I don’t know if anyone is a fan of Charles Dowding or thinks he’s just a corner cutter, but in his book Myths and Misconceptions he says it makes no different to runner beans digging a trench, I haven’t done it since, it didn’t make any difference.
I don’t know if anyone is a fan of Charles Dowding or thinks he’s just a corner cutter, but in his book Myths and Misconceptions he says it makes no different to runner beans digging a trench, I haven’t done it since, it didn’t make any difference.
Like so many other things, I suspect it depends on the conditions, and what it's being compared to.
For my old neighbour it was the trench versus nothing but the dry sandy soil (and she moved it around each year and put other things in the slightly improved patch that had had last years beans in it). She didn't have compost bins and I guess couldn't afford to buy in organic matter, or didn't see the need, she just did it the way her parents and grandparents did it, and it worked. She also very rarely watered the garden, and we often don't get a lot of summer rain here. If it was tested somewhere that had good rich soil and plenty of summer rainfall, or against digging in compost, manure etc, I can see that it wouldn't make any difference. Horses for courses.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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Bob Flowerdews 'No work garden' also debunks alot of gardening myths... it's one of my favourite gardening books.
I find Stefan Drew an intresting read too https://www.bitesizedgardening.co.uk/gardening-myths-examined-explained-disabused/gardening-myths/
Sorry that's gone a little OT.