Runner Beans...

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by Markymark, Apr 11, 2012.

Page 3 of 6
  1. HarryS

    HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2010
    Messages:
    8,906
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Wigan
    Ratings:
    +16,251
    Cheers Vince :blue thumb: Just planted them today and they are under my grow lights. No more windowsill space now ! I have planted Blue lake and Cherokee Trail of tears kindly donated by Alex - Adam :dbgrtmb: Cheers Alex. Also growing Cobra , seems like a fave of yours . First year growing beans so please expect some more naive simpleton questions :snork:
     
    HarryS, Apr 15, 2012
    #31 Quote in Conversation
  2. alex-adam

    alex-adam Super Gardener

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2011
    Messages:
    848
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Linthorpe. N.E. England
    Ratings:
    +1,073
    Just set off the seeds of good old Scarlet Emperor - tried others but these really are reliable, tasty, (and Prize winners - glowing with pride!!) - but I really love French beans, grown many varieties over the years. Oh, and HarryS , I hope you enjoy the Cherokees.

    town show 2011 beans.JPG town show 2011 heritage veg.JPG

    a-a
     
    • Like Like x 2
      alex-adam, Apr 15, 2012
      #32 Quote in Conversation
    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

      Joined:
      Jul 3, 2006
      Messages:
      64,657
      Gender:
      Male
      Occupation:
      Retired - Last Century!!!
      Location:
      Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
      Ratings:
      +126,508
      Vince, you're right, they can grow up to 20ft or more and when they have a lovely tree to grow in they seem to grow much faster. Nipping out the top just once isn't good enough because they quite often just produce two more growing stems from the cut. If there's nothing above to grow on, they then act like side shoots which are manageable.

      Alex-Adam, well done on your Firsts :dbgrtmb: Mrs Shiney enters things in our local show but we stopped entering runner beans as it didn't seem fair. We grow 150-200 plants each year and it's too easy to pick good ones from that amount.

      Except when I'm doing trials of new varieties I now only grow Polestar. They seem to be the best all rounder and are the most popular flavour when I sell them. I used to grow about 6 - 8 different varieties and did a little report on here, some years ago, of how they performed. The problem is that different ones do better depending on whether it's a wet year, or dry, or cold or hot etc. I've slowed down nowadays :old: and take it easier :)
       
      • Like Like x 1
        shiney, Apr 16, 2012
        #33 Quote in Conversation
      • Lolimac

        Lolimac Guest

        Ratings:
        +0
        A week on from sowing my Runners....Whats going on...I binned them yesterday:frown:
        I can't understand it...i've grown them for a few years ...always been great but this time when i looked at them it looked like they were growing upside down...the 'seed' and roots were pushing up first out of the pots with no or very little top growth...I should have taken a pic ...i've done nothing different to any other year so what's going on:scratch:I've sown some more hoping for better luck....
         
        Lolimac, Apr 22, 2012
        #34 Quote in Conversation
      • Kristen

        Kristen Under gardener

        Joined:
        Jul 22, 2006
        Messages:
        17,534
        Gender:
        Male
        Location:
        Suffolk, UK
        Ratings:
        +12,669
        The seed is pushed out of the soil, containing the initial "seed leaves". Usually the seed drops off at that time, sometimes shortly afterwards, and sometimes it needs some help. Sounds like yours still had the seed attached - maybe that variety is more prone to that, or maybe the seed was less moist than normal, so "stuck" more firmly.
         
        Kristen, Apr 22, 2012
        #35 Quote in Conversation
      • Lolimac

        Lolimac Guest

        Ratings:
        +0
        It was wierd Kristen the roots were growing up out of the top of the seeds and compost by about 2"...I thought at first it was maybe duff seeds saved from last years Scarlet Emperors but it was the same with the new Red Rum.....
         
        Lolimac, Apr 22, 2012
        #36 Quote in Conversation
      • Kristen

        Kristen Under gardener

        Joined:
        Jul 22, 2006
        Messages:
        17,534
        Gender:
        Male
        Location:
        Suffolk, UK
        Ratings:
        +12,669
        Ah, OK. That's not what I was thinking of then. Mutants eh? !!
         
        Kristen, Apr 22, 2012
        #37 Quote in Conversation
      • Lolimac

        Lolimac Guest

        Ratings:
        +0
        ...Has to be:mad:...we'll see what happens to the new ones...
         
        Lolimac, Apr 22, 2012
        #38 Quote in Conversation
      • shiney

        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

        Joined:
        Jul 3, 2006
        Messages:
        64,657
        Gender:
        Male
        Occupation:
        Retired - Last Century!!!
        Location:
        Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
        Ratings:
        +126,508
        That's a pity! I'd have also kept the others to see what happens with them. :dbgrtmb:
         
        shiney, Apr 23, 2012
        #39 Quote in Conversation
      • Lolimac

        Lolimac Guest

        Ratings:
        +0
        I should have done Shiney:doh:I also should have taken a pic to show you...i'm trying to think of allsorts of reasons for it....maybe it was the awfull looking compost i'd sown them in...they obviously weren't happy and just wanted to get out:runforhills:
         
        Lolimac, Apr 23, 2012
        #40 Quote in Conversation
      • Markymark

        Markymark Gardener

        Joined:
        Mar 26, 2011
        Messages:
        225
        Occupation:
        Teacher
        Location:
        Liverpool
        Ratings:
        +125
        Well, since planting up my beans and covering them in fleece, I am beginning to think that, indeed, they are not going to make it. The weather has been hideous now for about two weeks and they are beginning to look very 'cold' and yellow...R.I.P bean plants. I shall germinate some more in about a weeks time, should the weather show signs of improvement. The wettest May in 100 years, or so I hear!
         
        Markymark, Apr 26, 2012
        #41 Quote in Conversation
      • chitting kaz

        chitting kaz Total Gardener

        Joined:
        Mar 10, 2011
        Messages:
        2,497
        Gender:
        Female
        Location:
        carmarthenshire
        Ratings:
        +2,616
        :grphg: oh Mark :cry3:

        It is so disheartening when that happens but we live and learn
        start some off again now and they should be fine to go out in 5 or so weeks :grphg:
         
        chitting kaz, Apr 26, 2012
        #42 Quote in Conversation
      • shiney

        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

        Joined:
        Jul 3, 2006
        Messages:
        64,657
        Gender:
        Male
        Occupation:
        Retired - Last Century!!!
        Location:
        Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
        Ratings:
        +126,508
        Start some more but don't give up on those you already have. It's surprising how quickly they can recover, sometimes.
         
        shiney, Apr 27, 2012
        #43 Quote in Conversation
      • Loofah

        Loofah Admin Staff Member

        Joined:
        Feb 20, 2008
        Messages:
        14,552
        Gender:
        Male
        Location:
        Guildford
        Ratings:
        +25,508
        Sounds like they're getting too much water so give them a little shelter to stop them getting all the rain. They <should> survive...
         
        • Like Like x 1
          Loofah, Apr 27, 2012
          #44 Quote in Conversation
        • madmick

          madmick Gardener

          Joined:
          May 20, 2011
          Messages:
          174
          Occupation:
          Retired
          Location:
          Hull East Yorks
          Ratings:
          +25
          They might have been produced for the Australian gardener ? :lunapic 130165696578242 5:
           
          • Like Like x 2
            madmick, Apr 27, 2012
            #45 Quote in Conversation
          Page 3 of 6
          Loading...
          Similar Threads - Runner Beans
          1. Tufty

            Collecting runner beans to plant for next year

            Tufty, Nov 11, 2024, in forum: Edible Gardening
            Replies:
            4
            Views:
            602
            infradig
            Nov 12, 2024
          2. adamadamant

            Runner beans being left to dry

            adamadamant, Oct 14, 2024, in forum: Allotments Discussion
            Replies:
            3
            Views:
            712
            adamadamant
            Oct 15, 2024
          3. Tufty

            Aphids on runner beans. What to do?

            Tufty, Jun 26, 2024, in forum: Pests, Diseases and Cures
            Replies:
            7
            Views:
            501
            DiggersJo
            Jun 26, 2024
          4. Andrew Kennedy

            RUNNER BEANS - Slugs??

            Andrew Kennedy, May 29, 2024, in forum: General Gardening Discussion
            Replies:
            20
            Views:
            1,460
            Goldenlily26
            Jul 25, 2024
          5. JWK

            Runner Beans and Frames

            JWK, May 22, 2024, in forum: Edible Gardening
            Replies:
            6
            Views:
            791
            DiggersJo
            May 25, 2024

          Share This Page

          1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
            By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
            Accept Learn More...
            Dismiss Notice