Growing BEANS + stacking LEAN

This season with a new greenhouse and production we can grow many vegetables that used to get annihilated outdoors such as pole beans.

We are using four drip lines per bed with weed mat on top. We have burnt holes 40 cm apart with two rows and direct seeded after bed prep and composting.

Each growing bed has two top wires above where we have attached one Tomahook per plant and have taken the white twine off and replaced this with jute compostable string. The beans grow up the string turning by themselves and have one clip at the base of the string when the plant first emerges.

We are growing three Heritage varieties this year but have seen vigourous side shoots which we have been tipping off. Next year we will grow a commercial variety that does not have side shoots.

We harvest with a side pouch from ActiveVista.au or other market garden supply companies and are enjoying harvesting standing up.

In the past we have grown dwarf bush beans outdoors which are less comfortable + more time consuming to harvest.

We have a pole with a hook on top to manage the beans once they reach the top wire so we can move the plants over and lower them down without having to use a ladder.

During hot weather it’s nice to have a tall crop that gives shade on our southside for crops such as lettuce. We are harvesting before the beans swell in the pod, if you are unsure do the taste test to make sure it has not become stringy.