Bean Trench Help

**piskieinboots** · 31-01-2010, 10:59 AM

I'm sorry you had a rubbish year last year, just shows how it varies around the country - my runner beans grew and produced for the 2012 squad!!

Runner beans are a moisture-loving crop. I have my bean trench dug open around now, I fill with layers of kitchen waste, garden compost and layers of wet newspaper. Keep this going until you have a goodly, erm, hump! Then fill over with fill compost and get the canes in and away you go at sowing time, I always put two beans to a cane - to allow for fall-overs.

I have never done the above for peas or broad beans. Be interesting to see if any other Grapes have

**zazen999** · 31-01-2010, 11:08 AM

I was going to have a bean trench but with the arrival of so much manure, I had to use the bed to shovel the muck onto it for the time being.

What i did; and I also had beans for England last year [and I grow on clay], is to dig a little trench each time I was planting them out in rows, and put a goodly amount of home made compost in the trench and plant the beans in that, and use the clay to seal the top of the trench, holding the moisture in.

Also, during the dry season I gave them a good water. I don't usually water my lottie, but this is one area that I did. I also used chopped comfrey to mulch around the plants after they were watered.

When I planted in blocks [for the dwarf ones], I used a bulb planter and put a handful of compost in the bottom before the beans went in, and again sealed the top with the clay and watered/mulched the same as the rows.

**Liza** · 31-01-2010, 11:20 AM

Just dont put potato peelings in the trench...... I made that mistake last year

**northepaul** · 31-01-2010, 11:58 AM

Thanks for the tips - I didnt know about a trench - I am going to be growing them on a raised bed, but I have hestia....and a dwarf yellow french bean from real seeds, do they still need poles would you think?

**sagegreen** · 31-01-2010, 02:11 PM

I know several people who dig a trench for runners' and tip their green waste into it during the late winter and early spring - with great success. But they tend to grow their beans in the same spot each year; one or two have a 'permanent' post and wire framework which they attach their canes or bean-sticks to. If you are growing runners' as part of a crop rotation, I wouldn't bother with a trench. Just make sure some good compost has been dug in and that the soil doesn't dry out during the growing season 'cos runners love moisture around their roots.

**wollyanna** · 31-01-2010, 02:16 PM

Often thought about starting a bean trench but worried what wildlife !! it might attract. I adore runners and anything to improve the crop would be good.

**Creemteez** · 31-01-2010, 02:33 PM

I am currently burying the cleanings out of my giant bunny on a weekly basis (Boy - Can he produce "the goods"!). Tried this last year as an experiment and the resulting bean crop was phenominal! Beans for all! Have moved beds this year as having dug the bean bed over I am struck by the crumbly loveliness of the soil, so my roots are going to benefit from it this year. Haven't applied anything else -Got the plastic on to warm the soil. Can't wait!

**Sanjo** · 31-01-2010, 07:03 PM

Originally posted by w33blegurl View Post

Hi All

Just making my plans for the coming year and was trying to think about how to improve upon last years rubbish bean and pea crops. I have read about making a bean trench with compostable food waste, but am unclear as to how long you need to wait between putting the stuff in the trench and then plangin/sowing. Also will it work equally well with peas and broad beans as with runner/climbing beans?

Is it worth trying something similar with my squashes as I read that these will grow on the compost heap.

Thanks in advance!!

I have a semi permanent trench as I am limited for space. I did try this, about this time last year, as a number of grapes have just said they did.
It worked a treat, but I did it all in one go so didn't have to worry about rodents etc digging up the compost waste ie covered it all over once a goodly amount of newspaper (pre-soaked) and part rotted stuff went in.
After that I covered it all over with black ground cover sheet a) to stop weeds coming through and b) to hopefully warm the soil up a little ready for the beans to go in about the middle of May.
It meant one less job come the busy months.
The one thing I would very much agree with is NO spud peelings, well not unless you have laboriously removed the eyes which I now do.
Last year I had to keep removing baby potato plants!
Another grape posted about home made compost bags a little while ago (Anni was it?) and I think that was about preparing compost in old bags, keeping them fairly close to the house to fill them, and then the squashes were planted on top of the part rotted compost. And very successfully apparently.

**Gwen11ian** · 31-01-2010, 07:44 PM

I'm planning the all-at-once trench method as well. Everything that's been put into the compost bin since winter started is pretty much un-composted still.. so once the ground is more workable I plan on digging the trench and filling it up with that stuff. Good for the beans, and will give me more space in my single compost bin for the summer.

**gojiberry** · 01-02-2010, 07:54 PM

Have put 6" of cow manure in the bottom of my bean trenches as I had plenty and will mulch with leaf mould as I think I will have about 5 bags left after all the soft fruit has been mulched. Don't know why I go to so much trouble as we get fed up with beans after about 3 weeks and we don't like them frozen.

Ian

**binley100** · 01-02-2010, 08:00 PM

We did the all-at once trench method and had a great crop . Also when my courgettes were ready to go out I dug a hole filled it with compost put the soil back and planted into it. No probs. This year I'm growing climbing french beans as well and will work the same way, The compost I use is from our bin at home which is vegetable waste and by using it in one hit it saves carting up to the lottie all the time .

**afrench108** · 02-02-2010, 04:11 PM

i always do the trench and put cardboard at the bottom, add grass clippings/paper/compost/leaf mulch and they love it.. Broad Beans didn't do too well with it as they hold all the water and with the wet summer as well i had only half crop...

**marathon** · 02-02-2010, 05:38 PM

Originally posted by afrench108 View Post

i always do the trench and put cardboard at the bottom, add grass clippings/paper/compost/leaf mulch and they love it.. Broad Beans didn't do too well with it as they hold all the water and with the wet summer as well i had only half crop...

I also use cardboard, it was great the first yera i did it as it meant the weeds gave up, too much effort to get through the cardboard and newspaper. I find that I have to water my beans a lot less than other plot holders.

So i use cardboard, soaked newspapers followed by kitchen waste with manure on top finish with a layer or good soil.

**Dibblecat** · 02-02-2010, 06:50 PM

Originally posted by Liza View Post

Just dont put potato peelings in the trench...... I made that mistake last year

What happens? Do the beans not like them?

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