[savbo]

I'm planning on growing all my beans in a 4m x 1.2m deep bed that runs north-south, with about 2m for runners and climbing french beans and 2m for broad beans. Would a 2m munty frame work if aligned east-west? or 2 short (1.2m wide) ones 2m apart with the broad beans underneath? Or should I just do the traditional tent-shaped structure?

M

[Kristen]

I don't do Munty simply because I crop-rotate my climbing beans.

But if the decision was based around a fixed location for climbing beans there is no doubt in my mind that I would Munty them.

How long before "Munty" becomes a verb in the OED I wonder?!!

[savbo]

I'm also planning on rotation, so was thinking of a mobile munty, but what type of frame to you use in your rotation Kristen?

[Kristen]

I use X-frame.  Same as A-Frame - row of canes with a horizontal cane at the top, but X-frame has the cross over 1/3rd from the bottom, and horizontal canes along the top, and some bracing between the two rows.

The A-frame has the benefit that it is easy to construct because the horizontal at the top is "captured" where the poles cross.

The X-frame is a bit more troublesome because you do have to brace the two rows of canes at the top (otherwise wind and crop-weight will collapse things)

But on the plus side X-frame has the benefit of fruit hanging in the clear, like Munty.  And even in seasons when I have been pretty slapdash the thing hasn't collapsed.

[savbo]

sounds good - will give it a go!

[Trillium]

I Munty my climbing beans and the poor frame is sagging from the huge harvests I get. The original point of orienting the frame north to south, actually it should be a bit more north to the south east, is that the morning sun seems to better enhance fruiting and overall growth. Perhaps it's the slightly weaker early light that works better on beans, I don't really know, but when someone has such great success, I don't argue with it.

My frame can easily be moved but it needs 2 people. If I can't find a second body, my neighbour is always willing to help.

[Paul Plots]

No "munty" for me!! 

I tried it and it looked great, the beans hung down in all the right places but.........

It took up more room than I want to spare for beans.
Meant clambering around underneath to pick the lowest growing
Crops underneath did well but it was difficult to find foot-spaces to reach the beans growing overhead.

If I had loads more room I would use the munty-frame.

[Trillium]

Learner, how tall was your frame? Mine stands over 6ft at the south opening, and is only about 2 ft wide at the sides. Makes picking quite easy and accessible.

[JayG]

I've seen many Munty frame pictures posted on this forum and clearly the basic idea has been interpreted in many different ways!

Mine is about 6' at the south end and 2' 6" at the north end, so most of the growing "height" of about 8' is on the diagonal slope.

I've got a suspicion that the premature end to cropping of my Celebration runners may be due to the later flowers being much more accessible to birds (mainly sparrows) on the diagonal than when more or less upright (when the flowers are held more or less straight out at right angles from the plant.) It did seem that the beans grown up the tall uprights kept going considerably longer than the others.

It's only a guess; this year I shall probably revert to White Lady and try and rig up some sort of protective netting over the diagonal area, so if successful I shall be none the wiser as to which change worked! 

[Trillium]

White Lady is a lovely tasting bean but I found it wasn't quite as prolific as Polestar which I wasn't as fond of.

[Paul Plots]

Learner, how tall was your frame? Mine stands over 6ft at the south opening, and is only about 2 ft wide at the sides. Makes picking quite easy and accessible.

Well I did my best to follow the instructions and advice.... easily 6' high at its highest and about 4' high at its lowest. Problem was scampering around under the 4' high bit to pick the danglers!!  

PS I grew a few white lady last year - lovely beans but certainly not so many of them as the scarlet runners and various mixed up saved seed produced.

JayG - you confused me again!! 

[JayG]

JayG - you confused me again!! 

Oh dear!

Don't know which bit was confusing, and haven't got time to sort it out as I'm off to a panto shortly (OH YES I AM!) 

[Christo]

I'm just planning my bean frame now. Can anyone direct me to the page with instructions for the Munty Frame? Thanks.   

[mumofstig]

here you go

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=50801.msg210409#msg210409

[Trillium]

Learner, time to give those moths in your purse a breather and buy a proper packet of White Lady seeds