3 in a bed question?

[girl47]

My first year on the plot. Amongst other things - I have planted runner bean with sweetcorn with squash.
All my neighbours plots have runner beans that have grown sky high - mine are 18". Their sweetcorn is about 5-6ft tall - mine is about 2 & 1/2ft. And dont talk to me about the squash - not a lot happening.
What can be the problem? I so want to get it right next year! Advise please.
None are crowding the other -far from it. The beans have their own support at one end of the bed - the sweetcorn are grouped together & the squash planted in the middle.
Gill

[di]

It isn't because of the planting combo~known as "3 sisters",Maybe if this is your 1st year the ground needs fertilizing.Did you at any compost/manure or such before planting?Our second plot has really poor quality soil~we added manure before putting our hungry plants in & intend to manure the whole plot over winter.some of the neighbouring plots at that end where the plots have been worked for several years are producing great crops so I know getting the soil good is possible~just time & work!Also when did you plant your stuff~maybe your neighbours were earlier planting?Don't give up,It's your 1st year & I think anything you take home for the table is an added bonus on top of how much you'll have learnt by the end of the year!Good Luck!
BTW~Our sweetcorn are nowhere near as tall as some of our neighbours but I can see they're forming cobs so try not to let it bother you!Don't know about your site but at ours there's guys that are there working the ground & tending their crops almost all day everyday,on top of which they've got years of experience~I sometimes find it disheartening to see how perfect their plots are but know in reality we can't put in as much time as them.Again Good Luck!

[PAULW]

In the middle of my big plot I have sweetcorn and squashes, the sweetcorn like yours is about 2 ft high with cobs on it the squash sat there for ages doing nothing, at the other end the squashes have gone mad I harvested pumpkins 3 weeks ago from one plant I have a hundredweight pumpkin that is 2 ft across, the middle of the plot had trailer loads of manure and loads of home made compost put into it because the soil was like talcum powder when I took it over 3 yrs ago, I have come to the conclusion that it is the weather to blame we just haven't had the warmth at night that squash need.

[girl47]

I planted at the same time as my neighbours - the soil is great & easy to plant in - its fine, but dries easy! However - the amount of rain we have had this year - I havent had to water it too much! I didnt put any manure ( or anything ) into the soil at all.
Any ideas why the beans havent grown any taller - most of the plots on the site have an abundance of beans on tall stems - mine are short & stumpy with only a few beans??
Thanks for all the advice
Gill

[SMS6]

different variety maybe?

[PAULW]

the soil is great & easy to plant in - its fine, but dries easy
You have answered you own question, beans like their feet in the damp that is why people dig a trench and fill with compost and manure this holds the moisture, I put a water butt with a weeping hose woven around the roots of the beans and filled the butt every day and I had the best beans I had ever grown

[janto]

i planted heist runner beans last year only to discover that they were dwarf runner beans.having said that they gave a good crop.

[girl47]

Thanks Guys

So, next year, I need to put manure / fertaliser in the whole bed........& make sure everything is always well watered ( and that the beans are of the right variety ie ..not dwarf)!

Gill