Roberts garden job today..runner bean trench

Finally got out in the garden after a frosty start followed by the sun coming out..! Loverly.
Out with the wellies, dust them down and get to work on the trench.
This first picture is my runner bean area, ready for some enhanchment before planting


Trench now dug against the South facing wall


Now filled with fresh kitchen waste


Now to top it off with some fresh compost from the dylek

Later I shall plant 20 young runner beans along there.

A final raking and job done... time for a cuppa.

 

Good job capney, we have started to dig one over the allotment and planning to put in some cardboard, newspaper and old brassica leaves etc. from allotment.

It's good to get gardening again isn't it?

 

It is good to get out there again.
But, I tell you what...my stamina is way down after the wicked cold winter we have had.
I was quite knackered after that little job.
Need to build up slowly to get back to full form.

 

This is interesting, but can I ask a couple of questions:

* What's the purpose of the trench? Don't you just put the seeds in in spring? I'm guessing there's a technique coming into play that I'm unaware of?

* How come you're putting fresh kitchen waste in? I thought it had to be well rotted before it was any use in the garden. Is this something specific to beans?

I ask these questions because beans are on my list for this year, but I was just going to shove them in the ground. When I've done that in the past I've had very limited success, so any tricks for those in the know might come in handy.

 

Hi Dave,

A very good question

Beans have nitrogen fixing nodules on their roots, which helps in rotting down the fresh waste. It does make a difference to yield. I guess the plants also like the moisture retention of a big trench of smelly slops.

Only problems i've had were rats or badgers digging the whole lot up again.

Its on my "to do" list for this week. Got a huge barrel of kitchen waste, going to smell orrible.

 

Peas and Beans roots develop nodules containing Nitrogen fixing bacteria, and thus produce their own fertilizer, so won't be bothered if the trench-filler itself is stealing Nitrogen from the soil. The trench-filler material is intended to retain water.

Personally I always put rotted compost in, rather than raw, because I think it holds water just as well (well, better than a Brussels Sprout stalk, that's for sure! But some of that sort of stuff takes forever to rot down in a compost heap, so burying it under the beans is maybe no bad thing either

 

Thanks folks, there's some really good tips in here. I've definitely learnt some new stuff.

I'll be putting this into practice in spring time.

 

Quote from Shiney
"Robert, a south facing wall could possibly get too hot for runner beans as they are not so good at withstanding the heat. The flowers can also have problems setting if they get too hot. "

Agreed.. but being South facing it has some shelter from the nearby fence and trees., and has produced more then enough for us to use and spread around the friends.
But now thinking about it I did have a period last year when the blossoom did not set very well.

 

Me too, but that was early in the season and the Bee's were not busy enough I reckon (can't remember what the weather was doing, we did have 3 exceptionally dry months late-Spring / early-Summer.)

We grow some Climbing French Beans too (Limka, they are flat so Runner-bean-like in appearance, if not flavour). The French are self fertilizing (Oh!Err!Missus!) so, last year at least, came on stream before the Runners. (But they finish earlier ... I plant a bean when I plant out the greenhouse-raised plants, so that comes along a bit later and lengthens the season)

 

Tried salting down some french beans last year. After soaking the salt out to use them, found them too watery. Am I doing something wrong ?