Topic: Runner beans and Lettuce....

[Garden Manager]

Planted together!

This is something new i decided to try this year to save space. Planted lettuces inbetween my runner beans as a sort of catch/inter crop. And it sems to have worked, both crops have benefitted the other. Watering the beans has produced nice lush lettuceleaves and the lettuce have provided a good ground cover between the beans - no weeding and better moisture retention.

Something i totaly reccomend!

PS the lettuce are loose leaf/cut and come again types, so stay in place for a longer time than hearting varieties.

[tim]

That's what the 'book' says. Well done!

But watering? We pay for ours. And in this 'hugely wet spring/summer', is it really needed?
Not knocking. = Tim

[Mrs Ava]

Yup, did the same with  lettuce and radish.  The radish were long pulled before the beans had started their upward march, and the lettuces that are left are still looking great!  There is no way I can water my runners, at the opposite end of my plot away from the stream, that is why I did a very big bean trench which received plenty of soakings during early spring.

[Garden Manager]

Wet spring/summer, Tim? You have to be joking!

Dry as a bone from early may to end of june down here. Dry for over a week at present. Watering absolutely essential. Fortunately though via an drip irrigation system, not manualy via hose or can.

I take it you are on a water meter where you are?

[Mrs Ava]

Funny, altho it has been dry here for quite a while, on the allotment just below the surface is still quite damp.  My front garden is cracked and like concrete!  Just goes to show, plenty of organic matter in the soil helps hold on to the moisture!  ;D

[Garden Manager]

Certianly does EJ  :)

[GardnerJ]

great idea! I'll try that next year defo!
Jemma  :D