A Munty

General tips / questions on seeding & planting

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Beryl
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Has anyone tried growing their beans/peas this way? I had not heard of a Munty frame before till this week-end. So far I cannot see any advantage to any of the conventional methods and it appears to takes up more space. Maybe giving a heavier crop I don't know.

I Googled these pictures.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Mun ... ORM=IQFRML

Beryl.
Elaine
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Hello Beryl. I can't say I have ever seen or heard of this either. The only advantage I can see to it is that the beans will be easier to pick, as they are all hanging down!
I grow mine on an A Frame and some of the beans always manage to stay hidden when being harvested, ending up as huge leathery things which are neither use nor ornament . :)
Happy with my lot
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Pa Snip
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Interesting, does look as if it could take up a fair amount of ground space square footage though.

Can't see as it would improve cropping, or for that matter make harvesting any easier than leaving decent gaps between canes on a conventional bean setup.

The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.

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oldherbaceous
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Morning Beryl, i haven't seen this method before, either, maybe the top ones would be easier to pick from underneath but, the lower ones, up to the middle would be very awkward....
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Pa Snip
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I have already put bean canes up for this year in the conventional manner

but I wouldn't mind giving the X frame version shown on that page Beryl posted the link to

Xframe.jpg
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The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.

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oldherbaceous
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Morning Pa Snip, if using the X frame method, you really need hazel poles. The trouble being, if bamboo's are used, they do tend break above where the horizontal cane goes, especially the lower this goes.

Hope you can see what i'm trying to explain.... :)
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Pa Snip
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Hi OH

Yes can see exactly what you mean, in fact you have just confirmed my feared thoughts of using that method.

The opportunity to get anything other than bamboo canes around these parts arises somewhat infrequently.

Did get the opportunity to buy some decent poles about 3 years back but they are now breaking up as well

The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.

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Primrose
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No, I've never heard of this and can't see really what it's purpose is unless it's to put your garden recliner underneath the overhanging foliage and shelter from the sun whilst imbibing your gin and tonic and watching the bees, and the beans grow! :lol: .

I grow my own climbing beans up individual vertical poles in a border as space is tight in my garden and this is the most economical way of growing them without shutting out all the sunlight from other vegetables in my veg plot. Growing climbing vegetables does need a certain amount of planning in terms of sunshine and shade and how other vegetables are affected. Do you have any idea where this particular design originated? I've never even heard the name before.
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Geoff
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I've seen pictures like that before but not called munty. The only alternative to the A-frame I've ever thought of trying is the (almost) V-frame featured in the magazine once - Joyce Russell April 2011 pp 66-68.
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FredFromOssett
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Fifty years ago my father used to use a T-shaped frame constructed from timber (probably about 3” square!) sunk into metal sockets – today’s equivalent would probably be Metposts; mind you, he was a master joiner. His argument for this shaped frame was that all the beans hung outside the frame. Virtually identical to your V-frame I suppose.

Not having his joinery skills, and having to rely on bamboo canes when I started growing, I made the nearest alternative I could devise and constructed an X-frame. I've used an X-frame for many years now with the horizontal about half way up. I use good quality bamboo canes and have not had problems with the tops of the canes breaking. The higher beans are certainly easier to see and to harvest as they hang outside the vines.

It may seem 'over the top' but I install alternate pairs of canes above and below the horizontal to prevent any movement of this, and also add an internal diagonal bracing cane at each end of the frame to ensure total stability in high winds. The overall result is a strong frame with good lateral rigidity.

I suppose the main thing is that it works for me.
Beryl
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Very interesting discussion - thanks everyone; think I will stick with my 2 rows either side of the path that grow across the top into a small tunnel. I can walk between and still pick the beans hanging down easily. Takes up far less space.

Beryl.
Monika
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Just looked at the "Munty" frame. Surely, the inside beans will be completely in shade? We grow ours on straight poles, accessible from both sides, but I do like your idea of growing them as a tunnel, Beryl, though even there, the beans inside the tunnel will be shaded, won't they?
Beryl
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Yes they are more shaded Monika but they aren't any different to the ones on the outside. Maybe the outside flowers get pollenated first. I still get a very heavy crop.

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Beryl
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This is my runner bean frame.

Beryl.
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robo
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I made one very similar to beryls last year it was around 3.5 meters long i made it out of 2 x 1 inch batten this year ive used the same frame but only one sided which is around 5 .5 meters long and i have slopped the peanets out at the bottom on both sides
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