have better results staking the plants? If so, it's too late for me to use the teepee method, so how would you recommend staking them? Do I need a separate pole for each plant? And will I need to tie the plants to the poles, or is this unnecessary? Similarly, do super sugar snaps need to be staked, and if so, what's the best way to do it? (Mine are planted in two rows about 2-3 inches apart). The tendrils are starting to intertwine. Will they support each other? Thanks for any advice you may have. |
| Pole beans are climbing vines that need poles or other supports such as trellis or a mesh fence, bush beans grow as short plants needing no support, and filet or "French" beans can be either pole or bush (most however are bush types) and are varieties selected to be picked when they are still very skinny -- under 1/4 inch in diameter -- and are very tender. La France is a bush type filet bean and will not climb so you don't need to support it. Super Sugar Snaps need a tall support such as a pea fence as they may grow as high as 5 or 6 feet tall. Use a support post or pole at each end or at intervals the length of the row and string wire or nylon mesh, or simply weave your own string, to form a trellis for the peas. They will wrap their little tendrils around and through the strings and haul themselves up like magic -- you won't need to help at all them once they find the fence. |
