Can anyone make sense of this... ?

Can anyone make sense of the para in brown?

Runner Beans Living space

How far apart should runner beans be planted?

Experiments conducted by the Institute of Horticultural Research have shown that the more even the plant arrangement, the higher the yield is likely to be.

For example, the researchers found that 2ft twin rows separated by 3ft wide paths gave a 12 per cent higher yield than a 12in twin row and a 4ft path. This finding held good whether the plants in each row were 6in. 12in, 18in, 24in or 30in apart.

I presume the path is the distance between rows - but why less yield when it's wider?

 

I remember reading something a couple of years ago about a similar piece of research.
Can't remember the full details, but the gist of it was, all other things being equal, plants were stimulated into making more growth by being in closer proximity to other plants of the same type, as opposed to those which were given plenty of space or grown on their own.
So, taking this into account, better yield from plants where the paths were narrower would make sense wouldn't it?

 

Do you have a link to the research you're quoting?

 

That is the way I read it too John
Obviously 2' apart gives each plant less competition to nutrients than 1' apart The path has nowt to do with it ?

Jack McH

 

its out of a readers digest book - "your gardening questions answered"

 

rows 4 foot apart is wider - so surely more space and more nutrition than a 3 foot path - ???

the path refered to is the distance between rows surely?

the only other difference is the length of the rows - 2 foot and 1 foot

see what I mean - my brain is dying ;-)

(wish i could find this research on the web)

 

i think you may be right

 

This is the way I read it, so less nutrient for the narrow planting than in the wider spacing

Jack McH

 

For example, the researchers found that 2ft twin rows separated by 3ft wide paths gave a 12 per cent higher yield than a 12in twin row and a 4ft path. This finding held good whether the plants in each row were 6in. 12in, 18in, 24in or 30in apart.

this is the way i read it:

HIGHER YIELD =

<*---*----*----*------*-----*--2 foot row ---*-----*-----*-----*------*>

gap of 3 feet

<*---*----*----*------*-----*--2 foot row ---*-----*-----*-----*------*>


LOWER YIELD =

<*---*----*----*1 foot row ---*-----*----*>



gap of 4 feet



<*---*----*----*1 foot row ---*-----*----*>



plant spacing *----* didn't matter.
​

somehow "the more even the plant arrangement, the higher the yield" as opposed to the amount of space given that the spacing of plants in the row had no effect.

Readers Digest! Readers Indigestible!

??

 

well if put it like that then I see what you mean!

just a a question of how close the rows are huh

cheers!