I'm in the process of planning a few raised beds in my garden. Its not a big garden and I'm worried about my beans restricting light for other plants. There's one part at the top of the garden that would be ideal but would it be ok to grow them here in years to come too. Same for peas as they will need to go further down that bed, I think.
I'm asking as I know a few people on allotments with bean frames in the same position, folk that grow beans as shade for their greenhouse and things like the three sisters combo so does this mean that legumes are less likely to succumb to nasties like brassicas, potatoes etc so are ok in the one place?
Shona :)
My dad used to grow his in the same place on a permanent frame. I don't think they're particularly bad at accumulating pests and diseases, not like potatoes say.
some people swear by growing them - Runner Beans - in the same place. If you dig a trench for them with lots of compost or rotting down stuff, that's almost the same as changing the soil anyway
Runner Beans never did particularly well in our garden - surprising amount of shade, and lots of slugs. Attractive plants though not many beans
It's a bit of work but you could clear the bed each year and fill with soil from another part of the plot. The Nitrogen filled soil you have removed would be good for the rest of the plot.
Neil
Thanks for the replies. Looks like that bed will be mainly legumes then. :) Makes it much easier and I can move some soil round at the end of the year so the other beds get the benefit of the nitrogen. :)