How to Train Bean Vines

The beans in "Jack and the Beanstalk" may have magically reached for the heavens with no help from Jack, but in real life that is not always the case. Although green beans and wax beans grow on short upright plants that don't require staking, pole beans or runner beans are a different story. These beans grow to heights of 8 feet or more and can be trained to climb poles or trellises, but they may require a little help to get them started.

Bean poles, fence or trellis
Plant ties
Rock or plant pot

Instructions

- 1
  Plant climbing beans 2 to 4 inches from the base of poles or trellises, following the recommended seed depth and spacing. Generally, you can space two to four beans per pole.
- 2
  Gently coax the vines to the trellis as soon as they are long enough to begin climbing. Because beans do not produce tendrils like peas, training them is a bit more difficult. The end of the vine simply twists around the pole, or the wire of the trellis, as it works its way to the top.
- 3
  Check daily for any stray vines that are growing away from the trellis or pole and guide them back toward the pole. Secure the vines to the pole or trellis with plant ties, if they resist your efforts.

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