Runner Beans

[retropants]

how about using the builders scaffolding mesh as a wind break Richard? you could create a type of 'beach style' wind break around the edge of a bed perhaps for bush beans etc. I think you'd have to be careful if you wanted a taller break, as if you have really bad wind (oops! ) then it might blow over??

[Ricard with an H]

Thanks for the idea RP, I have so many ideas bubbling in my head after looking at what others have done on allotments and their gardens. Some may work here, some wouldn't be acceptable and other just wouldn't survive.

As the surrounding trees I planted 13 years ago get bigger I may give it go without extra wind-break this year. This morning we have 15 knots of NW being slowed by the barn and the farmhouse, the sweet-peas are just fine. W and SW are covered with trees and to the W I have a pembrokeshire bank about five foot high with larger trees. The west is to the right of the photo.

Trying to stop the wind won't work, slowing it down works and any structure has to be very strong. In hindsight I don't enjoy structures. I've included a photo for you taken from the Barn looking south, the kitchen garden is on a raised terrace and you can just see the sweet pea goal posts. They look fine whilst they have the sweet peas growing on them but look horrible with nothing.

I'm now thinking that the cover I have might be fine, certainly the sea buckthorn has grown another foot in hight so is helping and I won't be growing anything tall after October.

I grew early bush beans and cabbages the last two years, both times I lost plants to the wind and beans to my dog. The wind just pulls the plants out of the ground and though the sea buckthorn on the south side is getting battered and needs some support it is doing it's job fairly well now, certainly better than last year.

20 knots of wind right on the coast is quite different to the 20 knots of wind the Met-office say is blowing over the inland areas because it's always being slowed down by lot's of structures. The Met office don't always paint the right picture, for example: we never get rain/snow with an easterly yet rain and snow is often forecast for us. Having said that the daily forecasts (I use XC weather) are so accurate these days I can work outside then be tidy-up within an hour of a change in the weather, often as little as 30 minutes timing before the rain comes down. More particularly from the west.

Pheweee, that was a good waffle.

[Ricard with an H]

To update you about the progress of my French climbing (Sultana) bean, I do have ten sprouted seedlings out of thirty.

Until this years success with sowings I always assumed big losses though with the benefit of hindsight I can identify the reasons for most of those losses.

In the case of this particular bean this is my third attempt at sowing, all previous failed. With this sowing I emptied the compost out of the pots of the failed sowing to find nothing, just as if I had forgotten to sow seeds in those pots. I think this particular seed is prone to rotting, perhaps to much water again ? Eh ?

They didn't like being placed on damp kitchen roll in the airing cupboard, they smelt horrible so perhaps rotting very quickly. I don't have any more seeds to do another dry-run, or a drier-run but I will try it next year.

I wonder if any of you have found this in some bean varieties ? I've only done bush beans and broad beans, in both cased they were started in the airing cupboard and with no great failure rate.

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Richard, over-watering is still the biggest cause of peoples failures, (in my thoughts anyway). In nearly every case i have looked at when people have had problems, the compost is soaked, and this is just not confined to seeds, but plants that have been potted on. If the plants are kept on the dry side there roots will fill the pot a lot faster.

I know i'm going over old ground here, but it might be helpful to someone

Getting back to the rotting bean seed, the way i germinate my seed is, sow the bean seed, not too deep, water well once, then i let the compost just about dry out on top, then water with a very fine rose, just dampening the top of compost, i continue with this until the seed has germinated. Once they have all germinated, i give them a good soak, then carry on watering watering as any normal plant, letting the compost nearly dry out, then water well.

I still do get the odd loss if the compost becomes really cold in early sowings, but that is just nature for you.

[Ricard with an H]

I know i'm going over old ground here, but it might be helpful to someone

Please-no, I'm also posting my failures for the same reason.

I'm surprised I'm still falling for this-one OH, in fact I am erring on the dry side mostly and I lost a few plants to drying out. Some came back, some didn't.

The safest place for plants on my plot in the ground that I have broken and my beds. Some unbroken ground I have still kills plants and bulbs because it doesn't drain well. I just had another ton of gritty sand delivered just for this purpose.

I have a new mantra, if I can't easily pull the weeds then the ground is to claggy.

Thanks again for contributing to my learning-curve.

[Geoff]

A month on I thought I should update my comparison of four varieties of Runner Bean. All four are now well up to the top of the structure, in fact they are waving about above it, I'll have to decide what to do. The league table is much as before. Well at the bottom is Firestorm - limited amount of flower, small bunches, quite a lot aborted, almost nothing set - they'll have to go it some to get bought next year (mind I was given them this year). Next comes Stardust - reasonable show of flowers, better bunches, some aborted, limited set - again unlikely to purchase again. Second best is Moonlight, masses of flowers in big bunches, setting nicely - did well last year and look like repeating it. Easily top is Red Flame, my regular standard bean - can't fault vigour, flower quantity and quality, lots set and developing well. I've tried to take a photograph but not easy with the space available, from nearest the camera Firestorm, Stardust, Red Flame, Moonlight.

IMG_3186_R.jpg (237.75 KiB) Viewed 3464 times

Difficulty getting a good photograph because the double row of Greenshaft are in the way that I can't help showing off.

IMG_3187_R.jpg (389.87 KiB) Viewed 3464 times

[Primrose]

Nice looking peas Geoff. Difficult to judge in the photo but how tall are they?

Growing all your runners in the same row, is there any danger of cross pollination? Only if you save the seed I suppose?

[Geoff]

Just short of five feet. No I don't save bean seeds, never measured the yield per plant but I reckon at less than 4p per seed for the best varieties they are a good investment.

[Ricard with an H]

Amazing, the size of your planting is impressive. And what a good idea to plant different varieties so you don't lay the blame for failure in the wrong place.

You've been a busy boy Geoff, creating first the home and then the ground suited to planting is many years hard work, in hindsight I could have done the same by running water up to the top of our paddock with two or three taps at different points then rather than sowing grass I could have ...................................................?

Hindsight is wonderful, don't you think. I can't even eat what I grow, I give easily half away.

[Ricard with an H]

And by comparison, French climbing Sultana. I know, I left it a bit late but I was growing strawberries in that space and it took two weeks to find the timber to build the goal posts so I don't have to buy canes this year.

[Westi]

Wow Geoff - very impressive! Mine are just about finding their way up the poles & the only one leaping ahead is firestorm which is bushier & has set weeny beans already. Moonlight is just clinging to he pole with little foliage but looks happy enough so I am expecting a spurt soon. I was given some Lady Di & again look healthy enough so will wait & see.

I do have to confess however to pea envy. Mine are pathetic!

Westi

[oldherbaceous]

I'm just about to start picking my runner beans, proper, i would say there should be a couple of carrier bags full.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Primrose, as the night time temperatures look as if they will be dropping a lot this week, i'm sure you will find your beans will start to set quite freely.

[Cider Boys]

I have always grown Enorma for years now and have been very pleased with the results, this year (I don't know why) I have planted Streamline and had my first picking on Sunday. They tasted ok but not a patch on Enorma. The crop look healthy enough but I think I will revert back to Enorma next year unless their taste improves on further pickings.

[oldherbaceous]

Afternoon Barney, i don't have a nasty streak in me but, if i did, i have to say my Enorma seem to taste better than ever.....