Scarlet runner beans turned into a bean tree. Photo: www.gardenfocused.co.uk
If you store your cut Christmas tree outdoors over the winter until its needles all drop off, you can easily turn it into a large branching plant stake: a bean tree.
In late spring or early summer, stand it up in the vegetable garden, inserting the base of the trunk into ground, using a few tent pegs to hold down the lower branches for better support. Then simply sow seeds of climbing vegetables, like pole beans, runner beans, peas or squash in the ground all around the outer branches.
As the seeds sprout, their twisting stems or tendrils will wrap around the tree branches and hoist themselves up, completely covering the bare tree with leaves.
By midsummer, you can astound your friends with your bean tree. Or pea tree. Or squash tree.
The “tree” will eventually begin to rot and can then be composted, but should last 7 or 8 years.
Sometimes gardening is sooo simple!
Seven or eight year?! That is a tough Christmas tree!
Love this!
I had never seen this, or even heard of it before now, but it is so GENIUS and simple! I purchased a Balsam Fir tree this year that was bigger than I wanted, or needed – it touched the eave of my house when stood upright. I cut a couple feet off it to get it inside, but still had to prune the leader another six inches so it didn’t hit the eight foot high ceiling. It should make a fine support for my peas and beans this season. Thanks, Larry!!
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What a great idea!
That is so cool! I will try this. Not only with a christmas tree, but with a bush that didn’t make it from the winter. No bean poles needed. 🙂
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Awesome tip! Laidback Gardener – What don’t you understand ? Christmas tree = pea /bean pole