| Here's a brilliantly quick and easy idea for growing | | | | sunlight. |
| beans in volume from a man who is a highly | | | | In my experience, an intensive - three row - trellis |
| serious collector of rare heirloom vegetables. You | | | | works well even in a cool climate given ample |
| won't find him building cute bean wigwams, though. | | | | watering, say, from a leaky hose. So thickly do |
| Beans will grow in a very small root space, he | | | | the plants grow, weeds are minimal. |
| reasons, so why not exploit that? | | | | 'I don't bother weeding between the walls, except |
| Here is his Ultra-Intensive Trellis. 'I first build a | | | | at the start, because they act as a mulch for |
| frame from PVC pipe, he told me. 'It comes in | | | | each other,' he said. 'Weeds don't harm mature |
| 10ft lengths, which is ideal. I use three uprights (to | | | | bean plants.' |
| prevent sagging in the middle) and I bury them | | | | No weeding? Lazy gardening? He and I are twin |
| 18in deep, with a crosspiece at the top. Along the | | | | souls. He builds his trellises three foot apart. That's |
| top rail I tie degradable string every six inches. So | | | | far enough so that his climbing French beans |
| at season's end, the whole thing can be cut down | | | | (Phaseolus vulgaris), the 'common' bean, will not |
| for the compost bin. Another string is tied at | | | | easily cross-pollinate. So the resulting seed from |
| ground level, from one upright to the next, and | | | | each rare heirloom bean variety stays pure. |
| the hanging strings tied off to it.' | | | | Don't grow more than one variety of runner bean |
| I suggested an alternative, common in European | | | | (Phaseolus coccineus) in your garden, however, if |
| allotments: 'You could put another crosspiece along | | | | you want to save the seed and preserve its |
| the bottom - and double-loop the strings around it. | | | | integrity. Or especially, if your neighbour is growing |
| Might be less work than tying each off?' Being | | | | a different variety. Runners need an isolation |
| deep in leguminous ponderings, he ignored me. | | | | distance of at least one mile! |
| 'Three - yes, three - rows of beans are planted | | | | How to keep your bean varieties pure |
| along the bottom string,' he triumphed. 'One seed | | | | Idea: if your neighbour insists on growing mundane |
| goes on each side of each vertical string, 4in from | | | | Painted Lady runners while you are trying to raise, |
| the string. Then another seed goes right | | | | and save true for seed, some rare heirloom |
| underneath the bottom string, centred between | | | | bean... give that good person some of your seed! |
| each vertical string. More seeds go to the front | | | | If you both grow the same variety, |
| and back of the upright pipes. And, would you | | | | cross-pollination is not an issue. Moreover, when |
| believe it? - I sow those seeds at just one-inch | | | | the slugs get your seedlings, you can borrow |
| intervals. I wind up with 30 foot of row in only a | | | | back some of your neighbour's seed. |
| ten foot length. As the vines grow, I get a solid | | | | Using this simple but intensive trellis, my friend |
| wall of beans.' | | | | raised 120 row-feet of beans in a space just 10ft |
| Growing beans intensively in temperate climes | | | | x 9ft. If he was growing merely one variety, he |
| True, he lives in the southern US where the light | | | | said, he'd space the trellises only two foot apart - |
| is strong and growing days are long, bright and | | | | and let the vines tangle. 'In that case,' he said '180 |
| warm. Indeed, in the tropics, climbing beans can | | | | row-feet could be planted in a space only 10ft x |
| be successfully planted one inch apart in the row. | | | | 10ft.' |
| Provided they get enough light on the leaf | | | | That's what I call intensive heirloom bean growing! |
| canopy, and ample feeding and watering, beans | | | | I wish he had told me that before I set out some |
| will grow together as tightly as radishes. But if | | | | 400 bamboo canes one year, crafted into |
| you live in more temperate climes, he | | | | ingenious tents, minarets and wigwams. I'd |
| recommended that you space your seed a | | | | forgotten the maxim: 'what goes in, must come |
| cautious three inches apart and align the rows in a | | | | out.' Oh, but did I remember it - that autumn! |
| North/South direction to give them the maximum | | | | |