I was very disappointed with my runner beans last year (Enorma & Polestar). Neither of them set at all well in the early part of the season (possibly due to weather?). I've read that Moonlight is a self-fertilising runner bean and wonder whether I would get better results with this variety.
Has anybody grown it consistently for 2 or 3 years and found that it performed better than other varieties in difficult weather conditions?
Moonlight runner beans
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Colin Miles
- KG Regular
- Posts: 1025
- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 8:18 pm
- Location: Llannon, Llanelli
As I understand it Moonlight is newly introduced this year, so unless someone has been trialling it...
I have gone back to Enorma as being the most reliable one here - good crop last 2 years - but am also going to try Moonlight. Always like to have more than 1 variety on the go in case the usual one fails - and also to experiment.
I have gone back to Enorma as being the most reliable one here - good crop last 2 years - but am also going to try Moonlight. Always like to have more than 1 variety on the go in case the usual one fails - and also to experiment.
Hi primrose- I had the same problem with the first sowings of polestar last year,,,plenty of flowers and few beans.... for the second sowing I put a drip hose along the back of the bed for continuos watering and with better weather conditions the second sewing was much improved.. This year I'm going to try the moonlight as it is self setting and also another new intro called 'enchanted ' available from plants of distinction. The other I always grow and have few problems with is the scarlet emperor..
Having tried so many different varieties of Runner Bean several times round I always find myself back where I started with Scarlet Emperor and Streamline. Last year I tried Lady Di, Polestar and Galaxy along with Scarlet Emperor and Streamline and they out performed the others.
I did have some difficulty with germinating Streamline because they kept rotting off when grown in pots and eventually I sowed them direct and within a few weeks they had caught up and they were flowering with those that had been pot sown in the tunnel. I think that this year I will sow all direct and find out what result I get.
I grew Cobra French Climbing Beans in the tunnel and my tunnels have straight sides for 4.5ft and at the crown 11ft and I grow them up a trellis of canes at 45 degrees angle, less chance of damaging the tunnel when inserting the canes, and far easier picking.
JB.
I did have some difficulty with germinating Streamline because they kept rotting off when grown in pots and eventually I sowed them direct and within a few weeks they had caught up and they were flowering with those that had been pot sown in the tunnel. I think that this year I will sow all direct and find out what result I get.
I grew Cobra French Climbing Beans in the tunnel and my tunnels have straight sides for 4.5ft and at the crown 11ft and I grow them up a trellis of canes at 45 degrees angle, less chance of damaging the tunnel when inserting the canes, and far easier picking.
JB.