[kittiwake]

Hi,

I am currently looking after a friends plot whilst she is expecting her baby this year. She has given me free rein to plant whatever I want. She has given me her planting plan for last year although the plan doesnt really fit with the plot so I have just made sure that I am not planting anything in the same place twice rather than worry about crop rotation too much.

After sorting out the potatoes, onions, broadbeans and beds for leafy veg, leeks, sweetcorn and carrots I am now left with a patch that was going to be split between beans and peas and curcubits (winter squash pumpkin and courgette).

My question is should I spread  the bean wigwams  out in this remaining area and have the curcubits growing in between to act as weed supressants or have a separate area for beans etc and a separate area for curcurbits ?  The area is about 15 feet by 12 feet.

Thank you

Kitti

[Yorkie]

Hi Kittiwake and welcome 

My preference, if you have space, would be to separate them as beans will create quite a lot of shade over the ground plants, which in themselves are quite large and may want to expand beyond the limits of the wigwam.  try to put the bean wigwam on the south side of the ground level plants to minimise the shadow.

[kittiwake]

Thank you Yorkie for the advice and the welcome !

Would you grow anything in  the spaces between the wigwams of beans or would you keep the soil plant free? I have seen a photo in a magazine with lettuces planted around the outsides of the bean wigwams - would this be feasible ? Apparently they divert any slugs attentions away from the young bean plants. I really want to make the most of the space around the outsides of the wigwams but understand that the shade cast by the bean wigwams will be a problem.

Kitti

[Trillium]

You could fit in early lettuce while the bean plants grow but soon the lettuces will be shaded by the bean leaves as well as the various squash leaves. A lot of pumpkin varieties are 'climbers' and on the ground they can really travel unless you keep the tips pinched off after you see a few pumpkin fruit forming. Same with winter squash. I find the vines and leaves can get close to knee high depending on the variety. Most courgettes are bush types and can cover a metre in width and height by midsummer. You'll know best what you really need foodwise and how much space you want to devote to the specific varieties.

[woodburner]

Three sisters (beans, sweetcorn and squashes) is a traditional combination in North America. It's a bit cool here for sweetcorn to grow well enough for the combination to work but I don't see why beans and sweetcorn shouldn't work, with canes or whatever for support. Courgettes (and probably other cucurbits too) don't mind a bit of shade. I don't know about growing peas or non climbing beans with cucurbits though.
With a bit of luck , I will actually be trying this combination later in the year.