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Runner Beans; To Pinch or not to Pinch ?
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 11:48 pm
by mike1964
We're growing runner beans for the first time this year as well as our usual French Dwarf Beans. The variety is Wisley Magic and they have passed the top of the canes at about 7 feet grown on a traditional "A"? frame row and there are now many red flowers.
The question is do runner beans have to have the tops pinched out for best yields ?
Cheers
Mike
Re: Runner Beans; To Pinch or not to Pinch ?
Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 12:33 am
by Marken
I never pinch out the tops. They will only grow new side shoots and they are productive enough, going on till the weather cools down.
Re: Runner Beans; To Pinch or not to Pinch ?
Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 1:18 pm
by John
Hello Mike
I always pinch out the tops down to about a foot below the top of the sticks. I don't think that it affects the crop very much but if you don't do it the whole wigwam/row of sticks becomes very top heavy with mature beans later on - after some windy weather the whole lot will have fallen over. Maybe I should make my rows much stronger!!
John