Topic: Runner beans - do you decapitate or not?

[Squash64]

Someone at the allotments told me to cut the tops off the runner bean plants once they reach the tops of the poles.
 
Does anyone else do that?

[Flighty]

I pinch them off once they've reached the tops of the canes. It's something that most longtime allotmenteers and gardening books say to do.  :)

[shirlton]

Tone does mine cos I cant reach. Have you got someone at your plot to do it for you Squash or will you have to stand on a box ;D

[manicscousers]

Ray got his loppers out to do ours, the poles are 6' tall but in a bed 18" tall so bit big for us  ;D

[aquilegia]

Yes. Sometimes I have to get Mr Aqui to do it, though! Mine are on 8ft poles, but about a foot is in the ground, so only 7ft. I was surprised I managed to reach, at a stretch, but the bed they are in has a bit of a slope, so I was ok if I stood uphill from it!

(Bad Aqui standing on the soil!)

[galina]

The theory behind this is that the plant will (in defense of having its main shoot lopped off) start producing sideshoots vgorously.  These sideshoots will flower and produce the second flush of runnerbeans.

In a year where early setting is a problem, the second flush could be very important to get a reasonable harvest.

[redcoat]

Off with their heads!!  Then you will notice that new shoots come from the leaf axils further down which will later give you more flowers.  

If you have a really long run of beans, for every 3 beans, cut one off at 2ft, one when it gets to 4ft and leave the third one till it gets to the top.  The first two will produce two shoots where they have been chopped off and will produce flowers later.  This should give you a longer cropping period.  

Has anyone else tried this?

[betula]

As my support is not that tall the plant trailing from the top I am trailing down a small wigwam I have put in next to it......???

[Froglegs]

Did St George a few days a go, but Moonlight who were put in at the same time are a bit slow on going up me sticks i hope they are not as slow when it comes to producing beans

[landimad]

My painted lady is going up the canes and will be nipped out as they reach the top.
I tend to nip them off about a foot below the top of the cane as my father showed me how years ago.
This stops them from going to far and when they were under the oak tree it stopped them from growing up into it, thus preventing me getting to those which got up into the tree. ;D

[Squash64]

Thanks for all the replies.

It's "Off with their heads" tomorrow then  :)

I'll get a tall neighbour to do it Shirl, I might fall off the box.  :o

Just had a thought.....
Has anyone ever tried rooting the bits that are cut off? 

[gwynnethmary]

Does the same apply to French beans?

[Fork]

Does the same apply to French beans?

Yes  :)

[Fork]

The theory behind this is that the plant will (in defense of having its main shoot lopped off) start producing sideshoots vgorously.  These sideshoots will flower and produce the second flush of runnerbeans.

In a year where early setting is a problem, the second flush could be very important to get a reasonable harvest.

Plus you dont get such a tangled mess at the top of the canes ;D

[Duke Ellington]

I take their heads off !! ;D