I'm giving this a try for the first time myself this fall. So far I've just got the corn in (it's an heirloom sweet corn variety that's supposed to get tall), and am giving it a head start before I plant the beans, then once the beans are up hopefully I will have time to add squash (since I'm doing this in the fall I'll need my squash in by August if I want to get a harvest before winter). I do wonder about some of the recommendations people give on the internet. A lot of them seem to be from people who've never actually tried it themselves. I would say you shouldn't blindly follow any guidelines on the internet about spacing, timing, and numbers of plants, since that really depends on the varieties you choose and probably some other things. Choose a corn variety that gets tall (some sweet corn varieties do, I don't think you necessarily have to get a dent corn), and a bean variety that's not that tall. Don't plant them all at once, but plant the corn first, then the beans, then the squash. And if you fail, well, the great thing about gardening is there's always next year! I assume most of us here are white folk who haven't had the benefit of generations of gardening knowledge being handed down to us by our tribe on how to grow crops this way, so of course there's going to be a learning curve. I mean, here we are reading snippets of how to do this on the internet and trying to reproduce it in our suburban backyards with some packets of hybrid seeds from Wal-mart! I guess what I mean is if my 3S garden doesn't work out this year, I'll try again a few times before I give up, tweaking it as I go. As for modifying this method, I'm tempted to try out an African themed okra/cowpea/watermelon patch. Hmm, wonder if that would work.

Oldpot, since you are from the U.K., you are probably accustomed to growing true runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus). "Hestia" is a bush (dwarf) version of the runner bean, and tends to perform poorly in the heat of our Midwest summers (I'm across the lake from you in Wisconsin). If you are close enough to the lake to get cool breezes, or if you can keep them alive until the weather cools, you still might get pods. If this is your first time growing runner beans here, you might be disappointed. I grow quite a few of them for seed, including "Tucomares Chocolate" and "Sunset Runner" this year. While I am able to get pods, they usually come late in the season, unless we have a mid-summer cool spell. The pods also tend to be shorter than when grown in cooler climates. I agree with Fusion, that bush varieties of P. vulgaris (referred to as "French beans" in the U.K.) are the best candidates for late sowing. But there are a few very fast pole varieties that might do well. "Goldmarie" (yellow) and "Early Riser" (green) would be at the top of my list. Both have large, flat pods, and bear heavily in about 60 days.

I just leave the vines and, if necessary, water them deeply. They will produce until frost, though not as heavily as before. I too, make multiple plantings, in succession. That is the way to go. George Tahlequah, OK

Hi, I've never grown beans on a teepee before, but here's what I'm planning to try this year. Materials are: 1 - 40" (1/3' of a standard 10' length) length of 3/4" diameter EMT, 1 - 10' (may be cut down to 8' ) 1/2" diameter EMT, 1 eyebolt, 1 - 2' diameter hula hoop, 6-8 pieces of twine about 15' long each, 4 garden staples. Optional - a one hole rubber lab stopper to fit end of 1/2" conduit. Affix eyebolt to one end of the 1/2" conduit. I plan to use an inexpensive lab stopper purchased on ebay with the eyebolt attached to that, but one could just drill a hole in the conduit and attach the eyebolt through that. Tie one end of each length of twine to the eyebolt. Pound about half the length of the 3/4" conduit into the ground until it is secure. Set the hula hoop on the ground surrounding the 3/4" conduit and set the 1/2" conduit into the 3/4" conduit sleeve. Thread each end of twine under the hula hoop at the desired location and then secure the hula hoop in place using garden staples. Pull each twine tight around the hula hoop and tie off. And - voila - a bean teepee! I haven't actually tried this, but it should work. You could also use a larger diameter hula hoop. I've found both 2' and 3' diameter hoops online for about $35/dozen. (Instead of using the 3/4" conduit, one could pound a length of rebar into the ground and set the 1/2" conduit over that). What I like about this system is that it's relatively inexpensive, easy to construct, easy to take down at the end of the season, and BEST OF ALL, you don't have to climb any ladders to set it up! What do you all think? Anne