Runner Beans question

Hi all
My runners have reached the tops of the cane frame, have loads of flowers and are producing a good quantity of beans (I think its a good amount but as I haven't grown them before I have nothing to compare them with).

Is there anything I should be doing to make sure they continue to grow into full sized beans and carry on cropping through July and August?

 

Hi lordspudz.

Basically, just keep picking and watering. I seem to remember it being said somewhere that one should remove the growing tips when they reach the top of the stake/cane to encourage side growth. Not sure about this though because two years ago I did a trial by pinching out half, and leaving half, and as far as I'm concerned, there was no difference.

Hope this helps

Cheers...Freddy.

 

Many thanks, Freddy

 

If you don't pinch the tops out (and keep pinching out) it can get rather tangled and cramped at the top, but at the end of the season when there's nothing down below and loads of great bunches of beans at the top who cares?

I only wish I knew of a way of training them back down again.

 

Plant my stupid Italian ones, they'll do that themselves:DOH:

once mine have reached the top I tie a string to the nearest tree & train them horizontally along that so I can garotte myself going down to the caravan in the dark.

 

........so I can garotte myself going down to the caravan in the dark.
Love that! Conjures up a wonderful sight! I'm currently being attacked by a slightly more friendly overgrown sweet pea frame every time I go to the water buts.

 

If that doesn't get me, the African Rake Snake does:DOH:

I'm learning to leave a wide swathe clear of tools, buckets, wheelbarrows & piles of anything. After tripping over last year & splitting my ear in 2 on the unforgiving aluminium edge of the caravan door, I also keep 2 l.e.d. torches in my pocket

 

That might be the makings of a method of getting them to grow further than the top, then cutting the strings so they drop down to where cropping has finished. I grow hops along strings for cutting and decorating the house with, so something also similar to that.

 

My neighbour and I have 'an arrangement' - when I can no longer reach to pinch out the top of my beans, my neighbour encourages the growing tips over his side of the fence and picks any beans which subsequently grow - ample recompense for his lily-of-the-valley which are 'walking' out of his garden and into mine!

 

That's a good set-up JWK, might try something like that next year

 

:D Is that a giant yellow cucurbitae in your pocket or are you just entering Steve's competition?