Ground preparation for runners

[JimmerG]

Afternoon all,

Hope you're all well, and that your plots provided bountifully for Christmas feasts.

Like many others at this time of year - my house is rammed with huge card board boxes. I hear that these can be put to good use when preparing the ground for runner/climbing french beans... something like digging a huge trench, lining it with cardboard, then filling it with compost/earth/maure etc...

Does this sound about right? And when should this be done? As soon as the ground has thawed, or upon planting out?

Thanks for you help

Jimmer

[annetteevans]

i've hear of runner bean trenches where you dig down about a foot and then put a layer of veg peelings in covered by a small layer of soil then more veg etc etc until it is full. i think you are supposed to do this over the winter so everything rots down and the nutrients are in the soil ready for when the beans are planted. haven't heard of lining it with cardboard, but it rots so i don't see why not

hope this helps

annette

[BrideXIII]

I would imagine it will help hold moisture in too.

[Two_Sheds]

You can line a trench with cardboard (or newspaper)
You can also mulch with them ~ it works really well at conserving water for your crops.

[kate&rob]

i have access to plenty cardboard boxes at work, to use them as a much do i need to break them down or place them on the ground and plant through the cardboard?

[Gwen11ian]

On Gardner's World they gave the cardboard a good soak with a watering can before tossing on top a generous layer of newspaper that had been soaked in a bucket.

[Two_Sheds]

i have access to plenty cardboard boxes at work, to use them as a much do i need to break them down or place them on the ground and plant through the cardboard?

Either.

I tend to put my plant in the ground, then put a large collar of wet cardboard around it. A bit of soil over the top to look tidy.
Upside down bottle next to the plant to water into ... straight to the roots.
(you don't want to be watering your mulch ... )

[allaboutliverpool]

Runner beans are the most prolific and easy cropthere is.

[terrier]

On Gardner's World they gave the cardboard a good soak with a watering can before tossing on top a generous layer of newspaper that had been soaked in a bucket.

Soaked in urine no doubt! There ya' go, someone had to say it.. am I the first this year?