Topic: Runner beans- direction?

[Si D]

When viewed from the top of the stick all of my runner beans spiral around it in an anti-clockwise direction as they climb. 

This intrigued me.  So I tried wrapping one around in a clockwise direction.  When I came back to it a couple of days later it had reverted to anti clockwise. 

So, for no other reason than idle curiosity, I ask: do everyone's runner beans go anti-clockwise?

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

yes

The fragrant Honeysuckle spirals clockwise to the sun and many other creepers do the same But some climb anticlockwise, the Bindweed does for one, or Convovulus, to give her proper name etc

[Duke Ellington]

Apparently the runner bean follows the sun during the day!

Duke

[Si D]

Ah, so if one went Down-Under the plant would change direction?  Like when you flush the toilet Simpson's style  ;)

[tim]

Doesn't the Sun go the other way??

[OllieC]

Doesn't the Sun go the other way??

Yes!

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

it just uses the movement of the sun across the sky from left to right as something fixed. Some plants the go with it and some aganst

runners turn the same way in Australia

the way sinks drain or tiolest flush depend on the design ao on imperfections (for sinks of the same design). The effect of the way things move due to the earth rotating is extremely small so they don't empty in different ways on different sides of the equator

[Robert_Brenchley]

Coriolis force couldn't possibly affect a kitchen sink! It does affect our weather considerably.

[Si D]

Doesn't the Sun go the other way??

Indeed, this suddenly struck me while riding along earlier - if they were following the sun as they grew they'd go clockwise!

[Sally A]

Mine go anti clockwise too, but their main growth spurt is dawn til lunch time, so a south east facing frame should get you the quickest climbers (tell that to mine please ::))

[allaboutliverpool]

One day while enjoying a bottle or two of wine with my wife on one of those rare summer days when you can, we watched a passionflower which had a 2 foot long growth that had not attached itself to anything and it was fascinating to watch it move round in a circle as it searched for something for a tendril to get hold of.

I cannot remember whether it went clockwise or anticlockwise as the wine was rather good.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

I'm desparately trying to think of some tale of derring-do when our hero was trapped below deck on some boat, and he was able to tell he'd crossed the equator by the water down the plughole trick. This could worry me for weeks

[artichoke]

At the equator in Uganda (and doubtless everywhere) there were lots of men with buckets of water and bowls and so on, and for a small sum they would step each side of the equator and show you that the water running out of the hole changed direction!

Harmless fun - I know it doesn't really, but they were clever to persuade it to, and to remember which way it went the first time.

[electric landlady]

You're right - they do all go anti clockwise. i was pondering this just today as i have 1 runner bean plant which has not got the hang of climbing and is waving all over the place without latching onto its pole. I am trying to teach it to climb by wrapping it round the pole...last week I wrapped it clockwise and it just unwrapped again so this week I've tried anticlockwise. I await the result.

How do they know? cos the way my site is pointed, they could go either way. Yet somehow, they are all going the same way and it's anticlockwise.

This is one of the reasons i love trying to grow things.