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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: tricia on July 03, 2011, 21:54:41

Title: Cobra beans not climbing........
Post by: tricia on July 03, 2011, 21:54:41: I have two tubs of climbing beans - Neckar Koenigin, which have climbed to the top of the wigwam, have flowers but as yet no beans - and Cobra, which started producing beans on 13 June. The odd thing is that the Cobra plants just won't climb - they are really bushy but no more than one meter up the canes. Could this have something to do with the fact that they were grown from an out of date packet (2008)? They gave me 100% germination - much better than the Neckar Koenigin so I thought they would be okay. I'm picking 12 or so pods every few days, which is nice as I only have to cook for one person - me!

Tricia
Title: Re: Cobra beans not climbing........
Post by: RenishawPhil on July 03, 2011, 21:58:05: My haven't climbed either !
Title: Re: Cobra beans not climbing........
Post by: chriscross1966 on July 04, 2011, 00:19:20: I'm havng a bad time with beans, I'm wondering if some of my manure was contaminated.... eiher that or they just got too cold in that snap we had in May...

chrisc
Title: Re: Cobra beans not climbing........
Post by: Jeannine on July 04, 2011, 03:52:31: Tricia, that is odd, they should go to almost double that. Is there any chance the seed is not Cobra,,are the flowers a lavender colour?

XX Jeannine
Title: Re: Cobra beans not climbing........
Post by: RenishawPhil on July 04, 2011, 06:47:36: I've decided I am moving my beans next year
Title: Re: Cobra beans not climbing........
Post by: BAK on July 04, 2011, 08:16:18: Our cobras are very slow this year. As said above, I do not think that they liked the May weather.

In previous years they have been well ahead of the runners but this year it is the other way round.
Title: Re: Cobra beans not climbing........
Post by: Bugloss2009 on July 04, 2011, 08:17:31: maybe if you got a little Indian gentleman in a loincloth to play one of those funny flutes...........
Title: Re: Cobra beans not climbing........
Post by: RenishawPhil on July 04, 2011, 08:46:10: Quote from: Bugloss2009 on July 04, 2011, 08:17:31
maybe if you got a little Indian gentleman in a loincloth to play one of those funny flutes...........

That might just work.most certainly the cold snap didn't help. Sure they will be ok in the end
Title: Re: Cobra beans not climbing........
Post by: antipodes on July 04, 2011, 10:14:10: I grow Cobra, sometimes I find that they have two growth spurts! They grow to a certain height but they can continue to grow taller if well watered and will give a second lot of beans higher up. Mine this year are quite small though, I think it is a bit hot and dry for them.
Title: Re: Cobra beans not climbing........
Post by: tricia on July 04, 2011, 22:23:59: Have just checked the packet - Thompson & Morgan, Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit Collection. Climbing Bean COBRA. Sow by Aug 2008, £2.29.

As I said, I had 100% germination - and yes Jeannine the flowers are lavender coloured. At least I'm getting some sort of a crop from them!

I've been out all day, but I'll take a photo of the two tubs tomorrow (unless, as forecast, it rains all day!)

Tricia
Title: Re: Cobra beans not climbing........
Post by: tricia on July 05, 2011, 23:11:20: One can see the difference here...............

[attachment=1]

I've been feeding both tubs with chicken manure pellets.

Tricia
Title: Re: Cobra beans not climbing........
Post by: Alex133 on July 06, 2011, 07:33:00: Doubt anything to do with age of seeds, think if they germinate should be perfectly ok.
My Cobra are similar to yours in comparison to my runners although they usually grow at same sort of speed. Hit very hard by strong winds and comparatively cold nights after putting out and think that has caused abnormal growth rate with defensive early flowering.
Title: Re: Cobra beans not climbing........
Post by: antipodes on July 06, 2011, 09:18:36: Hmmm My Cobras rarely grow taller than me (158 cm!!!) so I don't see anything wrong with that growth...