Pole star stringless

It's maybe a little early to start them off and at this time of year I always start mine indoors. I wait till they germinate then take them out to the greenhouse, it's probably the cold nights that are slowing down germination. Give them a week longer, but with bean seed if they don't germinate quickly they can sit in damp compost and rot.

 

In a cold greenhouse at this time of year they take about 2 weeks to germinate. This recent touch of warm weather has probably got the going.

If you plant new ones now they are likely to only take a week. I start mine off in a heated propagator and they usually take four days.

Polestar are a superb all round stringless variety and are fairly hardy for putting out early - but they will not survive a late frost.

 

It's still too early to put them out unless you are able to protect them from frost. You are about one month too early but may be lucky to escape them being killed by frost if the milder weather keeps up.

 

I guess that they have reached the top of your canes.

You just pinch out the growing tip with your fingernails. You will find that side shoots will grow up and you can then pinch those out when they get to the height you want.

You don't have to pinch out the top but if it is at the top of your canes it will then droop down and possibly get in your way. I let some of mine continue to grow up into the apple tree alongside and then trail them down over some branches.

Don't let any get out of reach otherwise you won't reach the beans and they will start to go to seed. Once they start going to seed the plant won't produce more beans.

 

Blimey! Well done. Have they got flowers yet and any beans?

 

I think that Lad is right. It appears that you may have given the plants too much feed. If they are 6-7ft tall and don't have any flowers you had better stop feeding them immediately. Otherwise they will just continue to produce leaf.