[Lisa62]

I've been offered some 8ft scaffold poles and thought I'd make a permanent football goal style frame for my beans.  I thought I would just knock them in the ground to make a 6ft high frame (have a ramming tool available).  Would sinking them 2ft in the ground give enough stability or should I use post-mix to set them in?

[sunshineband]

Depends how windy your site is, and from what direction.

A well grown bean frame acts a bit like a sail in high winds

But only use post mix if you are certain certain certain you are never going to move it.

You could use 45deg braces made out of metal fence pins attached by cable ties instead

[spudlover]

i got scaffold up on my plot.my up right tubes are 3 foot in the ground. but they are 10 foot long.if i was you put them in the gound 3 foot down.do you have scaffold fixing.put a scaffold tube going cross like a goal.when get 8 foot garden cane. that what i done.it never came down in strong winds.2 foot in the ground may all come down with a bang.

[Sparkyrog]

Rule of thumb for a post that's going to take weight ie a gate post is a third of it's length in the ground , hope that helps

[Yana]

Lisa can I ask where you got the scaffold poles from please? I want to do exactly the same thing but can't source scaffold poles at (what I consider to be) a reasonable price.
I've tried scaffold-direct but they seem a bit pricey.

[8doubles]

If you can get 5 poles and put two each end A frame style stability will be good without concrete.
A housebrick under each leg will be needed if the soil is soft !

[mumofstig]

Here, we aren't allowed to use postcrete or anything like that to fix poles in.

Sinking then in deep holes and ramming the earth in hard around them seems to work ok though.

[Lisa62]

Yana, I work for a gardening services company and we have a yard full of junk!

Thanks to everyone else for your advice.

[spudlover]

Lisa can I ask where you got the scaffold poles from please? I want to do exactly the same thing but can't source scaffold poles at (what I consider to be) a reasonable price.
I've tried scaffold-direct but they seem a bit pricey.

look on ebay sometime you can be lucky  if the seller come from your part of the county

[grinling]

make sure your soil has good drainage as that might cause problems.

[superpete]

Is this what you mean? - these poles were squeezed flat at the ends and drilled so's to enable bolting together - the three uprights are probably nearly three foot in the ground (can't really remember) - it's the one (two) across the top keeps it all rigid. It hasn't moved an inch.

[green jack]

i have used harris fencing as it seems to bee the norm on this site i'm on, i have knocked it in and fixed it to the raised beds and it feels very solid so hopefully it will stay put, if it does look like it might move i will brace it to the battens.

[superpete]

I like those pics Jack - I can see you mean business:-)

[green jack]

thanks pete, it is mine and the father inlaws first season so who knows 

[taytors]

ive got old polytunnel frame was thinking of growing beans up that
this year.If that works will prob make it a permanent fixture