# Build a Teepee Trellis for Pole Beans



## epeavey1 (Jun 23, 2012)

To make the Tee Pee Trellis what else can you use besides bamboo?


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## Tee (Mar 26, 2009)

Hi Ellen,

Yes, you can use whatever you have to create the Tee Pee Trellis. If you can't find bamboo, you can use small metal poles, or even some small tree branches for a real rustic look. I use bamboo because it's readily available, fairly cheap (or free) and durable.


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## connie1 (Mar 3, 2011)

Thats neat! I've seen those in the garden of Monticello. I didn't know you could grow cucumbers on these as well. I like that idea too!


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## Tee (Mar 26, 2009)

Hi Connie - a teepee like this works really well for pole beans. You can grow just about any vining plant on them, but it needs to be a plant that has the long tendrils, like pole beans.

It worked OK for peas, but they don't have the long, clingy tendrils like pole beans or cucumbers.


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## Polly (Mar 24, 2011)

I tried using willow branches and bending it into a dome to grow peas over - it all worked find except that the willows took root and started to grow leaves, which isn't that bad I suppose except it took a bit of moisture out of the soil. I took them out at the end of the season so I didn't get full on trees growing in my vegetable garden!


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## Billie_Frayer (Apr 8, 2011)

I couldn't find bamboo poles, the plastic type to expensive but Lowe's
had sets of 6 1 inch pine states that are about 5 ft. tall. I put up 4 poles
but may have them too far apart as teepee is onlyabout 4 ft tall. Do I
need more poles and closer together - mine are probably 2 ft apart. Mu
beans are ready to be put in the garden so need a really quick reply =
I am a 78 yr. old novice gardner who has box gardens total 5 8 x 4 beds.
Help quickly!! Thanks


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## Tee (Mar 26, 2009)

Hi Billie - Two feet apart isn't too far apart - it should be fine. The teepee only being 4 ft tall should be fine as well. It would be better if it were a little taller (like 5 or 6 feet tall), but 4 feet will work. You may need to cut off the end of the bean plants once they begin growing taller than the teepee. This will help to keep them bushy and more productive as well.

If you have any more questions feel free to contact me directly using the contact page. I'll be glad to help in any way I can.

Thanks for your question, Billie, and have a great day!


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## Teresa_Griffiths (Apr 9, 2011)

I have made a tee pee out of 6 bambo poles about 18" apart and about 4 ft tall. I have a hill of loose dirt around each pole. How many seeds can I plant to each pole. Thanks for taking the time to help me! I would like to plant in the morning so would appreciate a quick answer.


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## Tee (Mar 26, 2009)

Hi Teresa - I would allow just one plant to grow per pole. I tried growing two plants per pole last year and I think it was one too many. So create a hole to the depth listed for sowing on the seed packet (pole beans are usually sowed at 1 inch to 1-1/2 inches deep, but refer to your seed packet to make sure) about an inch or two from the pole.

Sow two seeds per teepee pole in the same hole (rhymed!). You sow two seed per hole as insurance. If one doesn't germinate the other one should.

I hope this help, Teresa. Hopefully, I didn't confuse you. If you have any other questions, please let me know.


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## Sandra1 (Apr 12, 2011)

Should/could we start the pole bean seeds inside and then transfer?


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## Tee (Mar 26, 2009)

Hi Sandra - Pole beans should be sowed outdoors after the chance of frost has passed, and it's about 75 or so during the day. You can soak the seeds over night in water to help speed up the germination rate. Just fill a small tupperware bowl with about an inch of warm (not hot) water and let it sit on the counter over night. By the next morning the seeds will be swollen and ready to plant.

It's really tricky trying to transplant beans because they do not like their roots disturbed.


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## Jim1 (Apr 25, 2011)

Do you think 3 - 8 ft. bamboo pools in a tee pee form would be sufficient to grow cucumbers?


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## Tee (Mar 26, 2009)

Hi Jim - if you planted a cucumber at the base of each leg then I think it should work just fine. You may need to "train" the vine to crawl up the pole by wrapping it around the pole a few times. After that it will learn what to do and grow right up.


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## Jim1 (Apr 25, 2011)

Thank you! Will get it a try.


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## kelly2 (May 5, 2011)

Awesome! Thank you so much for the step by step. This is my first year having a veggi garden and your site was very useful. Thanks again.


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## Tom1 (May 8, 2011)

Thanks for sharing this, Jim! I've found that this is a great and inexpensive way to grow anything vine-like, whether it is vegetables with tendrils or clematis and morning glory! If you can find the bamboo poles, the rustic look is very cool once the plants start climbing! The one addition I've made in the past, though, is to wrap the teepee with netting. I usually use clear plastic netting, but you can also find biodegradable netting that is made of jute twine, so you can just cut the netting off at the end of the season, vines and all, and toss it all in the compost heap.


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## Sean_Noonan (Oct 30, 2011)

Hi Tee,
As i live in New Zealand i'm 6 months adrift of your seasons but i can work through that. I've planted cucumbers for the first time this year and found your site very useful so far, i didn't realise i needed a trellis until this week so luckily i've found some wire fencing left over from my landlord which i'll use for the trellis with probably bamboo supports for it, i guess it wont matter whether its vertical or at an angle. How many fruits will i get per plant (rough estimate) and how high do they grow?? 
I have tomatoes and pepper's growing on my deck in planters made from old pallets lined in plastic so it's all looking good so far.
Regards Sean.


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## susie1 (Apr 18, 2012)

Are 1"x8ft. bamboo poles, overkill? They sold in bundles of 25 for 90.00. My husband wants to use 3/4 " white pvc pipe cut to size-----it is a lot cheaper, but not so pleasant to look at. Is it too slippery? It is durable and lasts forever, that's for sure. I want to grow mini pumpkins too, so it has to be somewhat sturdy.

Thanks for your site. Really informative.


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## Laurel (Apr 24, 2012)

I'm looking for something this simple but to use to train zucchini. Any ideas? 
Thanks
L


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## Rick_Osborne (May 7, 2012)

I enjoyed your simple ways of making a trellis. It has given me ideas as other types to now create my own mixing a couple ideas. I like your frame but I believe I will use saplings for cross member crossed and nailed to your frame. I am new to gardening. I want to make pickles and so growing my own cuc's has gotten me started. I'm going to be using a double stacked pallet for my garden. I like the pallet idea but feel a little more depth to my soil would be advantagous.


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## gardenfreek51 (May 10, 2012)

You can use anything for poles. I saved all the small to medium-sized branches from a tree I cut down last year and plan to built a network of sticks with criss-crosses in the middle for beans to grow up. I also saved a bunch of 1"x2" boards that were used for the edge pieces of packing boxes. The hardest part is just getting the poles to stay securely in the ground so they won't be tipped over by the wind or the sheer weight of whatever you grow on them. I dig small holes to put the poles into, then heap soil around them. I hope these suggestions help someone.


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## Lori2 (May 17, 2012)

Hi Tee!-
I love reading all your helpful articles and responses. But I am in the same boat as Susie above--I am wondering if I can use PVC pipe instead of bamboo. I could only find 5' length bamboo at Home Depot, and it's really, really skinny. 

One more question--in another above post, Tom mentions using netting. So, I was also wondering if I use six of my skinny bamboo poles, but keep them farther apart, can I wrap all in nylon netting and then plant more than 6 plants at the bottom and just train an additional 6 to grow up the netting between the poles? 

Thanks Tee!!!


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## brittni (May 22, 2012)

hi,

this is my first garden, i've been reading your articles and you mention making a teepee so that green beans/cucumbers can grow up it. my question is you said you have to train cucumbers to go up the teepee, does that mean once it sprouts from the ground or when it gets a certain height?


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## pete1 (Aug 11, 2012)

I agree with Tee....the past two years I planted 3 seeds per teepee leg and let them all grow....I had 3 teepees that were/are 6ft tall and cover a total of 5ft wide....the greens are so thick you can not see thru them or even throw a baseball thru it!!!! the downside is the last two years that is all I have gotten....lots of vines and leaves but little to no flowers or beans...I think the denisty is preventing pollination and suggest one plant per leg like Tee suggested. good luck to all


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## jupiter cat (May 27, 2017)

Thank you. This blog had all of the information I was looking for. I would like to add a helpful hint about poking the poles in the ground: I always have a supply of poles from tree branches and have found that they are very a very useful alternative to buying supports from the store. But, they don't lend themselves to being pounded into the ground. My helpful hint is that I keep a heavy metal pole (I have two; One is an old tie rod from a truck and the other is an old axle from a vehicle[available for a pittance at any auto wrecking yard]). When I want to "plant" poles in the garden I first jab the pointy end of my tie rod or axle into the ground and if necessary bang on it a couple of times with a hand-held 2 1/2 pound sledge hammer or pull it out and force it down further. I usually do this then stick the wood pole in and determine where I want to cut it that way I don't end up with the pole being too short in the end. I then wiggle the metal rod around to create a funnel shaped hole, stick my wood stake in it and stomp the dirt down to make things secure.


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