Any of you gardners that grow veg have surely heard that you need not fertilize the ground where in you will sow your beans, because the bean plants "make their own fertilizer". It is true that if you fertilize the plants with a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen you will only get a very leafy plant that produces few beans. What they are referring to are the nitrogen nodules that form on the roots of the plants. The plants take in nitrogen from the air, process it and send it to the roots to form the little nitrogen fixating nodules of which I speak. The plants then use these to "feed themselves" throughout the season. The next thing you hear is that when the season is over, you should cut the foliage off and compost it, but leave the roots in the ground so you don't loose the "natural fertilizer". This idea sounds good to me if you then plan to plant leafy veg like spinach, Swiss chard or the like -- something that is grown for it's leaves. However if you plan to plant other types of veg in that plot that do not require alot of nitrogen, then I have the feeling that I can just compost the roots along with the foliage and spread that out in other places in the garden after it has composted. It is a nightmare trying to rake that ground with those little stobs of the plant's stem and the roots constantly hanging-up in the tines of your rake. Half the time they get pulled out anyway. Well, while I was removing my bean plants and preparing the ground for the winter, it occurred to me to have a look and take some fotos. It might be nice to see this phenominon if you have never seen it before. Here is a plant just pulled out of the ground, It may be a little difficult to see the nodules. A closer inspection shows them more clearly. And finally an earthworm's view. Perhaps not everyone has such an inquisitive nature as I, but it's one of natures' little oddities and bears investigation. I can still recall the first time I saw this and the feeling of amazement ind intrigue.
Very intresting! I usually take mine out each yr. But for some reason my beans and peas are not doing all that great. Altho it is the first yr they have been in this spot. The peas could be producing better, but the beans have been a disaster. I was thinking of planting my cauliflower in that spot next yr. You know the rotation thing for barassicas. What do you think. Leave the roots or take them out.
I never cease to learn from you,Sjoerd. I just wish my beans got that big. The drought finished them for us out here on the coast. I'll remember this for the future. Thanks. Gardnegater
Thank you, 4G. That was a really nice thing to say, but of course Frank makes those decisions. Biita--I always follow my beans with brasscias. I know that caulis, for instance, require a dressing of sodium nitrate (NaNO3) after the heads (curds) have begun to form. I should say..."it is recommended" by some folks. I personally do not do this, but I like to keep up with other ways of doing things. I am sorry to hear about your beans this year, GG...What kind were you growing? There are ways to beat draught, you know.
Look at those roots, how fascinating. I love to learn interesting stuff like this, even though I might never grow a bean in all my life. Since I'm the lazy type of gardener I'd probably leave them in there.
Ahhh okay Sjoerd, then i'm right on track in planting the cauli's there next yr. The ground should be full of nitrogen. I'll leave the roots in the ground until i plant the cauli's i think. I never give my plants nitrogen when they start to develop, because well there is so much banana skins and such already in there, i personally don't think they need more. Thanks for the help!
Thanks for the great info Sjoerd. Our black clay looses nitrogen easily, every time it rains or the garden is watered too much so having some bean roots here and there in the garden next year will be a good thing for my purposes. I would like to pick your brain over the winter about other vegies that I want to grow next year if you don't mind. 'Book learning' is fine up to a point, but nothing beats learning from someone who has been doing it for years.
Great pics there Sjoerd. Peas do a similar thing with their roots and I do try to leave them in. I grow runners in the same place every year as I dug a bean trench when I first took on the allotment and filled it with compost, shredded paper and manure so it isn't a problem for me to leave them in situ. A lot of people grow field beans on our site to dig in as a green manure, a sensible route if, as you say, you are planning a lot of leafy salad or brassica veg.
TONI--You are welcome. As far as picking my brain, pick-away. However, I can only tell you how I do things and I realize that my way is not the only way or perhaps not even the best way...but you are as welcome as can be to the experience that I have gained over the years. EJ-- thank you. I use the same areas for my runners easch year too, the only difference is that I empty my trench each year and spread it out in layers in the compost bin. I re-fill the trench each year with veggie wasye, manure and paper. So each years' planting gets a fresh organic milieu to grow in. I have grown runners under wigwams too, but that is alot of work and I must move those sites to rotate other crops through. Next years' spuds will go where the French and runner beans were this past year, for instance. I think using field beans as a green manure would be a luxurious treat for the veg that followed in that ground, don't you? BIITA--It sounds good to me. My cycle is beans-> brassicas-> potatoes...etc,etc. in the new garden. p.s.--you mentioned banana peels. I knew that peels contain potassium and phosphorus, but I did not know there was nitrogen in them also.
You should leave the roots in the ground , Peas , chickpeas , beans are all leguminous plants which fix the atmospheric oxygen and store it underground . Legumes and brassicas is a good way to go . Sjoerd (and others ) , lately I am getting really hooked up on no till gardening , that is no digging , no raking , planting amongst the remains of the previous crop . It builds up the soil and the various networks micro organisms , worms create in the soil which tilling would otherwise destroy . What is your take on it ?
Hello Arv-- I have been practicing what I call "min-till" for several years now http://www.volkstuindersvereniginghoorn ... age18.html and I find it to be the best way to handle the soil based upon my needs. Min tilling is discussed a bit in this article on soil. I do not always use this method in all plots however, as some crop sorts require deep and loose soil. I sort of tailor my treatment of soil based upon what will go in the plot. I do firmly believe that soil, generally, should be turned and disrupted as little as possible. Having said that I would like to qualify this by saying that first one should have a good and healthy soil to begin with...and this might take some work getting the nutrition and structure the way you want it. After that, it's minimal tilling for me. I believe that is is good to leave some sort of cover over the surface of the soil to protect it especially during the winter months, as I have posted a few weeks ago. Soil is the very basis of any garden and it is good to read and try and understand it as much as one can so that it can be treated properly. The treatment of your soil will ultimately determine how things will grow on your plot.
Thanks a lot for a comprehensive reply . Now where is the smiley for ::not worthy :: ( like in Wayne's World ) .
Hiyah Arv, I ment to tell you that when we took over the "new allotment" the man that had had it before us did not till the soil at all...he just plonked things in and let them go for it. The result was that when he moved on and we took it over--the sub-surface weeds and roots were rampant--no, "rampant" is too mild a word. Things such as mare's tail actually do better in closed and compacted soil. My bride and I spent hours and hours cleaning the soil of pernicious weeds. It was a nightmare. This leads me to think that strict absence of tilling is not a good thing, if you want to grow veg...and perhaps lovely flowers. I do understand the principle, but the reality (in my situation, at least) is not practical. The competition for nutrition by the weeds wins out in a veggie plot ultimately.
