I've Bean Meaning To Start This Year's Thread

I agree the bees aren't all that prolific this year but the beans seem to be OK. I have lots of flowers around the veg plot that the bees and other pollinating insects love.

 

Maybee they did it earlier.

Not only have the beans filled the overhead framework between the rows but they have now covered the 4ft wide framework outside the rows as well

 

Thanks, Steve

A lot of the plants are now 15ft - 20ft long and producing flowers and beans all over.

Each plant has also produced a dozen or more side shoots that I'm letting grow and some of those have reached the top. Once the top frames have got fairly heavy I shall nip out the tops. I'll need to make sure that the plants get plenty of water or they'll stop producing.

I've just noticed, whilst looking at the picture above that I missed picking some beans! Just above and to the right of centre. I can't tell from the photo, even when I've zoomed in, whether they are at the top of a cane or dangling from the frame. So I'll have to check when I walk to the bottom of the garden.

 

Sorry, Sheal, I've only just got back to this thread . No, it's not a frame as you would know it - see photos on page 1 of this thread. It's just my normal bean cane rows with some wire run between the posts at the ends and some string joining the tops of the canes to each other and the wires. So it didn't take long to run the strings which is all I shall have to do each year - apart from putting the canes back after digging and composting.

It's now a week later and the Shiney Frame is going well. This photo is taken from above the top of the string framework which is about 6.5ft. The end I took it from was my second sowing so hasn't yet covered the string and you can see it. That top is about 12ft wide and 30ft long with two rows of crossed bean canes. I pick the beans as normal from the canes and can walk below the bean roof and pick those beans without having to bend. It has added about 40% more picking area from the same plants.




Steve, You're right! A polytunnel is much better for growing veg but I'd still want my beans .

It took me less than 30 minutes to run the strings and it has given me considerably more production area with virtually no watering (as long as we don't have drought - although I did put the sprinkler on them today as we haven't had rain for a week). What I still have to find out is whether the plants can continue to produce prolific amounts of beans over their full length. I picked another 5lb today for sale tomorrow.

I suppose i should feed them as well, so shall think about it.

 

The polytunnel frame wouldn't have enough uprights similar to the canes (100 canes) and I'd still have to make the rigging/open netting effect. Also, with a permanent structure I wouldn't be able to roll back the membrane and dig and compost. The membrane saves me from having to do any weeding at all.

I went out about an hour ago and picked another 3lb . If this keeps up I think I shall beat my previous record of 50lb in a week