I don't have a big garden - so I want to make most of space. I will be growing
two rows of runner beans (Red Rum) - about 4ft apart coming up support poles to
an A apex.

I wonder - is there anything I could usefully grow in between the rows of
beans?

I realise that once the beans become really established - there is much foliage
and I suspect little direct sunlight getting through them to the ground between
the rows.


Any ideas?

On 01/04/2013 16:25, Judith in England wrote:


I don't have a big garden - so I want to make most of space. I will be growing
two rows of runner beans (Red Rum) - about 4ft apart coming up support poles to
an A apex.

I wonder - is there anything I could usefully grow in between the rows of
beans?

I realise that once the beans become really established - there is much foliage
and I suspect little direct sunlight getting through them to the ground between
the rows.


Any ideas?


You could try sowing some early lettuce / radish. With my eyesight it is
too dark to sew under runner beans.

Judith in England wrote:
I realise that once the beans become really established - there is much foliage
and I suspect little direct sunlight getting through them to the ground between
the rows.

You could do the whole 3 sisters thing - beans up sweetcorn with a
ground cover of courgettes. Although tbh, I tried it and it didn't
work so well. But courgettes and beans should* work /after/ the
beans are established (so the courgettes don't block their light)

In article , wrote:
Judith in England wrote:
I realise that once the beans become really established - there is much foliage
and I suspect little direct sunlight getting through them to the ground between
the rows.

You could do the whole 3 sisters thing - beans up sweetcorn with a
ground cover of courgettes. Although tbh, I tried it and it didn't
work so well. But courgettes and beans should* work /after/ the
beans are established (so the courgettes don't block their light)

The reason that the three sisters technique doesn't work in the
UK is our limit is sunlight. Climbing beans and cucurbits does
work, and I do it.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Judith in England" wrote



I don't have a big garden - so I want to make most of space. I will be
growing
two rows of runner beans (Red Rum) - about 4ft apart coming up support
poles to
an A apex.

I wonder - is there anything I could usefully grow in between the rows of
beans?

I realise that once the beans become really established - there is much
foliage
and I suspect little direct sunlight getting through them to the ground
between
the rows.


Any ideas?


My father-in-law used to grow his runner beans up the 6ft fences that
surrounded his garden using pea netting. Made a lovely green background to
his flowers as well as providing lots of runner beans.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

wrote:
The reason that the three sisters technique doesn't work in the
UK is our limit is sunlight. Climbing beans and cucurbits does
work, and I do it.

Yep, it semed to be the sweetcorn that suffered, and the beans didn't
have enough to grow up.

On Mon, 1 Apr 2013 23:05:52 +0100 (BST), wrote:

In article , wrote:
Judith in England wrote:
I realise that once the beans become really established - there is much foliage
and I suspect little direct sunlight getting through them to the ground between
the rows.

You could do the whole 3 sisters thing - beans up sweetcorn with a
ground cover of courgettes. Although tbh, I tried it and it didn't
work so well. But courgettes and beans should* work /after/ the
beans are established (so the courgettes don't block their light)

The reason that the three sisters technique doesn't work in the
UK is our limit is sunlight. Climbing beans and cucurbits does
work, and I do it.

Which cucurbits do you grow - and do you have the beans growing up vertical
supports or do they come to an A apex?

In article ,
Judith in England wrote:

The reason that the three sisters technique doesn't work in the
UK is our limit is sunlight. Climbing beans and cucurbits does
work, and I do it.

Which cucurbits do you grow - and do you have the beans growing up vertical
supports or do they come to an A apex?

C. pepo (typically Little Gem or similar, and sometimes Tronchetta
d'Albenga) and C. maxima (seeds I got from my brother in New
Zealand). And I have a 4mx4mx2m frame, made out of a bean frame
and an old swing that I tie strings up to and across.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:13:00 +0100, Judith in England
wrote:

On Tue, 2 Apr 2013 21:03:31 +0100 (BST), wrote:

In article ,
Judith in England wrote:

The reason that the three sisters technique doesn't work in the
UK is our limit is sunlight. Climbing beans and cucurbits does
work, and I do it.

Which cucurbits do you grow - and do you have the beans growing up vertical
supports or do they come to an A apex?

C. pepo (typically Little Gem or similar, and sometimes Tronchetta
d'Albenga) and C. maxima (seeds I got from my brother in New
Zealand). And I have a 4mx4mx2m frame, made out of a bean frame
and an old swing that I tie strings up to and across.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.


Thanks

In article pj9jl8lm9l06icad60sun21r8hlejc95uj@
4ax.com, says...

I don't have a big garden - so I want to make most of space. I will be growing
two rows of runner beans (Red Rum) - about 4ft apart coming up support poles to
an A apex.

I wonder - is there anything I could usefully grow in between the rows of
beans?

I realise that once the beans become really established - there is much foliage
and I suspect little direct sunlight getting through them to the ground between
the rows.


Any ideas?

Sorry for a delayed response, I've been away for a few
days!

Why 4ft apart I wonder. I put my poles about 18" to
2ft apart, and never had a problem. I use saplings cut
from the fields, near the river bank (with the farmers
permission of course) about 7-8ft tall. Formed into a
X shape, with the poles crossing about 1ft from the
top. Other poles are then tied into the cross shape
along the row to provide the stablilty. The rows run
north/south.

--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales