Topic: Aeron Purple Star runner beans

[Jeannine]

That is lovely and exactly how I feel,,,, see the bottom comment on my posts.  Well done to the missus too.XX Jeannine

[Big Gee]

Lovely attitude. Lovely offer..

Thanks for your kindness.

Diolch yn fawr.

Croeso Nigel - fy mhleser i yn llwyr!

Thank you for your kind words - I believe there is more pleasure in giving than there is in receiving. It's the little gestures of kindness & generosity in our day to day activities that fills in the colours when it comes to the tapestry of our lives. We need a lot more of it in this horrible environment of greed, selfishness & exploitation that we see in our modern 'developed' but 'inhumane' & 'insane' world. There is something inherently satisfying about growing and giving to others freely - or just for the cost of production & distribution, without counting what effort and cost it is to us as individuals.

If the world was full of gardeners with that attitude no one would go to bed hungry at night. We would also be a happier bunch the world over.

You can't put a price tag on the value of basic happiness.

Check out this link to an You Tube video by Monty Don about the Organoponicos revolution in Cuba.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRz34Dee7XY

It's an universe away from the mindset of the Monsantos, Tescos & other global companies and supermarkets that rule our dirty food production for big bucks! All they show us is the way to be selfish, uncaring and unsharing!

[Big Gee]

That is lovely and exactly how I feel,,,, see the bottom comment on my posts.  Well done to the missus too.XX Jeannine

Thank you Jeannine - one little word of gratitude from an appreciative soul is worth a thousand bank notes!

[Big Gee]

Just out of interest - what support do you use for your runner beans?

The traditional ones are the good 'ol ridge (or 'A' frame) or the wigwam. Another two that might be of interest to you are the Munty's frame & the 'V' frame.

My favourite, and the one that I find to be most successful & practical for runner beans is the 'V' frame. Here's a photo of my own design (diagram & actual frame used this year for my Aeron Purple Star). You're welcome to copy it for your own use next season. Give it a go. It's a bit more work but pays dividends. More light, the beans are more accessible as they mostly hang on the outside of the frame & it allows bags of light & water into the middle of your bean row.



And here is a photo of an actual one on my plot early this spring:

[pumkinlover]

I would not post a picture of my attempt on here- especially not now.
Bean frame envy- a most undesirable personality trait
(That looks great Big Gee!)

[Big Gee]

I would not post a picture of my attempt on here- especially not now.
Bean frame envy- a most undesirable personality trait
(That looks great Big Gee!)

THANK YOU 'pumpkinlover'!! (I'll take your personality trait as a BIG vompliment)

You can actually download a full sized (PDF) diagram of my 'V' frame by clicking on this URL:

http://aeronvale-allotments.org.uk/APS-order/RunnerBean_V_Frame_diag.pdf

Get your carpentry tools out in time for for the spring!! 

[Robert_Brenchley]

Wigwams; they're a convenient way of growing several varieties, and maintaining some control over what's picked.

[Big Gee]

Wigwams; they're a convenient way of growing several varieties, and maintaining some control over what's picked.

Wigwams are fine, but they have their limitations - more so even than conventional 'A' shaped ridge frames. They both have a few undesirable characteristics that hamper the growth of bean plants.

Beans need copious amounts of water & sunlight - they suffer badly on dry free draining soil, hence the reason prior  preperation of a bed is required where beans are to be grown, material is added to a trench where the beans are to be grown to  absorb & maintain a high moisture level at the roots of the beans whilst they are growing.

Ridge frames converge at the top - like the 'A' frame of a roof. When the plants climb to the ridge sunlight is blocked and water gets shed off the support in much the same way as a roof on a house sheds water. The end result is that the centre of your runner bean row/ bed gets robbed of rain water. In addition to that there is congestion at the ridge that hampers growth and really hampers the harvesting of the beans. The pods on the inside of this type of frame are deprived of light and access is restricted for pollinating insects. As the ridge frame is designed to allow bean vines to grow towards the ridge, most of the bean pods hang on the inside of the structure. Exactly the same applies to wigwam supports. This is the exact opposite of what is desirable.

A south facing Munty's frame (the one shown below was posted by Ace on the A4A forum  back in April 2011) eliminates the problems I've highlighted above :



However the 'V' frame design that I've posted above earlier is, in my opinion, even better than the Munty design. It takes less room, is easier to erect and like the Munty frame it allows light and more water to penetrate the runner bean row. In fact it allows more water to fall directly into the middle of the bean row, as the foliage funnels water to the middle. Also,  the beans hang outside the frame - rather than inside, like they do with ridge frames & wigwams.

In order I would say from experience:

• The 'V' is the best design.

• Second to it is a Munty's frame.

• Then a traditional 'A' frame ridge structure.

• The least desirable and efficient is the wigwam (but they do look nice & neat!).

I'm open to differences of opinion!
 

[Jeannine]

I have a  flat very tall conduit frame that I have  thin ropes  attached to which works perfectly fine, I can reach it from both sides and the last beans at the top I leave to dry anyway so if there is any I can't reach they get left till the plants come down and go in my stash of dry bean for cooking.

I also have a rose arbour that I use for just my Gignades.

If it ain't broke I don't fix it.

XX Jeannine

[Big Gee]

I have a  flat very tall conduit frame that I have  thin ropes  attached to which works perfectly fine, I can reach it from both sides and the last beans at the top I leave to dry anyway so if there is any I can't reach they get left till the plants come down and go in my stash of dry bean for cooking.

I also have a rose arbour that I use for just my Gignades.

If it ain't broke I don't fix it.

XX Jeannine

Whatever 'floats your boat' I say Jeannine!

It isn't an exact science anyway & no one has ever set any rules down for the perfect frame.

[pumkinlover]

I'm just relieved when it stays up all summer and only collapses when I finish harvesting!

[Big Gee]

I'm just relieved when it stays up all summer and only collapses when I finish harvesting!

Yep - been there, done that & got the T shirt - when it collapses as your back's turned whilst you've gone on holiday for one measly week in the middle of summer just as the local hurricane hits the west Wales coast from the Atlantic!! 

[Robert_Brenchley]

Wigwams are fine, but they have their limitations - more so even than conventional 'A' shaped ridge frames. They both have a few undesirable characteristics that hamper the growth of bean plants.

Beans need copious amounts of water & sunlight - they suffer badly on dry free draining soil, hence the reason prior  preperation of a bed is required where beans are to be grown, material is added to a trench where the beans are to be grown to  absorb & maintain a high moisture level at the roots of the beans whilst they are growing.

Ridge frames converge at the top - like the 'A' frame of a roof. When the plants climb to the ridge sunlight is blocked and water gets shed off the support in much the same way as a roof on a house sheds water. The end result is that the centre of your runner bean row/ bed gets robbed of rain water. In addition to that there is congestion at the ridge that hampers growth and really hampers the harvesting of the beans. The pods on the inside of this type of frame are deprived of light and access is restricted for pollinating insects. As the ridge frame is designed to allow bean vines to grow towards the ridge, most of the bean pods hang on the inside of the structure. Exactly the same applies to wigwam supports. This is the exact opposite of what is desirable.

I agree about the congestion, though it's not a great problem. I've never noticed dry patches of soil undernteath wigwams; I think rain must percolate though without problems. Everything seems to get pollinated at about the same rate, and ripen happily, and the Victorians used to make sure there was space to get into the middle of a wigwam for picking. Growing them all on a single frame would be more of a problem for me, as I want to know which of several varieties I'm picking.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Just got the beans, thanks. They look just like Blackpod, but that's not stringless, so yours will be an improvement.

[Big Gee]

Just got the beans, thanks. They look just like Blackpod, but that's not stringless, so yours will be an improvement.

Thank you Robert - I'm glad they arrived safely. I hope you'll be happy with them when you're hiring a mechanical "Cherry Picker" to harvest them next year!!! 

I'll be putting a board up  in The Gardeners Chat-Shed Forum (http://gardenerschat-shed.net/forum ) later for everyone that grows them to post comments on their experoence.

[artichoke]

My beans have arrived, and also your payment details, which I will attend to tomorrow. Thank you very much!

[Big Gee]

My beans have arrived, and also your payment details, which I will attend to tomorrow. Thank you very much!

 

I hope you have a bumper crop. Be sure to store them in a dark cool place over the winter!

As I said to Robert (above) 'll be putting a board up  in The Gardeners Chat-Shed Forum (http://gardenerschat-shed.net/forum) later for everyone that grows them to post comments on their experoence. In fact the board is now up.

All the best,

G.

[pumkinlover]

Thankyou mine have arrived
 

[Big Gee]

Thankyou mine have arrived