Kitchen Garden Forum

hii,

i have many runner beans vine that are eager to climb everywhere. but the temperature outside is still unstable.
few weeks ago was like summer, and how as it is approaching may 15th, the weather become unstable.
i looked into temperature prediction, that the coming weeks, lowest temperature (dawn and late night) is in 2 - 4 deg c. the highest temperature (during day time) is no more than 14 deg C. might rain heavy in between.
i am wondering if this kind of weather, my seedling of runner bean can be plant into vege bed or not ? will 2 deg c at night or dawn kills my seedlings ?


thanks
andrew

Morning Andrew, 2 deg c is certainly near to a frost so, that will be too cold for your runner beans... can you protect them with fleece...although that would be quite difficult to do if the plants are tall...

Mine are still in pots in the greenhouse - I'm going to wait for another 10 days or so. I'm on the south coast too.

hii ,

what is it in frost that kills the plant ? is it the cold water that landed on leaves that kills it ? or is it the cold wind temperature that kills ?

if the temperature is as low as 2 deg c, but it has got a roof on it, will it still die ? i mean, i won't be covering the whole plant in fleece, but i make a pavilion like thing, like those used for tomato.. will it still die ? i mean the whole day is 14 deg c, only several hours at dawn or late night it is at 2deg c.

it is a waste, since this spring was perfect weather, such like summer, but only late night or early dawn temperature is low, to 4 degc or 6 degc... it is a waste since day temperature is so good if can't plant beans and tomato out .. i have relent to plant out, even with top covered polysheet (but side exposed)

i have being wondering this same questions for years.. never ask anybody.. it bothers me in my head every years.

oldherbaceous wrote:Morning Andrew, 2 deg c is certainly near to a frost so, that will be too cold for your runner beans... can you protect them with fleece...although that would be quite difficult to do if the plants are tall...

hii Diane,

i am in Neuss of Germany,
weather here is earlier at bit compare to some part of uk.

my beans are twisting and climbing on anything it touches.. in pot still.. but some ppl told me they have planted tomato like 3 weeks ago in soil already, but they plant in unheated green house.

do you think in cold frame, beans and tomato can be planted into soil already ? even sometime temperature fluctuated to 2 deg c for several hours (at coldest part of the dawn and night)

I don't grow runners, but my climbing French ones are still in the greenhouse, way too cold outside, I'm getting overnight temps of 5 degrees inside the greenhouse, sure it's colder outside.

I sowed my runner beans in rootrainers in the heated greenhouse on Wednesday. I only grow Cobra in the polytunnel as outside they invariably get shredded by the wind, they are well up the sticks.

Too early for some of you. Planted .
Mine in pots on the bench here in sub tropical sedgemoor. Theyre showing now. I Will let nature dictate.

Welcome to the forum Andrew. It is wonderful to have members from outside the UK and it certainly helps us if we know have a useful hint on location. Here in the UK what but particularly when things are done in the mild south-west are different to the north and north-east.

Moral of the story: in future years, hold your horses and don't sow too early. Every year I am tempted to do so but long experience has taught me to be patient ......

Dear livefree,
to keep your beans going so that they may be planted out you need to take out the growing tips. Make sure that there is at least 2-3 pairs of adult leaves before you pinch the top off. This will delay the need to plant out by about a fortnight (hopefully).

Ideally the overnight temperatures outside need to be at least 8-10C before planting out runner and French beans.

The reason some plants die after being frozen is because they cannot cope with the formation of ice crystals inside their cells. The ice expands and causes the cells to burst - hence why frozen plants go soft and mushy. Other plants cannot cope with cold (below 5C) even though they are not frozen because it interferes with the metabolic functions inside their cells.

To be honest the best thing to do is sow another lot of beans if you have them and make a note in your diary not to sow French and runner beans until the first of May.

Regards Sally Wright.

Hi Andrew!

While it is erratic weather wise, just pot on into a bigger pot & give them something to climb. When you plant out eventually you will have more mature plants that you just unwind & re-wind on the canes! This year mine were put in a bit later due to a space issue, but I've had this before so sacrificed a cane & cut it up for shorter lengths & few just got some kebab skewers & knitting needles! They transplant well even if a bit bigger - you could risk it now or play safe!

Not much help with runner beans I know, but the lack of aviation putting reflective water vapour into the upper atmosphere may account for an extra degree or so warmer by day and colder by night - extra caution needed this year.

And my best ever April solar generation perhaps? I'll continue to plant by the calendar I've worked out over the 35 years up here I think and not react to the short term.