This year our bean area had masses of rotted /part rotted leaves from last autumn dug in, together with shredded paper. It has several gallons of water twice a week, even if it has been raining, because like Learner said, the leaf cover is so dense that not a lot of rain gets through the the soil.
Ours is not like Munty's though --- the children made two wigwams about 4 ft tall only (very sturdy ) so now the beans are draping down and trailing across anyhting in their wake Looks hilarious but there are at least plenty of them
Too be perfectly honest my Munty-frame (experiment) has not been 100% successful!!
My fault - my father grew many more bean seedlings than I/we actually needed to plant 1/2 an acre and I planted the lot!!
He loves growing things and I couldn't say "thanks" and then not use them.......
Result: ........ while one end of my 30' long munty-frame is mostly successful the other 20' (!!!!) looks like a wide, pretty privet hedge of about 4' high and 3' in depth. The beans have not managed to grow up and over the frame but have lost their way amongst the other competing beans and tangled into the most amazing 4' high jungle!!
The other
slight?? problem is, where the beans have made their way up and over and have pods hanging beuatifully & impressively down from above - some twit decided to make the best of the land below the frame and planted several very rampant courgettes
and the traditional (for me) butternut squash. Results is = an interesting performance reaching the beans no matter where and how I try.
So.... I have learned that next year I will:
- limit the number of bean seedlings planted per stretch of bean-frame
- not plant things that will take up every space where I need to place my foot / feet
- reduce the distance between the high and low sides of the munty frame
- make the higher side of the frame higher
And.... not put the beans too close to the rasperries so as to leave room to get between them speedily....
And listen to my OH when she says, "There are just so many beans a family / friends / neighbours can eat in one year....and accept that "we" will not be freezing any again this year.....as "we" prefer to eat them in season and when they are fresh.....apparently