This year we grew dwarf runner beans in a container with enough
success to encourage trying again next year. I know crop rotation is
important with beans, but the container is perfect for the size of
crop and cane arrangement.

So I'm thinking of dumping the dirt out of the bean container into
another one for growing brassicas, and dumping the dirt used for
something else into the bean container. (I'll mix compost in too.)
Is this sensible, or am I missing something?

Also, should I churn the remains of the bean plants back under the
ex-bean, brassica-next dirt (to put some of the stuff that beans suck
out back in), or just pull the bean plants out and put them in the
general compost?

Thanks,
Adam

On 31/10/2011 12:34, Adam Funk wrote:
This year we grew dwarf runner beans in a container with enough
success to encourage trying again next year. I know crop rotation is
important with beans, but the container is perfect for the size of
crop and cane arrangement.

So I'm thinking of dumping the dirt out of the bean container into
another one for growing brassicas, and dumping the dirt used for
something else into the bean container. (I'll mix compost in too.)
Is this sensible, or am I missing something?

Also, should I churn the remains of the bean plants back under the
ex-bean, brassica-next dirt (to put some of the stuff that beans suck
out back in), or just pull the bean plants out and put them in the
general compost?

Thanks,
Adam


The beans (any legume, actually) will have produced nitrogen-fixing
nodules on their roots, and this is very good for brassicas, so you
could certainly do that. However, I once found masses of bean root
aphids on my runner bean roots, so make sure there's nothing nasty
lingering before you bury the bean roots. This, of course, goes for any
used compost or crop pest. Otherwise you can go ahead. Bear in mind,
though, that the brassicas will need a fairly heavy soil mix so that
they are not ripped out of the soil by windage on their (hopefully)
large leaves.

You could, however, put your ex-bean plants on the compost heap if you wish.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

Adam Funk wrote:
So I'm thinking of dumping the dirt out of the bean container into
another one for growing brassicas, and dumping the dirt used for
something else into the bean container. (I'll mix compost in too.)
Is this sensible, or am I missing something?

.... can you not just plant brassicas in the bean one and beans in the
brassica one, rather than all that soil moving around?

On 2011-10-31, wrote:

Adam Funk wrote:
So I'm thinking of dumping the dirt out of the bean container into
another one for growing brassicas, and dumping the dirt used for
something else into the bean container. (I'll mix compost in too.)
Is this sensible, or am I missing something?

... can you not just plant brassicas in the bean one and beans in the
brassica one, rather than all that soil moving around?

That would be my first choice, except that the bean container is ideal
for growing beans. ;-)

On 2011-10-31, Spider wrote:

The beans (any legume, actually) will have produced nitrogen-fixing
nodules on their roots, and this is very good for brassicas, so you
could certainly do that. However, I once found masses of bean root
aphids on my runner bean roots, so make sure there's nothing nasty
lingering before you bury the bean roots. This, of course, goes for any
used compost or crop pest. Otherwise you can go ahead. Bear in mind,
though, that the brassicas will need a fairly heavy soil mix so that
they are not ripped out of the soil by windage on their (hopefully)
large leaves.

You could, however, put your ex-bean plants on the compost heap if you wish.

Thanks for the info. (Most of our containers are sheltered from the
wind by a fence, which seemed to work well this year.)

On Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:33:19 +0000, Adam Funk
wrote:

On 2011-10-31, wrote:

Adam Funk wrote:
So I'm thinking of dumping the dirt out of the bean container into
another one for growing brassicas, and dumping the dirt used for
something else into the bean container. (I'll mix compost in too.)
Is this sensible, or am I missing something?

... can you not just plant brassicas in the bean one and beans in the
brassica one, rather than all that soil moving around?

That would be my first choice, except that the bean container is ideal
for growing beans. ;-)

Hi Adam. OT: Although Australian is my native tongue ("Our land is
dirt by sea"), I'm uncomfortable at seeing soil called "dirt".

What you suggest seems reasonable, as long as you feed the soil up and
watch out for pests and diseases - and, as already advised, stiffen up
the stuff intended for brassicas.

As a matter of great interest, how did your container-grown beans and
brassicas do? And how big are the containers?

--
Mike.

"Adam Funk" wrote in message
...
This year we grew dwarf runner beans in a container with enough
success to encourage trying again next year. I know crop rotation is
important with beans, but the container is perfect for the size of
crop and cane arrangement.

So I'm thinking of dumping the dirt out of the bean container into
another one for growing brassicas, and dumping the dirt used for
something else into the bean container. (I'll mix compost in too.)
Is this sensible, or am I missing something?

Also, should I churn the remains of the bean plants back under the
ex-bean, brassica-next dirt (to put some of the stuff that beans suck
out back in), or just pull the bean plants out and put them in the
general compost?


For containers I would normally renew the compost each year - much easier to
do than when working directly in the ground.
You can add nutrients, clean out the containers, and generally avoid any
problems with infections and weeds left over from the previous crop.
Contents of the containers to go into a compost heap, perhaps, for future
use in your containers once roots and stuff have had time to compost down.

Cheers

Dave R
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

On 2011-11-03, Mike Lyle wrote:

Hi Adam. OT: Although Australian is my native tongue ("Our land is
dirt by sea"), I'm uncomfortable at seeing soil called "dirt".

Why, because "dirt" sounds "dirty"? "Soil" sounds, um, "soiled"!


What you suggest seems reasonable, as long as you feed the soil up and
watch out for pests and diseases - and, as already advised, stiffen up
the stuff intended for brassicas.

As a matter of great interest, how did your container-grown beans and
brassicas do? And how big are the containers?

Well, I didn't actually grow any brassicas this year, but I might next
year. The beans did well for the late start: I planted them; the
slugs ate them; I planted them again and put more anti-slug agents
down; so they were a bit late in the season.

On Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:37:06 +0000, Adam Funk
wrote:

On 2011-11-03, Mike Lyle wrote:

Hi Adam. OT: Although Australian is my native tongue ("Our land is
dirt by sea"), I'm uncomfortable at seeing soil called "dirt".

Why, because "dirt" sounds "dirty"? "Soil" sounds, um, "soiled"!

At this rate, the urglers will kick our bottoms back to a.u.e.! As it
happens, I find it impossible to use "soiled" to mean "dirty"...

Not that "dirt" sounds so much "dirty" as "inferior" or "valueless".


What you suggest seems reasonable, as long as you feed the soil up and
watch out for pests and diseases - and, as already advised, stiffen up
the stuff intended for brassicas.

As a matter of great interest, how did your container-grown beans and
brassicas do? And how big are the containers?

Well, I didn't actually grow any brassicas this year, but I might next
year. The beans did well for the late start: I planted them; the
slugs ate them; I planted them again and put more anti-slug agents
down; so they were a bit late in the season.

I lost all mine this year, among the sweet-pea wigwams. I was
interested in the size of the containers, as it occurred to me that
beans would represent a heavy watering commitment.

--
Mike.

On 2011-11-04, Mike Lyle wrote:

On Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:37:06 +0000, Adam Funk
wrote:

On 2011-11-03, Mike Lyle wrote:

[Background: I asked about crop rotation of the "dirt" in garden
containers.]


Hi Adam. OT: Although Australian is my native tongue ("Our land is
dirt by sea"), I'm uncomfortable at seeing soil called "dirt".

Why, because "dirt" sounds "dirty"? "Soil" sounds, um, "soiled"!

At this rate, the urglers will kick our bottoms back to a.u.e.! As it
happens, I find it impossible to use "soiled" to mean "dirty"...

Not that "dirt" sounds so much "dirty" as "inferior" or "valueless".

[crosspost to AUE with FU set to AUE]

Dear AUErs, what do you think?

On 2011-11-04, Mike Lyle wrote:

On Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:37:06 +0000, Adam Funk
wrote:

On 2011-11-03, Mike Lyle wrote:

Hi Adam. OT: Although Australian is my native tongue ("Our land is
dirt by sea"), I'm uncomfortable at seeing soil called "dirt".

Why, because "dirt" sounds "dirty"? "Soil" sounds, um, "soiled"!

At this rate, the urglers will kick our bottoms back to a.u.e.! As it
happens, I find it impossible to use "soiled" to mean "dirty"...

Not that "dirt" sounds so much "dirty" as "inferior" or "valueless".

I'm moving that over to AUE.


What you suggest seems reasonable, as long as you feed the soil up and
watch out for pests and diseases - and, as already advised, stiffen up
the stuff intended for brassicas.

As a matter of great interest, how did your container-grown beans and
brassicas do? And how big are the containers?

Well, I didn't actually grow any brassicas this year, but I might next
year. The beans did well for the late start: I planted them; the
slugs ate them; I planted them again and put more anti-slug agents
down; so they were a bit late in the season.

I lost all mine this year, among the sweet-pea wigwams. I was
interested in the size of the containers, as it occurred to me that
beans would represent a heavy watering commitment.

I finally remembered to measure it: 14" inside diameter at the top,
14" tall, and probably 9" inside diameter at the bottom; ceramic,
glazed on the outside; ISTR one drain hole in the centre, but I can't
see it at the moment. We put four long bamboo canes in the ground
around it and wired them together near the tops.

Planting: 2 seeds in each of 7 holes (hexagon's corners and centre).

2nd round of planting: same but with more Growing Success
(eco-friendly) anti-slug granules. (I also used Nemaslug on the whole
garden.)

On 2011-11-04, David WE Roberts wrote:

For containers I would normally renew the compost each year - much easier to
do than when working directly in the ground.
You can add nutrients, clean out the containers, and generally avoid any
problems with infections and weeds left over from the previous crop.
Contents of the containers to go into a compost heap, perhaps, for future
use in your containers once roots and stuff have had time to compost down.

Yes, I suppose one of the benefits of growing in containers ought to
be not having to worry about rotation. I'll do it that way.