Runner beans are medium eaters, so they have a higher nutrient requirement than the undemanding bush beans. They reward the little extra effort with high yields, tasty, vitamin-rich pods and several harvests. Humus-rich soil, compost and organic fertilizers provide them with sufficient nutrients.
Fertilizing begins with preparing the bed
With the right preparation of the bed, you give the runner beans the most important prerequisites. To do this, you dig up the ground deeply so that the bean plant can spread its roots unhindered and remove the weeds.
Soil rich in humus is ideal for growing pole beans. You upgrade simple garden soil by mixing in mature compost.
You work the compost in when you dig up the soil. You let the whole thing rest for two to three weeks so that the soil can enrich itself with the nutrients.
fertilizer application during growth
You can use compost or organic fertilizer again to ensure that your runner beans are adequately supplied during growth. Organic fertilizer for runner beans should always be low in nitrogen, since the bean plants supply themselves with nitrogen through their roots.
Suitable fertilizers are:
- Horn shavings (32.93€) or horn meal
- organic complete fertilizer, e.g. Fertofit garden fertilizer from Neudorff
A first fertilization takes place with the beginning of the flowering. One or two more fertilizer applications are carried out until harvest.
Fresh stable manure is unsuitable. The use of mineral vegetable fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphate and potassium should be considered.
They promise an optimal supply and high yields. Their use often leads to over-fertilization of the soil. And the pole bean does not need too much nutrients.
tips and tricks
For optimal yields, you should rotate the bed for growing runner beans annually. This will prevent the bean plants from leaching the soil.