Kitchen Garden Forum

Does anyone know, or has anyone tried, growing courgettes under a runner bean wigwam? Would they compete too much? Would there be enough light for the courgettes under a wide wigwam of, say, 4 canes with just one bean plant at each. I'm desperately trying to find space for everything

I did it last year and it didn't work. The courgettes lost! Put your cougettes in the compost bin that's maturing if you've got one. Or put them under sweet corn. That works.North American Indians used to do that and they also used to grow beans up the corn.

Thanks Jane, it was a vain hope really! I have got a maturing compost bin but I'm going to need to raid it for mulch unfortunately. Never mind, I'll probably think of something. It's Peter's giant pumpkins that have caused the space problem! It's always good to blame somebody else

this is more of an additional question rather than ans answer..can they be grown higher up in troughs off the ground as is now favoured for many strawberry growing methods? I am interested because my plants are now maturing for planting out, some Courgettes will climb a bit me thinks......but I could be wrong.......answers on a postcard.

I grew courgettes at the base of my beans last year and had no problems, a fair number of courgettes and a few marrows developed one wet week in September when I had not had a chance to looked at them!

However, I did plant the courgettes on the South side of the row.

Do beans like having their roots shaded? I know most climbing flowering plants do, eg clematis.

I seem to remember that the arrangement Jane E refers to (beans, corn and courgettes) is known in the States as 'The Three Sisters' system.

I think it's beans,corn and squash Tigger. I've grown squash amongst the beans and that works.