Tuteur

Get your beans growing skyward with a tuteur.

Tuteur is French for ‘trainer’ and pronounced the same as that tutor who helped you through middle school algebra.

Traditional pole bean tuteurs (Image from page 209 of "Bulletin. 1901-13”) Public Domain

What is a tuteur?

Tuteurs are 3- or 4-legged obelisk-shaped trellises used to provide a climbing structure for peas and pole beans and other climbing plants. Actually, a tuteur can have as many legs as you like, as long as it is sturdy enough to not topple over.

Traditionally, tuteurs were nothing more than a handful of branches lashed together at the top and spread apart at the bottom, teepee-style. Placed over young pea and pole bean plants, these structures provided supports for young tendrils to wrap around as they climb toward sunlight.

Like other forms of vertical gardening, tuteurs take up less space while expanding your growing options. They also reduce pod exposure to fungal spores and slugs and snails, and they create interesting focal points in your garden.

While you can certainly buy a tuteur, they are very easy to make and odds are good that you already have all the materials you need to make one for free.

How to make a tuteur

At its most basic level, a tuteur can be nothing more than 4 long poles lashed together near the top, with the legs spread out at the bottom. At the other end of the design spectrum, you can construct an ornate obelisk, complete with gazing globes, wind chime, or whatever strikes your fancy. Whatever design you choose, keep in mind that some plants can become substantial, so you will want your tuteur to be sturdy enough to handle whatever will be using it for support. Of course, once the tendrils do all their winding and climbing, they will add a measure of stability to whatever structure they climb.

To create a simple tuteur, you can use bamboo poles, scrap untreated lumber, tree branches, rebar, and many other reusable materials, following these steps:

1. Get 4 long legs of relatively equal length.
2. Join them together at the top with a heavy duty rubber band.
3. Adjust the legs to a width that feels stable and looks attractive.
4. Measure the distance between the legs, a foot or so above the ground, to provide cross supports.
5. Cut four cross supports a few inches longer than your measurement.
6. Screw or lash the cross supports in place.
7. Screw or lash the tops together, where the rubber band was holding everything together.

I threw this one together in less than 10 minutes, using old bamboo poles and some twist ties. It isn’t strong enough for anything heavier than peas and beans, but it’s handy and can be taken apart easily at the end of the growing season. 

If your tuteur is sturdy enough, you can also use it to grow cucumbers, squash, and melons. If your crop is particularly large, you may want to provide some extra support, in the form of a hammock.

​If you want to get really fancy, you can weave vines or willow boughs into your tuteur to provide extra toeholds for tendrils, while creating an artistic look. There are many online instructions for tuteurs, so try making one for your garden today!

Simple bamboo pole tuteur