Growing runner beans in mixed culture

The advantages of a mixed culture

Mixed cultures are used in private gardens as well as in organic horticulture, in permaculture and other farming methods that do not use chemical pesticides and fertilizers applied. Because if properly planted, mixed beds are far less affected by pests and diseases. Here are the advantages at a glance:

• Diseases and pests are kept away
• Taller plants provide low-growing shade and protection from the wind
• Neighboring plants provide nutrients to others
• Ground covers keep moisture in the soil and protect higher-growing plants from drying out
• The beds look more colorful and beautiful

The only disadvantage of mixed crops is the somewhat more difficult harvesting process. Since the different plants are ready for harvest at different times, you have to harvest several times and carefully so as not to damage the other plants.

Runner beans in mixed culture

Runner beans are ideal for mixed crops, as they have multiple beneficial effects on their neighbors:

• They provide shade.
• They enrich the soil with nitrogen through bacteria at their tuber roots, which is why nitrogen fertilization is not necessary.
• Runner beans can cope with nutrient-poor soil and can thus be combined with both hungry and less hungry plants.

Good neighbors for runner beans

Runner beans, like most plants - and humans, don't get along with everyone. With some they get along less well than with others and with a few they even enter into a kind of symbiosis. Heavy consumers such as corn, cucumber, courgette or courgette benefit from the nitrogen that the runner beans provide. The climbing beans, in turn, benefit from the strongly growing maize on which they can climb. Low-growing vegetables such as salads or tubers can be grown well at the foot of the beans. Here is a selection of good plant neighbors for runner beans:

• Savory
• Endive
• Cucumber
• Nasturtiums
• Cabbage
• Kohlrabi
• Corn:
• radish
• radish
• Beetroot
• salad
• sage
• celery
• spinach
• zucchini

Bad neighbors for runner beans

However, some vegetables have a negative effect on the growth of runner beans or vice versa. Runner beans should therefore not be grown together with the following plants:

• French beans
• peas
• fennel
• garlic
• paprika
• leek
• chives
• Onions