Topic: runner bean wigwam

[misfit]

hi all, do any of you plant anything inside your runner bean wigwams ?? could anything be planted there or is it a no no ??

cheers

 ian

[Bugloss2009]

hopefully it's dark in there on account of all the leaves and beans you'll have

[petengade]

I grew marrows last year and was ok

[RobinOfTheHood]

I've done courgettes too.

[misfit]

cheers peeps  :)

[manicscousers]

tried a small squash, not too good  :)

[artichoke]

I often scatter radishes there, likely to mature before it gets too dark.

[chriscross1966]

I've managed a courgette under borlottis before but it was onlyhappy once it got out from under them and as it was in a builders bag (half full) it became a real pest re watering..... that bag took a lot of water ..... that was two years ago....

[pigeonseed]

I grow coriander under there - it stops it going to seed when it's hot and dry.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I plant squashes among them.

[misfit]

thanks for all the replies  :)

[plainleaf]

i think you are referring to a teepee not a wigwam since the too are not similar at all and are not same thing.

[Jeannine]

Actually Plainleaf you are quoting incorrectly,

A teepee is a conical shape, and when used by native Indians as a home they are covered in hides.

A wigwam can be one of severall shapes including a conical one and again covered in hides.

So they can be identical in  appearance.

The basic difference between the two is in their mobility.

The teepee is a temporary structure and the wigwam is a more permanent one. 

So unless you know for sure wether the poster moves his or leaves it in place for a long time it is not really appropriate to correct them.

With respect

XX Jeannine

[misfit]

i think you are referring to a teepee not a wigwam since the too are not similar at all and are not same thing.

either way, i think most people knew what i meant ::) :)

[Duke Ellington]

I have grown lettuce under mine successfully. It keeps them shaded as the season moves on.

[1066]

I tried lettuce and spinach under mine last year, some problems with bolting, some problems with not getting enough water, as the beans were a thirsty bunch. I ended up mulching the beans heavily with grass cuttings etc, and that included under the frame - that way the weeds were kept to a minimum so the beans didn't have to compete too much.

I like the idea of a "quick crop" like radish or cut and come again salads.

[Jeannine]

Yes, of course we understood misfit. Nobody loves a smarty pants and that includes me  ::) ::

I just couldn't resist correcting the corrector!!

XX Jeannine

[irridium]

Sorry to hijack this thread ... but it is Runner-Bean Related, honest ;D ;D

Do you think there is a space-saving benefit to grow them in trenches with the poles with an 'V' shape to them as opposed to the inverted 'V' wigwam-style. Obviously, you'd leave about 1' or so apart from the other side/half of the 'V'. An additional benefit would be that the trailling stems would fall inwards and more likely to be reached for easier harvesting? As a short-axxed gal, this would help me enormously! ;D ;D ;D

hope i've explained myself clearly here ::) ::) well, maybe the gist of it?!! ;) ;)

[pigeonseed]

People do do that! (I know what you mean) Well, more like an X shape. And precisely for the reason you describe. I've seen threads on it on here. I've done some this year, after reading about them.

[green lily]

I plant my beans in raised beds on each side of a path so I can walk under to pick. Also looks nice as a mini tunnel. I think trenches are a good idea so water stays put instead of seeping elsewhere.  :)