Ok, I have this idea of growing scarlet runner beans (which I love) which can get upwards of eight to ten feet tall up the tree's and allow them to grow up the outside edges as they will on the front edge line of a row of tree's, so there would be able to grow out to get full sun as required, the tree's are about 6 to 10 feet tall, and if it works right, they would have red blooms on them (which is just pretty) but also they would allow the beans to hang in the air for ease of picking..
The plan we are using is to make them their own dirt mound just back a foot or so from the base of the tree's , planted four in a ring around the tree and then help them attach as they start grow in up it and then just let them go to town, now its important to note that these are wild native tree's that I picked for fast growth, and they are planned tree's to be removed out as the smaller fruiting tree's, bushes and lilacs grow up to take their place, so I am not worried at all if the bean vines slow down the years growth on the tree's themselves.
Ok, what do you think? I have grown pumpkins up trees, with the fruit hanging over limbs etc so I can't see why it would not work well with climber beans.. Anyone tried this and if so, any advice to give?
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I have done this for several years and it works fine for me only I found the beans climbed 8 to 10 feet. but I have not tried it on live trees. I used them to screen a dead douglas fir cut off 10 feet up, a prop we didn't want to actually cut to the ground. i used small poles such as water birch or alder to train the vines to the tree. Best to circle the tree with pots of soil, plant four or five seeds in each pot, and use one stick in the pot to train the vines. Gives a fuller look to the vines.
Thanks, that was helpful, I wanting the beans in the soil itself to help feed the different other things I am growing in the food forest so I would not want to use pots, as I want that soil fixing, and I will use less beans per tree as they are living.. but good to know that the idea is sound 🙂
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I'm trying scarlet runners for the first time this year. I'm growing them up the side of a garden shed. I just stapled chicken wire to the shed and they are climbing just fine. The tree thing sounds cool.