I will be using a trellis instead of string this year for the first time so I can't comment on their growing direction.

6' is OK for height, I mean any taller and how do we harvest them? However, many pole beans will grow taller than 6' and they just kind of make a mess after they exceed whatever support they have. I used 8' T-posts last year (about 6.5ft above ground and used twine run at an angle so mine had around 8' of growing height and they still clumped up at the top.

Spacing can be very close. The plants seem to do just fine twining around each other and close spacing hasn't seemed to adversely affect yield in my garden. I probably space in the 1-2" range. I just make a slit in the ground and sprinkle seeds in it so my spacing isn't precise.

"I just make a slit in the ground and sprinkle seeds in it so my spacing isn't precise."
~ Guess I'm not the only one who's gotten casual about this...

~ Guess I'm not the only one who's gotten casual about this...

Not me, Ray. I still use a compass and protractor.

No, wait. That's compost. And procrastination. (^_-)

I'll plant a half pack of seeds around a tube of concrete wire about 1 1/2' diam. I've had to surround the first 2' up it with bird netting to keep rabbits from eating the bean sprouts. The beans get a little bit caught up in the netting, but nothing serious.

Just brace yourself for the japanese beetle invasion. They loved to munch up at the top of the towers!

It's only July 6th and my teepee'd pole beans are 6" over the top of the 6'teepee. Do I let them grow, prune them, or find a way to let them climb higher. Need a quick response!

This is my first year with a trellis and pole beans. So far mine have just reached the top of the trellis. As they overtop it I'll bend 'em around and back down. I've done that in the past using a pole because its too hard to pick if I go higher than 6'.
Next year either I'll space closer or I'll forgo the crosses in the trellis and just use strings, I haven't yet seen any advantage in the crosses, although its still early yet here in northern MA.

Of course I had alot of trouble getting seeds to sprout this spring. This is my first garden in our "Paxton Soil" so I wasn't really prepared for how well it drains and didn't water well enough early on.

Jazzpop88,

Love your handle.

About pole beans, I've always just let mine grow over the top. They keep growing, twine around each other, flop over, and keep producing lots of beans. No reason to do anything except keep harvesting.

I plan on planting them right next to my corn. Otherwise I don't have room for them. They can climb the stalks.

It's going to be a year of trial and error, but I'm excited to try.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's Garden