Planning for beans & peas

sanuka · « **on:** March 21, 2008, 13:06 »

I have a bed that's 4.5 by 13 feet that I'm hoping to grow beans and peas in. I have no idea how many plants would be enough for any but I would like to try broad beans, peas, french beans and runner beans.

Is there enough space for these? how many plants of each would be a good number to start with?

many thanks

WhippetMaster · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2008, 13:45 »

Broad beans 12- 15" apart 12" between rows
Peas 3" apart 12" between rows
Runner beans 6" apart with BIG distance between rows.

This is how I have/intend to plant mine it can be closer in raised beds!!!

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2008, 15:42 »

Quote from: "WhippetMaster"

Broad beans 12- 15" apart 12" between rows
Peas 3" apart 12" between rows
Runner beans 6" apart with BIG distance between rows.

This is how I have/intend to plant mine it can be closer in raised beds!!!

I plant everything a lot closer together, but I feed and water well.

Aidy · « **Reply #3 on:** March 21, 2008, 17:51 »

just bear in mind that the runners and french will cast a shadow.

Trillium · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2008, 19:10 »

Sanuka, as long as you don't step in the bed, you can plant closer as Aunt Sally suggests. I plant mine quite closely as well to improve the yield. Be sure you've worked the soil well with lots of humus and the roots can take crowding. As for Broad and Runners, plant them at the 'back' so the shorter plants get all day sun at the front. For runners, check out the Munty's Runner Bean Frame - a good idea which you can make smaller.

gobs · « **Reply #5 on:** March 21, 2008, 19:19 »

Quote from: "Aidy"

just bear in mind that the runners and french will cast a shadow.

And the broad beans unless you're into dwarfs.

Now seriously, I'm also of the plant much closer brigade than detailed. I plant broad beans seeds about 3 inches apart with a foot between two rows, I plant runner/French beans 2 to a cane and more if any left, and peas I just chuck in on the plenty in a few inch wide shallow trench.

So I gather you could do this bed for example as follows: a couple of wigwams for climbing beans of any sorts on the north end ( I realise suddenly that I'm assuming your bed runs from N-S as I plant) and a couple of rows of broad beans and peas running N-S to the south of them.

shaun · « **Reply #6 on:** March 21, 2008, 20:03 »

if you havnt got one then you should be preparing you bean trench,dig a trough out a foot wide 2 spades deep and 3/4 fill it with manure or decent home made compost then top it off with a bit of top soil, plant your little bean plants here and they will love it,
some folks chuck all sorts in the trench like paper cardboard and even old pringle jumpers to retain moisture during our red hot summers but all i use is manure

sanuka · « **Reply #7 on:** March 22, 2008, 19:58 »

I have to admit my heads hurting trying to work out how many of what goes where and how many poles are needed. So far I think I've worked out how many peas & beans can fit in but it's raised a few more questions. How far from the edge do you start to plant?

When you have broad beans 3" apart do they each have their own pole? that works out to alot of poles ! (if I have 14' of beans at 3" each that's 56 poles - or have I got something wrong?)

As it happens the bed is north to south

I really like wigwams but wouldn't it mean less plants if I do a circle rather than the rows? Could I plant peas in the middle of the wigwams or would it be too shady to quickly?

gobs · « **Reply #8 on:** March 22, 2008, 22:25 »

Quote from: "sanuka"

I have to admit my heads hurting trying to work out how many of what goes where and how many poles are needed. So far I think I've worked out how many peas & beans can fit in but it's raised a few more questions. How far from the edge do you start to plant?

don't need to work that hard, relax, in beans, a couple of inches will do

When you have broad beans 3" apart do they each have their own pole? that works out to alot of poles ! (if I have 14' of beans at 3" each that's 56 poles - or have I got something wrong?)

NO THEY DON'T, THEY HAVE A SUPPORT OF A FEW STICKS ALONG THE LINE, SPACES AND A STRING ACROSS

As it happens the bed is north to south I really like wigwams but wouldn't it mean less plants if I do a circle rather than the rows? Could I plant peas in the middle of the wigwams or would it be too shady to quickly?

NO, YOU CAN'T PLANT IN THE MIDDLE OF WIGWAMS ( WELL YOU CAN BUT NO RESULTS) . YOU CAN ONLY PLANT THAT MANY THINGS IN A PLACE.

Sorry about the capitals but no feature is available to me to make difference between answer and question on these forums as I'm on firefox, so nothing works.

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Planning for beans & peas

Trillium