Make Tripods for Climbing Beans and Tomatoes

These simple tripods will provide a structure for your vines to grow on for many seasons. They are easy to set up and take down, and condense well for storage.

Steps

 * 1)  Gather together the required equipment: three wooden stakes or thin poles, one slightly shorter than the other two; and a 1" rubber 'ring' cut from a small tire inner tube.[[Image:Make Tripods for Climbing Beans and Tomatoes Step 1.jpg|center]]
 * 2)  Hold the three stakes together with the shortest one in the center and slip the rubber ring over the top and down about 3" from the top of the shortest stake.[[Image:Make Tripods for Climbing Beans and Tomatoes Step 2.jpg|center]]
 * 3) Grasp the center pole (the shortest one) and flip it over in a complete circle between and over the other two.  This will give the rubber ring a twist between the center pole and the other two, fastening them firmly together.[[Image:Make Tripods for Climbing Beans and Tomatoes Step 3.jpg|center]]
 * 4)  Spread the three 'legs' out evenly and you will have a tripod![[Image:Make Tripods for Climbing Beans and Tomatoes Step 4.jpg|center]]
 * 5) Use the tripod in your garden by placing two legs on either side of the base of a plant in one row with the third leg positioned in the second row.  Place the next tripod the opposite way around, with one leg in the first row and two legs in the second row.  Keep alternating the tripods in this way to the end of each row, so that they are staggered.[[Image:Make Tripods for Climbing Beans and Tomatoes Step 5.jpg|center]]
 * 6) Leave the tripods in place until the end of the growing season. Once you've reaped your crop and have finished with the tripods, simply snip the rubber ring away from between each and scoop up all of the stakes.[[Image:Make Tripods for Climbing Beans and Tomatoes Step 6.jpg|center]]

Tips

 * You can reuse the stakes. The stakes will last for many seasons if stored in a dry place, but the rubber rings will rot and need replacing each year.

Things You'll Need

 * Three thin wooden poles or stakes, one slightly shorter than the others.
 * 1" rubber ring cut from a small tire inner tube

Related wikiHows

 * Grow Brandywine Tomatoes
 * Propagate Mother of Thousands from Plantlets
 * Make a Grass Buddy
 * Plant Potatoes
 * Get Amaryllis to Rebloom

Sources and Citations

 * Kains, M.G. (1935). Gardening Short Cuts. New York and Cleveland: World Publishing Company - Book in public domain. Copyright not renewed.