[Y.E.A.H]

I've read in a book that wigwams of beans look nicer and are stronger than the common A frame method. is this correct ?

[DD.]

Aesthetics are in the eye of the beholder.

The wigwam is inherently stong as the canes support each other, but it gets very crowded at the top when the runners start to compete for space.

I always go for the traditional "A" frame, for no better reason than I've always done it that way. This is to an lesser extent self-supporting.

Then of course there's the Munty frame, but you must have seen that thread!

[grenhouse]

I grew beans in a wigwam, and the big A frame last year. For ease of picking, the A fram was much easier, its a lot harder to get the beans on the inside of the wigwam (does look better though!).

Steve

[Trillium]

While the wigwams do look nice, you'd have to have a lot of them if you're growing a number of plants.

Personally, I made a Munty frame and love it. So do the cukes which appreciate some shade and took over the underside of the frame.

[Yorkie]

I also found that the beans on the northern side of the wigwam didn't do as well as they were quite shaded by those on the southern side.  For some reason the effect didn't seem quite as marked on a row of canes, even  those running E-W 

[A. Fallowfield]

Put this up in the rain today! Probably leave the north side open, somewhere to hide!

[PennyS]

What no Munty frame? 

[Salmo]

Why are you putting the bean frames up so soon?

There should be
 - A Winter/Spring crop that will be lifted/cut by bean planting time.
 - Salads or other quick crops planned before beans
 - Ground left uncropped but cultivated to reduce weed seed.
 - Green manure

[Y.E.A.H]

i like your wigwam A. Fallowfield 

[JayG]

Runner beans are my favourite veg, not just for taste but they look attractive, produce a huge yield from a relatively small piece of ground, and are usually trouble-free.

I've been growing them for longer than anything else, and have tried all 3 support methods described here.

I agree with DD, wigwams are strong but the beans become very congested at the top and suffer a bit as a result.

The inverted "V" row works well but I have had them become uprooted by gales so I would recommend using guy ropes tied to stakes at each end of the row.

Built my Munty frame last year from angle iron because I wanted something strong and semi-permament; works well but make sure you get the orientation right (high end towards the South)

[strangerachael]

I did a compromise between a Munty and an A frame. It withstood all the gales and the beans were very easy to pick. I've never had much luck with posting pictures on here but if you visit my blog (<-- link on the left ) you can see a picture under May 2008 'and here's mine...'

[strangerachael]

I did a compromise between a Munty and an A frame. It withstood all the gales and the beans were very easy to pick. I've never had much luck with posting pictures on here but if you visit my blog (<-- link on the left ) you can see a picture under May 2008 'and here's mine...'

Sorry that should say May 2009

[PennyS]

I did a compromise between a Munty and an A frame. It withstood all the gales and the beans were very easy to pick. I've never had much luck with posting pictures on here but if you visit my blog (<-- link on the left ) you can see a picture under May 2008 'and here's mine...'

Hey that looks interesting!  I think I'll try it - thank you!
Penny 

[Y.E.A.H]

3 different options and i'm still not sure what to go for  :blink: i'll have to go down to my plot and measure my bed to see how much space i have for my beans 

[Kristen]

"3 different options"

Sorry I'm late then!

I used to use A-frame, but all the beans hung down "inside", which was annoying. I now use X-frame.  Canes crossed low down. Has the benefit of a Munty frame, in that the beans hang down in clear space for picking, but a bit less Structural Engineering required to keep the whole thing upright (and, to my mind, less time spend with String - but I have only seen pictures of Munty frame).

I put canes along the row (horizontally along the tops of both side) and some cross-supports, again at the top, for rigidity.