Kitchen Garden Forum

Hugely annoyed with myself. Forgot to label a tray of beans & can't now remember whether they're climbing or dwarf.
Any hints on how I can recognise which they are? They're currently about six inches high & just have two leaves.

Dear Primrose, i think you are going to have to wait until the climbers put out their growing tips.

OH - you're probably right. As they're about to outgrow their tray I'm beginning to think I may have to pot them on individually to give the roots some wriggle room and then plant them on in the appropriate place when I get a better idea of what they're are. If I'd been more organised I would have saved myself this hassle!

Hi Primrose

I know the feeling - the cat pulled all the labels out of my chillies and peppers, which isn't a problem to me but I was growing some hot hot chillies for friends and they probably won't appreciate a mild bullhorn pepper for their chilli party! (Their seed they got in Brazil as well to make matters worse). I'd just moved them out of the back room into the greenhouse and I knew where they were inside but they were jumbled up in a box to take them outside.

You'd think I'd learn as it is not the first time the cat has done this!
Westi

Primrose wrote:Hugely annoyed with myself. Forgot to label a tray of beans & can't now remember whether they're climbing or dwarf.
Any hints on how I can recognise which they are? They're currently about six inches high & just have two leaves.

Just stick em in the ground and if they look as if they're going to climb give em something to hang on to.

Hi Primrose,
French beans carry their cotyledon on the plant above the ground and runner beans cotyledons are underground and as the beans are well through you should be able to ascertain which is which. If the cotyledons are not showing an exploritory delve, very carefully, you should then find the cotyledons under ground and they are your runners.
JB.

I read the question as being, Climbing French Beans and Dwarf French Beans.

But there is a very good chance that i have got it wrong.

Johnboy - thank you. that's very helpful. Now if only there was a similar way of telling the difference between some pepper & chilli seedlings which have got mixed up !!

Hi Cowslip,
Largely due to the advancement of age I am having very great difficulty with names and apparently reading forum postings. HO seems to see the word "French" in your first posting and even with two pairs of spec on I have failed miserably to see it.
Seriously though Primrose if I have given you the wrong information you have my sincere apologies.
Sincerely,
JB.

Don't worry Johnboy - the beans were either Cobra climbing French beans or some yellow dwarf French beans. It's just that they were obviously due to be planted in different locations. I think I need a post-it note stuck on my head to remind me to label things properly in future. You always think you'll remember and then plant up another couple of identical trays. If they're different varieties of veg such as cabbage or tomatoes then it's generally no problem recognising what the seedlings are but when it's the same variety, it's not so easy.

My problem is that i see things that aren't there, but can't see things that are there.....

Although that can be rather handy at times.

OH, I have a similar problem with my hearing. DW says that it is very selective. I don't know what she means!

John

Strange that, John. I have a similar problem. I have a theory that your hearing gets a flat spot worn in it at the pitch range of your partner's voice

It's nice to know it's not just me with sight and hearing problems....

Hi OH,
Being that you can see things that are not there how about you publishing next Tuesdays Euro Millions Lottery numbers or better still PM them to me!
JB.