Will Pole Beans Wrap Around 1x1 Square Poles?

[Chuckers]

I always used 3/4" round poles but they are very old and no longer usable. But I have quite a few 1" x 1" square wooden poles I could use. But will the beans wrap properly around these poles being that they're square and also kinda thick? Trying to not buy new pols if I don't have to as money is tight this year.

If you think these won't work, what do you think of 3/4" galvanized metal electrical conduit? Will these be too slippery?

 

[Chuck]

Sure they will work

 

[Meadowlark]

They will find a way. If it were me, I would arrange the 1x1 in "teepee" triangle style of three poles to each "teepee" to facilitate climbing. Same for the metal ones.

To illustrate:

 

[Chuckers]

I don't really have room for a TP this year. What I typically do is just angle a pole about 70 degrees and then rest it and attach it to one of the T-posts on one of the corners of my garden.

 

[headfullofbees]

I know it's not helpful for you Chuckers, but when I grow pole beans, I grow them on 8' canes in a row of "x"s supported and tied into another 8ft horizontal cane 1/2-way up
X-X-X-X
When I do this, I find it not only gives a little better wind resistance, as the wind pushes one half up & the other half down, and it's easier to pick the beans; I get 8ft in length for approx. 6'6" in height, & the beans hang vertically, so they are easier to see.
At ground level, they are correct at normal spacing (10 inches & 18inches to two feet)

 

[Hatfield Country]

I think pole beans will climb about anything, at least mine do

 

[Ruderunner]

This.

I use lattice or the chain link fence.

A couple posts and some netting work too

 

[Chuckers]

This.

I use lattice or the chain link fence.

A couple posts and some netting work too

I don't have any of that nor can I afford to buy it right now. But I have the things mentioned in my OP, hence the reason I'm asking specifically about those things. But thanks for the response anyhow.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Like Headfullofbees I also use 8ft bamboos, but I have supported the end of the row against the wind with a bit of 1" square I had , and the end bean had no problem catching hold of it and growing a side shoot up it. I don't know if the terminology is the same in the US, but I find what I call 'Runner beans', with a purple seed you wouldn't eat, support themselves better than climbing 'French beans', with an edible haricot type seed. I reckon either would do fine though.

 

[Chuckers]

Well I found my difinitive answer. While the beans will wrap around and climb up a 1 inch square pole, the "grab" it has on the square pole is very weak such that even a 6 mph breeze will tend to unwrap it. This year has been uncommonly breezy in my area so this has become a problem. I will not be using square poles for climbing beans in the future.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Nothing in gardening is ever definitive

Might other types of beans be okay? a more sheltered spot? etc.

I once grew morning glory up a bathroom down pipe by wrapping string around it, the pipe, not the plant, but that is pretty irrelevant

Nothing for it, you will have to dig deep and get some bamboo, remember to support it well against the prevailing wind, bean plants make for a lot of windage when they are grown.

 

[Chuckers]

Nothing in gardening is ever definitive

Might other types of beans be okay? a more sheltered spot? etc.

I once grew morning glory up a bathroom down pipe by wrapping string around it, the pipe, not the plant, but that is pretty irrelevant

Nothing for it, you will have to dig deep and get some bamboo, remember to support it well against the prevailing wind, bean plants make for a lot of windage when they are grown.

You're right. Definitive was a bad word. But for me, I won't ever again use square poles for beans since I don't know which (if any) will grab well onto a square pole but I do know (now) some won't. It may work out in the end, but round poles have never failed me. But as stated in my OP, times are tough and I just used what I had. But never again.