'Permanent' bean supports?

[moggssue]

Here I go again folks .... went to the lottie yesterday and had a nosey at what some of the other peeps were doing/have done. Now I KNOW all about the principles behind rotation of crops and such good stuff, but lots of the plots around me seem to have very permanent pea/bean supports. Do you think there's any merit in having a permanent spot for these crops, and if so how would you deal with the build up of disease in the soil? I thought it might make future life easy to not have to build a new support system every year but am doubtful cos of the rotation issue?? Any thoughts??

[pigletwillie]

I have three scaffold pole bean frames which are permanent, I just put canes up in the spring.

Beans are greedy feeders, and as such like well fed ground. My permanent bean / pea areas get well fed with compost, manure or a kitchen waste trench every year so the soil never tires.

As for rotation, beans dont really suffer from soil borne disease like onions and brassicas for example so are not so reliant on fresh ground every year. Also, most large scale arable farming is reliant on chemical fertilizers where as we are much more likely to add organic matter to achieve the same result. The upshot being that our soil is much more likely to be in good heart, and is grown much less intensively and so can quite easily sustain repeated plantings of the same crop, providing you are sensible.

Rotation of crops is good and something to embrace, but dont beat yourself into rigid regiemes and get too stiff about it. If you plant a crop twice in the same ground, it wont hurt.

[moggssue]

Thanks Piglet, I was rather hoping I'd get that answer! A permanent bed/support will save effort and time in future years - presumably as long as I manure every autumn I can keep the same spot for several years and not just two?

Do you just use bamboo canes then for support for peas and beans? I was going to use some plastic chicken wire over the canes as well - is that overkill?!

[bluemoon]

I always rotate the beans, along with the peas. It's less to do with preventing disease build up and more because of their nitrogen-fixing qualities. I suppose it's one of those areas where everyone does what suits their own system best.

[pigletwillie]

Just canes moggssue, although peas can be a bit less clingy and benefit from some pea netting.

[pukka.tukka]

Hi

I have a permanent structure for my runner beans, which was there when I took over the plot. Three fences post with netting over them. My peas will be included in my crop rotation beds.

[PAULW]

We have old guys on our site that have had their beans in the same place for over twenty years and always have good crops

[lottielady]

My site has lots of permanent bean supports mostly made out of scaffold poles and as Paul says it is the old guys who have been there years and they have tons of runners.

[mikon_warrior]

Hi there,

i trying beans on my plot this year also, and my brother is making a permantant structure (when he gets off his bum!), i have doug my trench ready! I have read that when your beans have finished you leave the roots in as they supply nitrogen nodules. is this correct?

[mrs baggins]

bloke next to me has scaffold poles and I thought this was a great idea but am having trouble finding them. googled loads of locals who hire them and did find a site who sell them but they were in cumbria or somewhere and carriage to midlands wasnt worth it for a few poles! Will maybe have to find a scaffold company and ask them but I am a bit weedy when it comes to things like that in case they laugh at me or something!! I need some seious self -esteem!!!

[jacob marley]

it is mikon warrior

Piglet, do you just chop of plants and leave the roots in situ in your perm beds?

If you leave roots in and protect well with a thick layer of compost they will grow again the following year jacob

[pigletwillie]

Piglet, do you just chop of plants and leave the roots in situ in your perm beds?

Occasionally I do Piskie. Beans fix their own nitrogen, hence the nodules on the roots so in the main when the haulms are pulled up I snip the roots off into a bucket and then spread them onto a vacant bed and dig them in.

[moggssue]

I snip the roots off into a bucket and then spread them onto a vacant bed and dig them in.

I like that idea!

So, sorry to be dim, but are we using the permanent bed just for beans, or does it work for peas as well?!

Off to google scaffolding posts!!

[areia]

it is mikon warrior

Piglet, do you just chop of plants and leave the roots in situ in your perm beds?

i thought that was just broad beans or does this cover all beans, my nan had her runners in the same spot for yearssssss just planted with fresh compost, her broad beans she would leave until completly died back then grow something else there the next year though

[bluemoon]

It covers all beans and peas and anything else in the family such as lupins