Serious runner bean question

My Red Rum and White Emergo are fine and cropping well but, on behalf of a colleague, I'm asking if can anyone explain why his (identical plants which I grew and passed on) seem to have produced loads of leaf, but significantly fewer flowers - and thus fewer beans - than mine?

We're both growing them in the same position as we did last year, both dug in compost before planting and have watered well.

I've seen his plants and they're certainly strong and healthy but indeed, there's hardly a flower to be seen. The only thing we seem to have done differently is that when his reached the top of the canes he pinched the tops out, whereas I'm lazy and didn't bother, but that shouldn't have made the slightest bit of difference.

Could it have been that he didn't use quite enough compost? Would feeding them have made any difference (and if so, with what?) or is it just 'one of those things'? Only I'm feeling really bad, having given him what seem to be 'duff' plants.

 

Could be that his have got too much nitrogen, beans fix nitrogen from the air by way of nodules on the roots, so an excess might produce more leaf growth at the expense of flowers.

Shiney would be the one to ask, he knows his beans

 

Thanks Shiney.

So far as I'm aware no bonfire ash was used in the growing of these beans so, at the risk of deafening everyone with a duet, I gues it is 'just one of those crazy things' and I'm clearly going to have to grow him more next year, just to prove it!

 

Which variety/varieties are you growing Shiney?

 

It sounds as if his soil is Nitrogen rich and Potash poor. He should try feeding with a liquid tomato feed.