Beans and Asparagus

[alley]

Since asparagus is such a big user of nitrogen, can beans be grown as a companion plant in lieu of commercial fertilizers? I cannot find any information either way. Does anyone have experience with this?

 

[Marck]

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

Growing beans or other legumes near your Asparagus could only help matters, but recognize that the Nitrogen legumes provide to the soil is only the surplus from their own growth and the majority of it is not released until the plant dies. Mulching with compost made from such legumes (and/or other plants and organic matter) will provide the same benefit and in greater amounts.

 

[alley]

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

Growing beans or other legumes near your Asparagus could only help matters, but recognize that the Nitrogen legumes provide to the soil is only the surplus from their own growth and the majority of it is not released until the plant dies. Mulching with compost made from such legumes (and/or other plants and organic matter) will provide the same benefit and in greater amounts.

Thank you! That was actually very helpful information. I looked at over 50 gardening websites and none of them mentioned that! I think I'm gonna like it here.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

It is a common fallacy that beans provide nitrogen to the soil, they don't, they provide it to themselves. I always take my runners off at ground level and leave the roots in the soil. I have just dug it over and seen all the thick white roots and the lump from under the plant. I always throw a bit of kitchen waste into the pit before I plant, that means I get a few potato plants. I leave them, they are short enough not to worry the runner beans and they smother other weeds. Then when I dig over I always get the odd potato as an extra

French beans grow pretty quickly, but I don't know if they would get the light they needed or be possible to harvest if you put them in among it after you finish harvesting asparagus. I reckon growing them elsewhere and composting the plants is a better bet. I grow climbing french beans anyway, they do a bit better in our climate most years.