cattle panel arch

obrionusa

14 years ago

I have a cattle panel arch bent to grow pole beans on. How many beans are neeeded for each wire?

Comments (5)

anney
14 years ago
obrionusa

I think those arches are so cool!

I'd forget about the wires in the panel. Just space the beans at the 4-ft. base the same way you'd space them if they were growing with a vertical trellis, at about 6 inches, though spacing depends on variety. They'll find the trellis, even if you have to give some varieties (like Fortex) a little encouragement. I use the 16-ft. straight cattle panel for my bean trellises, and the beans always make their way up to the top. None of the beans gets left out or too crowded if their roots have enough room.

You should be able to plant on both sides of it so one arch can carry 16 feet of row.
obrionusa
Original Author
14 years ago
So Anney do you have an arch like mine and plant on each side of the cattle panel? I have 10 panels per side. that would make 20 seeds per side, Right?
anney
14 years ago
obrionusa

No, I don't make arches of my cattle panel, I use them straight.

Don't they measure 4 feet x 16 feet? Actually I think mine are 52 inches x 16 feet. Or are yours 5 feet x 16 feet? Since the 16 feet is used for the arch height, you're left with the short measure for the sides and planting rows. If your wire openings are spaced at 1 foot intervals and your side measure is five feet, then wouldn't you plant 10-12 seeds per side and 20-24 for both sides if you space them at 6 inches?

When I space my bean seeds 6 inches apart, that's 32 bean seeds if I plant only along one side of the 16 foot stretch, but I double it because I plant on both sides.
obrionusa
Original Author
14 years ago
Ok, So plant one row of beans per side of cattle panel 6" apart per side of the cattle panel. Sorry, dont mean to be dumb founded, But I was raised by bush beans all my life.
Are you the same one that has this bragged about salsa recipe that everyone talks about come fall?
anney
14 years ago
obrionusa

Yeah, bush beans can usually be spaced more closely than pole beans.

LOL! No, I've never even made salsa, but I have heard people raving about Annie's salsa, maybe on the Harvest forum. I don't know who Annie is!

Have fun with that arch! If I can afford a couple more of the cattle panels next year, I may do that myself, but my local Tractor Supply Company has jacked up the price of them by $10 since I bought my third one last year. And their $19.99 general fertilizer has increased to $30 this year. Wish my income had increase by 50%.