Southwest Bean Poles

 

 

  

Every year, as we plan our garden, we look for better ways to design and improve. We always plant beans and bush varieties are easy to harvest, but a couple of heirloom favorites still require climbing space. Our beloved pole beans are: Kentucky Wonder, Scarlet Runner, Painted Lady, and a 1930 Ozark purple bean. We plant these for the flavorful beans and colorful flowers. The red, white, pink and yellow flowers attract hummingbirds and nectar loving birds and insects.

A Creative Pole Bean Structure. When you want to create structures for sprawling beans, it can be challenging and construction can be labor intensive and expensive. Winter is hard on untreated wooden stakes. Metal posts can detract from natural, woodland settings, and pre-built climbing cages can be costly.

Over twenty years ago we found the perfect material for constructing poles and cages for beans and other climbing vines. Once dried, the Southwest succulents called Agave (a-gaugh-vē) parryi are now our building material of choice. The tall candelabras with dried flowering tops are ideal structures that last for years. Pagination

What is Agave? Agaves have been used by native people for food, fiber, and ornamentation for hundreds of years. The plants are popular with landscapers and gardeners in warm climates. Gardeners use agaves in low water gardens, which adds stunning green and blue colors, texture, and style to landscape design. 

When the agave completes its blooming season, the tall candelabra-like branch or mast (sometimes up to 15 feet high) collapses on the ground. In our mountainous area of New Mexico and Arizona, heavy snowfall in the mountains can also cause the blooms to topple.

A Good Way to Recycle. Since the agave poles are made of dried, natural fiber and wood they can become tall, elegant displays – even before the plants climb to the top. They provide excellent perches for insect eating birds, especially flycatchers and bluebirds, which dive and hunt from these lookouts. As the poles become covered with plants or vines, children can have fun in the teepees, playing hide-and-seek, while searching for beans to pick. It can be a great way to build a natural “fort” for the kids.

When you’re done with the bean poles, simply fold for re-use the next year. Mother Nature and I love to recycle in the garden and these agave poles help the process. After about 3-5 years (depending how you store them, they recycle nicely in the compost bin!

How to Harvest Agave Poles

1. Find an area where agave grows abundantly.
2.  Wear a long sleeved shirt and heavy gloves - watch for the plant’s heavily armed spears on the ends of each succulent leaf.
3.  Use a serrated saw or pruning branch cutters to harvest and trim the dead blooms.
4.  Shake dirt, seeds and other debris from the poles before removing from its original site.
5.  Since the poles are lightweight, secure them in truck bed. They are long (tall) and usually won’t fit in a car.

How to Make Agave Bean Poles

1. Divide the agave poles into piles of similar lengths.
2. Choose four that are approximately the same length and lay on the ground together.
3.  Join them loosely together with a piece of wire or jute string at the top, just below the lowest bloom.
4.  Slowly stand and open the teepee of poles, then secure wire at the top. I like to do this in the garden space to make it easier. Once the beans cover the poles the structure will need to support more weight.
5. Bury each pole several inches into the ground and level in place.
6.  Plant beans in a circle around the base of each pole (about 2” apart).
7. Create a basin or well around the bean poles to allow the seeds and plants to soak up water as they grow. You can install drip hose around the base of teepee if you prefer.
8. As the beans grow, it is necessary to train the beans against the poles with loose fitting jute or gardening ties. After the vines reach the top, the plants will grow easily on their own – climbing around the poles to form the teepees.
9. When the pole beans have taken “hold” – you can also sow sister plants (squash, pumpkin, tomatoes, or greens) in the center of poles. These will grow outward toward light. from the middle.

 

Regulations for Gathering Agave Poles. It’s important to check with the USDA-USFS to see if a permit is required in your area to gather the dead (and fallen) agave wood. If so, it can be considered "free-use" or similar to obtaining a permit for gathering pine cones, seeds or branches. The cost should be minimal (but could be as much as $20) to harvest the dead masts. These permits may only be valid for 30 days, so plan ahead.