[Annie]

i haven`t used one before,can I use not quite ready garden compost?I cann`t bury fresh waste as my leeks are still growing there.Also is this a suitable way to grow all kinds of beans and what about peas?

[WG.]

I've only ever done it for broad beans Annie but can't see why any legume wouldn't be thrilled with the extra food and moisture retaining.

Create the trench as you go.  That way you only need a few square feet to get started.

[Annie]

What do you do WG?I will sew my firstfirst broard beans before the leeks are out so was thinking climbing french beans and climbing peas.

[WG.]

I've never found myself in that situation TBH since I've got enough space to separate.  Also I wouldn't be planting beans as early as you.

Your french beans & peas will love it too.

[Annie]

I`m not planting anything other than onion seeds at the moment,I just woke up thinking about bean trenches and thought I`d ask to get the thought out of my head,also so I know which compost heaps to turn or leave to stick in a trench.I did look in WYSIWYG first and search `cos I`msure this has come up before.

[WG.]

I`m not planting anything other than onion seeds at the moment,I just woke up thinking about bean trenches and thought I`d ask to get the thought out of my head,also so I know which compost heaps to turn or leave to stick in a trench.I did look in WYSIWYG first and search `cos I`msure this has come up before.

You can ask questions in WYSIWYGGY too and that will accelerate the gathering of info under it.  But note that off-topic posts will get deleted off after a while.

[gobs]

A guy on our lottie regularly does this with his bean trench and grows very good runner and climbing beans. He in fact, changes the soil for them every year, if you like, feels his (2x2 feet?) trench with compost.

I imagine, as WG says, all the others would like it too, it just not commonly done as peas are a much shorter crop. On the other hand I sowed them in a manure compost mix last year, which worked a treat and got a lot less weevil damage on them.

[corndolly]

We have used trenches filled with compost for Runner Beans , you can also add card, paper and sheeps wool .Cover the trench with a 6" layer of soil at least .Make sure the top of the trench is mounded as this will sink as the compost rots down and you could end up with a ditch down the middle of your cane tunnels. Last year with all the rain ,we had a lot of water lying around in this ditch ,we think that this caused rotting of some of the beans.