Runner Beans - Same Place Every Year?

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by intel, Feb 10, 2014.

  1. intel

    intel Gardener

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    Just thinking ahead about growing runner beans on my plot and making a permanent frame work for runner beans (there are lots of permanent frames on our site).............but then I got to thinking that its best to rotate what you grow and where you grow it.

    Would I be ok in making a permanent frame or should I be looking at making a frame that can
    be moved around and therefore the runner beans are not grown in the same place all the time?
     
  2. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    Same site is fairly common. I move mine around so that they are part of the crop rotation - but only for the benefit of other crops, not the beans themselves.

    If you are going to make a fixed location frame then I think the best style I have seen is what I know as a "Munti" frame. Pretty sure @JWK has one, so there are probably pictures on here.
     
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    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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      I've been growing my beans on the same spot for 40 years. They still give a superb crop. I dig in lots of garden compost every year.
       
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      • Scrungee

        Scrungee Well known for it

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        I grew runner beans successfully in the same location for about 15 years using standard bamboo cane structures and the only reason I moved them was because voles started burrowing along the rows of plants, eating the remaining bean seeds (runner seeds stay below ground, French bean seeds rise above ground) which killed the plants. I then tried a few different locations and the most successful, vole-free place is where I've grown my runners for the last 10 years.
         
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        • lost_in_france

          lost_in_france Total Gardener

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          That's useful to know for when I get my veggie patch up and running as voles run riot in my garden.
           
        • JWK

          JWK Gardener Staff Member

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          • fileyboy

            fileyboy Gardener

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            Some years ago when I was on my old plot the chap next to me always grew his runner beans in the same place,but what he did was dig a deep trench and put all his cabbage stalks into this trench plus any other garden rubbish that was too rough to compost.He did this as soon as he had finished with present runner bean crop,never had any problems with this way and also did well on the show bench.
             
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            • Spruce

              Spruce Glad to be back .....

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              Similar to everyone else , after they had finished and I had taken down the canes I would dig out a trench and over the Autumn Winter fill it with all sorts apart from twigs and large pieces of wood then a sprinkle of Fish blood and bone and fill in about late Feb 1st week in march for it to all settle worked a treat
               
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              • intel

                intel Gardener

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                Thanks everyone for the advice, after 8 months my allotment is now taking shape and this will be
                my first full season, and with everyones advice I just wanted to get everything as right as
                possible.

                I suppose that this is another topic, but now searching for the best beans to sow....also
                @JWK thats a great idea for a frame and might just give that a go :)

                Other images I found looking for a frame..

                https://www.google.com/search?q=run...tHfDT7Aa534HgAg&ved=0CE4QsAQ&biw=1280&bih=835
                 
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                • Phil A

                  Phil A Guest

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                  They are perrenials too, if you can protect them from frost :)
                   
                • intel

                  intel Gardener

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                • shiney

                  shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                  @intel

                  I now only grow Polestar as they're the most popular with the people that buy them.
                   
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                  • Kristen

                    Kristen Under gardener

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                    • JWK

                      JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                    • Kristen

                      Kristen Under gardener

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                      I think the [ideal] direction it faces is important @JWK? Forgotten whether the slope of the roof should face South, or if it is some other orientation?
                       
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