Scroggin, I plant a seed close to the roots of each sweetcorn plant when they are about 10-12 inches high, otherwise the beans will easily outgrow the corn. As the beans grow, they are trained to twine round one corn stem, then over to another etc, so they do not climb vertically as such - the bean stems are used to 'tie' the corn stems together. When there is enough support for the corn crop, I nip the tips of the beans off. There are usually beans available for harvesting well before any cobs are ready. After harvesting the cobs, if the beans are still cropping, I leave the whole shebang and cut down when everything dies in early winter. Any beans harvested are really a bonus as their primary purpose is to provide nitrogen for, and to support, the corn.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Hadn't thpught about the support thing - good idea that. the 'three sisters' idea is from South America, which is where all three plants come from; they used to grow them like that there for exactly the reasons described. I'm trying it this year for the first time. My friend does sweetcorn and squashes together every year and it seems to work well, but her beans are elsewhere.
I also sowed french beans at the bottom of the corn when they were a foot high and the seem to be doing OK. I have runner beans at the tops of their wigwams elsewhere and starting to set already! Photos soon...
Bob Flowerdew in Companion Planting reckons runner beans aren't good for brassicas but doesn't say why. I generally follow beans with brassicas in rotation, leaving the roots and soil undisturbed to take advantage of the nitrogen and firm soil.
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Thanks for info' Bob
I won't read anymore silly websites and go to Organ grinders 1st
Anything climbing, Dove - I usually use French beans like Cobra but have used runners - whatever I have spare.
Cheers
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Scroggin, I plant a seed close to the roots of each sweetcorn plant when they are about 10-12 inches high, otherwise the beans will easily outgrow the corn. As the beans grow, they are trained to twine round one corn stem, then over to another etc, so they do not climb vertically as such - the bean stems are used to 'tie' the corn stems together. When there is enough support for the corn crop, I nip the tips of the beans off. There are usually beans available for harvesting well before any cobs are ready. After harvesting the cobs, if the beans are still cropping, I leave the whole shebang and cut down when everything dies in early winter. Any beans harvested are really a bonus as their primary purpose is to provide nitrogen for, and to support, the corn.
Hadn't thpught about the support thing - good idea that. the 'three sisters' idea is from South America, which is where all three plants come from; they used to grow them like that there for exactly the reasons described. I'm trying it this year for the first time. My friend does sweetcorn and squashes together every year and it seems to work well, but her beans are elsewhere.
I also sowed french beans at the bottom of the corn when they were a foot high and the seem to be doing OK. I have runner beans at the tops of their wigwams elsewhere and starting to set already! Photos soon...
Three sisters above, Taken last week.
Bob Flowerdew in Companion Planting reckons runner beans aren't good for brassicas but doesn't say why. I generally follow beans with brassicas in rotation, leaving the roots and soil undisturbed to take advantage of the nitrogen and firm soil.