Grow Your Own Magazine

I need to start thinking about what certain types of veg are going to grow up. Last night I saw Titchmarsh build a simple bamboo structure in a kind of tent fashion. Is this the best/cheapest way to do it? I'm running out of time and want something simple. What can I grow on this structure? Just Peas and Beans? or Toms and Courgettes too?

Thanks

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Blogging Again at..
http://www.wizer.co.uk

I've built goal posts at the north edge of my raised beds. I am going to stretch a string at the bottom between the posts and then tie vertical twine upward towards the crossbar and secure it there. This means that all climbers are going to have strong support but not cast any shadow on any shorter plants to the south of them. This set of posts will stay in place on a permanent basis.
Jax

i dont want to do anyhting too permanent this year as I may well want to re-jig the allotment next year when I have some sort of idea what I am doing. Can a mixture of Peas, Bean, Toms and Courgettes be grown in the same row?

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They should be fine next to each other, everything in my garden is right on top of one another & they all grow! The wigwam structures you mention are great for beans & would probably work for peas although most people just push lots of twiggy sticks in between pea plants as they like to scramble around, for tomatoes though if you are growing normal cordon types you only need one sturdy cane per plant to tie it to & courgettes (unless you've got the climbing type) will be fine just supported with a cane each or left to scramble on the ground(put straw under the fruits when they appear though if you do this).

I use bamboo but I am slowly moving to hazel (it lasts longer and more in keeping with a cottage garden) rods. You can however grow toms up strings if supported at the top, but I always use bamboo - just a versatile thing. I also grow my beans and peas up a victorian style obelisk (they are cheap and you can pick them up, sometimes two for under a tenner). I also wander around boot sales and buy things for cheap, for example, I grew beans up an old clothes dolly (I picked it up for 50p and it was really useful and grew into a lovely windbreak, which I then planted lettuce in).

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

thanks very much, looks like I have found my job for the weekend. How much should I be paying for bamboo\Hazel, etc

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as little as possible Wizer The last lot of 7ft canes I bought were 20p each from our lotty shop. Pound shops are a good source

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

You pay anything from 10p-90p for bamboo and hazel, depending on the quality and length.

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

i grow crops up allorts of things, the usual bamboo in various configurations for runner beans, tomatoes etc. grapes on a south facing wall using vine eyes & galvanised wire, peas up twiggy beech or even that horrible orange plastic mesh you see on building sites, looks awful at first but keeps the birds away and as the peas grow they cover it well, you can reuse it if your patient and untangle the pea plants.

Yes, found recently that birds do not like orange and red. I have grown beans up trees before now and created shaded areas by growing beans across the patio.

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

I know quite a few pepple that grow Beans for windbreaks round their Dahlia's & last year I grew some against the end of the greenhouse to give me a bit of shade !

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

They are very resilient once they get going, and great cover, borlotti are my favourite as the pods are so beautiful.

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

Never grown them I don't think. Have looked at the loads of times. I grew a Broad bean that looked like them once (Grando Violetto) they were nice but not high yeilds. I was given some crimson flowered beans but when I looked at them there was only 3 seeds any good, the rest had been got at by weevils I think, so they are in the little greenhouse in pots & I'm going to see if I can gett enough seed from them for next year.

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

If you do grow borlotti beans in the future go for a climbing variety. I found the dwarf ones were not very good because the bean pod trailed on the ground and spoilt.

I only found out recently there was a dwarf variety and I suspected that the pods would do this as they do get very long but tasty beans both fresh and dried.

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

You don't eat them like runners do you Andrew? I always thought that you sheeled these.

I may give them a go if I have room as I love bean saldads.

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

There are recipes where you use the pods only when they are mange tout size, but the beans are versatile, can be used in salads or stews. Can also be dried for winter use and seeds.

Recipes:
http://www.abc.net.au/tasmania/stories/s1200534.htm

You can substitute borlotti for butter beans in most recipes.

And:
http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=31993

Further information on the bean itself
http://www.uktvfood.co.uk/index.cfm?...tem&iID=503772

With pasta
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/p...herry-tomatoes

And rocket
http://www.sanitarium.com.au/recipe/....do?rec-id=844

I do love these beans

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

Nick you can eat the young pods like french beans or grow them on and shell the beans.

My Gran used to make a really nice soup with dried beans in. I don't know where she got the recipe from but it was great on a cold day with a big chunk of homemade bread !

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

You could use borlotti in this, very meaty beans, good in soups.

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

We lived with my Auntie in her old-fashioned corner shop when I was small & I used to spend hours sitting on the floor playing with the loose dried peas & beans from the bags like marbles & tiddlywinks, hope the customers washed them well! She used to make great soups & stews full of butter beans, peas & lentils but nobody seems to do that anymore execpt perhaps Andrewo!

Is that why it is more windy in Lancashire??

Borlotti and haricot (in the form of Blue Lake & Blauhilde), which we grow lots of, are dead easy to freeze, and taste much nicer than dried ones (IMO) - they are great in soups & cassoulets & pasta sauces etc! (and you can make quite nice pate/spreads with them)