My beans are doing great. I'm actually probably planting more within the next week. I think the fact that I'm mulching with grass clippings about once a month is really helping. I'm also planning to mulch with leaves over the winter. The grass serves multiple purposes. It keeps the clay moist longer, preventing it from becoming hard and cracked. It also keeps it from becoming a muddy mess (though I put down stepping stones in my path and try to stay on those most of the time). And the grass decomposes, enriching the soil. I just do thin layers sometimes flipping it after a day or so, so it can dry out better. I'd much more often but have to pay attention to when things are fine to the lawn so I don't use treated grass that might kill the plants. Here's my garden from last week. The beans are climbing the fence on the far right.
