Growing under a runner bean wigwam??

[marathon]

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.

I have donhe this but over the path between the next plot. We both thought it turned out well and doing the same this year. Crop was great, 40 plants on eacvh side.

[Paul Wagland]

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.

This works well, but you need a decent width between the rows or else the plants fill out so much that you can no longer walk down the path!

I'm growing spinach down the 'inside' of each row, between the beans and the path. I'm hoping the spinach should leaf-up nicely in the shade cast by the beans, which I grow straight up rather than meeting in the middle (so sunlight still falls down from above).

[Pumpkin Becki]

This works well, but you need a decent width between the rows or else the plants fill out so much that you can no longer walk down the path!

I'm growing spinach down the 'inside' of each row, between the beans and the path. I'm hoping the spinach should leaf-up nicely in the shade cast by the beans, which I grow straight up rather than meeting in the middle (so sunlight still falls down from above).

Good tip Mr Wagland! I'll employ that one myself. I did think about putting short horizontal canes at the top so its a bit more like a pergola...do you think that would work okay?

[Paul Wagland]

That's what I do, except I use timber batten rather than canes for the main structural bits. This way you can screw it together for extra strength (still easy to dismantle for storage though).

I have variously used bamboo canes, netting and vertical strings fixed top and bottom to horizontal lengths of batten - all work well. I'll try and find a picture...

[Paul Wagland]

Here you go....

Note the diagonal braces to stop the frame folding up in the wind.

[Diva1983]

space under pea wigwam...

Hi all,

I've noticed that there is a large piece of my bed under my pea/runner bean wigwam which is unused.

Does anyone have any ideas of anything I could grow in that area

Diva

[hamsterqueen]

it will quickly get overshadowed by the beans, but you could maybe grow a quick crop of salad before the beans start to flourish?

[Diva1983]

Thanks Hamsterqueen...I was thinking along those lines too.x

[veggielover]

I have made a kind of half wigwam and planted a courgette on the open side......

[craiglockley]

Or one of my faves, Radishes :-)

[piskieinboots]

I have quick salad leaves and radish growing around the edge of my bean bed - they will be harvested long before the beans overshawdow them

[SarzWix]

Hi Diva, I've put your query together with another the same so that we can keep all the suggestions in one place

[mrandmrs]

I like the idea of having them on the side of the bed, I think I will have to experiement with various open frames.
Has anyone ever grown runners over a rose arch??
Does anyone think it will work?

[FionaH]

Hi Diva, I've put your query together with another the same so that we can keep all the suggestions in one place

Is merge fever as addictive as swine flu? Our esteemed Zazen goes away, now youre at it

[SarzWix]

Is merge fever as addictive as swine flu? Our esteemed Zazen goes away, now youre at it

Shu' Up you!! Cheeky mare


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