I have a bunch of hog fence panels (48"x 16').
Since it hurts too much squatting down or bending over while picking beans, figured I'd try this experiment.
Come springtime I plan to take one panel and bend it at 90 degrees 6 feet from each end. Kinda like an inverted "U". That would leave me with a 4 foot wide center.
I like White Half-Runner beans. My thinking is....if I plant the beans along the outside edge and inside edge of the inverted "U" shaped trellis is that they will all grow at the same pace until the ones one the outside edges get more sun and grow faster than the beans planted on the inside edges. Thus, the beans on the inside edges should begin to shoot 'runners' trying to search for more light. Therefore, the plants on the inside will grow higher and hopefully cover the top of the 6 foot tall 'trellis'.
The 4 foot wide opening inside the trellis should still give me room to run the tiller to keep weed control down.
I'm thinking this should make picking the beans much easier. Just walk through the tunnel and outside edges and pick the beans without having to do a lot of stooping and bending.
I also plan to use another hog panel, of the same size, only placed perpendicular to the ground....16' long and 48" high.
Then I will weigh the amount of beans produced from both arraignments to see which produces more beans.
I have always planted my half-runners in rows and will do so again this spring. I just hate all the stooping, crawling and bending it takes to pick them.
So, with this experiment, I'm hoping to be able to harvest the same amount(or close to it) of beans as did with just planting in rows. Only, this time, I won't have to stoop, crawl or bend as much.
Anyone tried this or have thoughts/ideas on this scenario?
Since it hurts too much squatting down or bending over while picking beans, figured I'd try this experiment.
Come springtime I plan to take one panel and bend it at 90 degrees 6 feet from each end. Kinda like an inverted "U". That would leave me with a 4 foot wide center.
I like White Half-Runner beans. My thinking is....if I plant the beans along the outside edge and inside edge of the inverted "U" shaped trellis is that they will all grow at the same pace until the ones one the outside edges get more sun and grow faster than the beans planted on the inside edges. Thus, the beans on the inside edges should begin to shoot 'runners' trying to search for more light. Therefore, the plants on the inside will grow higher and hopefully cover the top of the 6 foot tall 'trellis'.
The 4 foot wide opening inside the trellis should still give me room to run the tiller to keep weed control down.
I'm thinking this should make picking the beans much easier. Just walk through the tunnel and outside edges and pick the beans without having to do a lot of stooping and bending.
I also plan to use another hog panel, of the same size, only placed perpendicular to the ground....16' long and 48" high.
Then I will weigh the amount of beans produced from both arraignments to see which produces more beans.
I have always planted my half-runners in rows and will do so again this spring. I just hate all the stooping, crawling and bending it takes to pick them.
So, with this experiment, I'm hoping to be able to harvest the same amount(or close to it) of beans as did with just planting in rows. Only, this time, I won't have to stoop, crawl or bend as much.
Anyone tried this or have thoughts/ideas on this scenario?