Block Planting

[roitelet]

Last year I block planted several crops with great sucess. Now I need to know if anyone has block planted Broad Beans and if so what spacing is they use. The plants are ready to go in next week ,weather permitting. I am going to protect them from the wind with fleece.

Looking forward to replies.

[pigletwillie]

I did broadies last year in a 4' wide bed and planted them 8" between rows and plants. It worked very well and we had a massive crop.

[roitelet]

Thanks PW I will give it a whirl. Just love Broadies

[Two_Sheds]

I block plant nearly everything, to save space and shade out the weeds. The only thing with tall plants is making sure you can still reach into the middle of the block to pick the crop. Like, a 6 foot wide block would be a bit silly (me, was that me? )

[esrikandan]

As a matter of interest, how are the plants supported in a block?

[Flummery]

Depends on the variety - this year I'm growing The Sutton which is dwarf. Last year had plants of Bunyard's Exhibition taller than me - and I'm 5'9". I supported these by putting a tall cane at each corner of the block and tying string around the whole block. I did it at 3 heights so they kept each other together really. Mine were spaced pretty much like PW's.

[esrikandan]

I think I'll try that too then!

[Snadger]

My broadies went a bit beserk last year and even though I started with a seies of double rows across a 4 foot bed supported individually with canes and string, in the end I had to resort to knocking in stout posts on each corner and every 4 foot along bed and wrapping the whole lot with layer upon layer of rope, in the middle of a gale!
Think I'll ditch the rows this year and just block plant the whole lot!

[nick the grief]

You could knock in some 2x1 roofing lathes and stretch the plastic pea&bean netting over it so it's horizontal and let the plants grow thru it.

That's how I support my Dahlia's and lot safer than loads of canes at eye poking height

Pauline Pears book on growing on a bed system gives you spacings for various plants and what sort of planting layout to use.

Amazon.co.uk: Growing Fruit and Vegetables on a Bed System the Organic Way: Pauline Pears: Books

[smallblueplanet]

.....Last year had plants of Bunyard's Exhibition....I supported these by putting a tall cane at each corner of the block and tying string around the whole block. I did it at 3 heights so they kept each other together really. Mine were spaced pretty much like PW's.

We did similar too, but they got chocolate spot, I thought it might be down to the spacing, ours were 6" apart?

[Flummery]

No spot, no blackfly - quite windy here though - maybe that's why mine blow over rather than cop for a disease?

[Marylou]

Last year for the first time I tried growing first early new potatoes and broad beans together in a "chequerboard" pattern (alternate potato plant and bean plant) in a raised 4foot by 10 foot bed. Everything was planted approximately 8 inches apart. This was an experiment recommended to me by a friend who always does this, and I found it to be very successful. You do need to water quite copiously though, but last summer there wasn't a problem. I am going to do the same again this year, as they both cropped well.