Your comments and tips

07 Jan 22, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)

Beans fix their own nitrogen, which if you like to companion plant (and some people do), the beans don't compete for the nitrogen. Some studies indicate the the beans assist (perk) the other plants by giving them nitrogen WITHOUT over supplying nitrogen - and too much nitrogen can be a problem for some plants (corn in particular). The standard North American Indian Three sisters planting is: Corn, beans and squash. This combination dates back ........ probably centuries and it has been around a long time for good reason: Corn is actually fairly WEAK rooted when young; corn can uprooted fairly easily when it starts growing. Squash on the other hand is a rooting power house. The squash stabilizes the corn. The squash with it's large leaves ALSO shades the soil (all plants that I know of like shaded soil, keeping their roots cooler -- even full sun plants want shaded soil). The beans then scamper up the corn, and perk the corn and squash with nitrogen. What your asking is can I take this classic all time threesome and substitute sweet potatoes for the squash. I really can't see a reason why you could not. It sounds reasonable. Further more Blistering on sweet potatoes can be prevented by adding Borax to soil - and corn loves boron (boron gives corn not only better tassels but better yields). Additionally, both corn and sweet potatoes need and love potassium. So when I think about it... it sounds like a really good combination. Best of Luck.

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23 Nov 21, Anonymous (Australia - temperate climate)

Beans do not require a lot of fertiliser. Corn and sweet potatoes do require a good fertilising. Just my opinion but I'm not a believer in mixing crops together. I think because of the fertiliser and sun requirements it would produce inferior crops. At the moment I have 7 rows of corn 60cm apart, they are 1.8m high. I would like to see how beans and sweet potatoes would have grown in that corn. The beans and sweet potato would have taken a lot of fertiliser and water and the corn crop wouldn't be as good as it is.

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19 Sep 22, Paulg (Australia - temperate climate)

Beans will do fine as I have grown them in any part of the garden with no fertiliser so growing up corn plants will work..

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15 Jul 21, VJ Pertzel (Australia - tropical climate)

Are there any beanfly resistant beans? It is so disappointing to keep losing our bean crops!

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21 Jul 21, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I only grow them in the spring time - no bugs then.

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16 Feb 21, Tom ( Queensland - sub tropical climate ) (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I have been told that SCARLET RUNNER beans, will usually fail to flower and fruit in my sub-tropical Brisbane location, presumably owing to temperatures and humidity. If this is correct for usual planting times, so should I try growing them in our Autumn and Winter period ?

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17 Feb 21, Anonymous (Australia - temperate climate)

There are times of the year to plant a crop and times when not to. I don't plant beans in the autumn/winter - why because the bean fly kills them. Late summer autumn is usually a wet time with rain - rain is the giver of life to most things, plants insects disease. So now I grow my beans from late winter - no bean fly no problems. In sub tropical don't expect to grow much over summer - weather extremes are too hazardous for most plants. I live near Bundy.

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17 Feb 21, Steve (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I have given up on Scarlet Runners, had no success in Brisbane, some success in Southern NSW and good crop in Canberra. That should indicate the weather they like :-) I now grow dwarf beans only, fewer pests, bigger crops, no need for frames or teepees.

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25 Oct 20, Kenneth Daunt (Australia - temperate climate)

I have some Purple King, first time with these, and they are climbing up the frame very well. I had a suggestion to pinch of the top to encourage them to spread sideways. Is this a good idea? If they keep going, now over 2 m high, I will have to train the leaders dideways or down as they will have run out of support. Cheers.

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03 Jan 21, Pauline (Australia - temperate climate)

Is it ok to plant purple king in January

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