Runner Beans Rule OK

After early problems this year with slugs, our plants started doing alright. Then, when they got most of the way up the poles, the rabbits stripped all the side shoots off up to a height of nearly 3ft . The plants that survived both onslaughts, about 90 of the original 130, started growing strongly. Then the blackfly came :(.

Now, the blackfly have gone (nothing I did) and the plants are doing brilliantly

Since the begining of last week they have been cropping quite well and I'm now picking about 3lb every other day. This should increase to about 10lb every other day by the end of next week and, hopefully, be suplemented by beans from my late planting of another 40 plants. The late planting never does as brilliantly but is there to cope with any disasters like a very late frost.

For those of you that are wondering why I grow so many :D - I sell them to raise money for the charity I support and can, now, sell as much as I can grow to my regular customers.

Here's yesterday's picking.

 

Dave, I get the thin clear plastic bags that the supermarkets have for you to put your fruit and veg in. I'm sure they don't mind me taking them for a charitable cause .

I tend to sell all produce for £1 a bag and check online the prices in the supermarkets. Then I bag them up to sell them at between 50% and 75% of the shop price - usually nearer 75%.

You need to bear in mind the price on the markets if you are near a market.

Do you save up the money you have collected and give them a cheque every so often. That way you can do it as Gift Aid and, as a charity, they can get an extra 28% from the taxman.