Growing under a runner bean wigwam??

[mrandmrs]

Hi
I wonder if anyone can point us in the right direction. We want to make use of the ground under the runner bean wigwams (inbetween the canes) and wondered what would be a good veg to put there??
We were thinking pumpkins/swede....would these work?
Would they take too much goodness away from the runners?
What is ideal to grow with them?
Any advice is hugely appreciated
kind regards
mrandmrs

[TonyF]

Joy Larkcom advocates this in at least two of her books but suggests something like a catch crop, something quick and easy to grow like lettuces.

You need something that you can grow and crop before the canopy caused by the runners blocks out light and I definately wouldn't grow any squashes with them.

Something quick seems fine.

[vicky]

Tony's right, the canopy will soon thicken up and shade any crop below...lettuces/radishes would be ideal as they are ready so quickly

[Two_Sheds]

I plant a cut off 4 pint milk bottle in the middle of my wigwams, to get water direct to the roots

[Lottieval]

I have grown lettuces between but you have to make sure the beans don't grow so thick that you can't reach the lettuce when you want them.

[marathon]

I have started lettuce in cell trays and transplanted as baby plants in the middle of an A frame. Worked well but wouldn't of thought anything else would work due to the lack of light.

[rogesse]

I think it was Snadger who has come up with a novel bean growing frame where you only grow from one side. I've shamelessly copied his idea and was thinking cougettes under the open side

[mrandmrs]

wow thank you for all the replies, as 2 lots of beans are already quite tall and even my quick grom lettuce doesn't seem to be growing that quick we should do the milk bottle for watering....thanks two sheds
The open growing frame is a good idea I might try that with our nx lot of beans
Thank you all so much

[Florence Fennel]

Hi, I'm experimenting with courgettes in the middle of my bean wigwam, hopefully training the plants outside the wigwam so it's only the roots in the dark when the beans are in full growth and shading the middle. I'm hedging my bets by growing some courgettes separately as well, just in case!

[SlugLobber]

My beans didn't do at all well, last year and they still eclipsed the centre of the wigwam, so not sure I'd bother! Good idea about directing the water, there, though - will do that this year!

[veggielover]

I am also trying courgette under my runner bean wigwam, since i've grown more than i need!! will see how it goes.....

[Nicos]

I like the idea of the water bottle too..good one 2sheds!

[Snadger]

I am trying growing Jerusalem artichokes up the middle of my runner bean cane tunnel!
They're already planted and will hopefully grow in unison with the butter beans and frenchies!

I had no where else to put the JA's this year and they easily made 10 foot last year.

If it doesn't work all I've lost is a row of artichokes!

[Snadger]

I think it was Snadger who has come up with a novel bean growing frame where you only grow from one side. I've shamelessly copied his idea and was thinking cougettes under the open side

I'd love to claim responsibility for the idea rogesse but I fancy it was our enamoured Zazen's idea!

[Pumpkin Becki]

I'm going to try putting one lot of beans on the edge of one raised bed, and another lot on the edge of the next door bed, tie the canes together at the top so they make a kind of arch over the path between. I won't loose any bed space between the rows and hopefully it will make harvesting easier too.