I use galvanized electrical conduit pole bean trellises. They are about 7' tall and about 3 to 3 and 1/2' wide. I push the conduit into the ground a bit, and then nestle it in the channel of 4' metal stakes, which I pound well into the ground. I line the trellis with concrete reinforcing wire. It's all worked very well for me.

But.......it's getting harder and harder for me to lean over a lot, to pull weeds, etc., so I'm changing over to raised stock tanks. I have some of the stock tanks now, set on either 2 cement blocks high, and some just on one high.

I think I'll end up putting them all just on 1 cement block high (on their sides, 4 per 6' long stock tank).

Anyhow.........here's my question. I am going to use 4' long stock tanks for each of my pole bean varieties. I put the trellis right behind the stock tank this year, which meant that I could only grow beans on one side of the trellis, on one side of the stock tanks. But next year, I want to center the trellis in the middle of the stock tank. So that means that I will put the the conduit pipe into the ground on both ends of the stock tanks...........and begin the wire mesh just a few inches above the soil in the stock tank.

This means the width of my top poles will have to be at least 5' wide. I use 1/2" conduit.

My concern is that a 5' width might be too wide to be stable. But since the trellis will be in the middle of the stock tank, I can't easily add another pole in the middle. Do you think 5' width will be too unstable?

Also........since the stock tank will be a bit off the ground, and the beans will be on top of about 15" of soil, they will start growing up the mesh at about 25".............so the tops of the trellises will need to be even higher........maybe 9' high? That might make it less stable too.

Sorry if this is confusing. I just don't want to make an unstable trellis and have it fall towards the end of the season. I appreciate any input/suggestions you might have.

Thanks!