Runner Bean flowers..

Our runner beans are about 6' tall and covered in flowers, but the flowers are dropping off and not forming beans..
Any reason why?

Cheers.

 

Hi Gaz,

Lack of polination and/or not enough water I would guess. Some say that a misting of water in the evening helps them set, but I can't see how myself.

 

I have been giving mine a proper soaking every night during this warm dry weather and yes I have been spraying the whole plant with water too, as I have also heard that it helps to set the beans in dry weather (don't know how either?)...anyway either way they are really thriving, covered from top to bottom in flowers and baby beans

 

and the larger droplets of water are supposed (by some accounts) to simulate an insect landing on the lower lobe of the flower causing it to self-polinate. It seems that the bean flower can pollinate itself if it is 'triggered'. Cant say I ever noticed much of that effect myself either :( ! Seems that beans will set when the plant is good and ready, usually any time after May in my case.

Hi everyone, got round to reg.ing and posting at last

 

Thank you for all the replies, much appreciate..

I have given the beans a good soaking every two days in this warm weather..
The strange thing is I have not seen a bee or any kind of insect around or on the beans, plenty of things(lilys) in flower close by.

I use to have an allotment some years ago and never had any problems growing them..

 

There's the rub you see - 'you need bee attracting plants nearby' but when I did, they concentrated on the 'nearby plants' instead!!!

 

Update on Lack of Bean Flowers.
Within a week of my original post the flowers started to stay on the plant, the two photos are the first two crops we have had and the plants are constantly covered in beans.

 

Gaz, you do realise you are now a has bean?

 

Thats the story of my life..lol.