Can I replant beans?

[Icyberjunkie]

Went to lottie last night to get yet more courgettes, beans etc. and hopefully my first mini-sweetcorn.  Was gutted to find the recent gales (that I hadn't really noticed!) had flattened my bean poles, big majestic sweetcorn plants and cucumbers.    My first thought was that my bean pole building was lacking and I needed to dig deeper or tie better.  But no, the poles had actually snapped off at ground level and even some of the cross-braces had snapped!

Think I managed to salvage about half the plants that had not been uprooted and dug in the rest - with my bare hands as I had no trowel!  Time will tell so not at all impressed with wind at the moment!!!!!

Question is,  am I wasting my time replanting the roots and expecting them to continue to service a large vine,  or would I be better salvaging what crop I can and binning the rest.  Also,  is it to late to plant some more and expect some crop?

Also,  the poles I have are (I thought!)  fairly strong tree branches from a coppice.  Are canes better because they flex?

Iain

[Icyberjunkie]

[Moggle]

Oh dear Icy, if it isn't the slugs and snails, it's the flipping wind destroying our precious plants!

Can't answer your question, but can offer a virtual shoulder to cry on. Some of my sweetcorn had blown over yesterday too, and I had to do some hasty staking.

There's probably a chance of some dwarf ones cropping if you got em in now.

[wardy]

I'd replant the blown over ones if out of the soil and hope for the best.  French beans can be sown til October  :)

[terrace max]

French beans can be sown til October

October? Where in the world are you, Wardy?? I'm pleased to be still dodging the frosts in October!

[the_snail]

I think wardy meand dwarf broad beans like the sutton.

The_Snail

[plot51A]

Re: Bean poles. We recently went to Audley End where they have a vegetable garden run by the HDRA - I think. They use all coppice branches to support their beans, but what I did notice was that they crossed over each other  much lower down than I do with canes and most other people seem to. So they crossed about 1/2 way up. This would make them more stable i think in the sort of conditions you had - but perhaps yourswere like that anyway. If i had coppice wood I'd use it so don't give up.
I planted more french beans last week - apparently they should be cloched later on, i'm just experimenting. Put in some runner beans about 4 weeks ago they have come up and flowered almost immediately plants very. short & thin but looks like I'll extend the season a bit

[Robert_Brenchley]

I didn't get my poles in deep enough this year, and one of my wigwams has gone skew-whiff. I've never had one blow over though.

[undercarriage plan]

Same here, Robert, think will try Periwinkle's plan next year. Lottie  ;D

[Derekthefox]

My neighbour gets willow canes off trees growing on some disused allotments next to us. He uses these, because they tend to root again and are more secure so he claims than bamboo canes. Mind you, some of his willow canes are two inches in diameter, and up to fifteen feet long! He rarely suffers will collapsed canes though, so he may be right . . .

Derekthefox  :D

[Robert_Brenchley]

I tried willow poles one year, and it was such a bother digging them out again I've never used them since!

[Icyberjunkie]

I like perwinkles idea and the willow poles!   Got another patch today right next to my current one so may put in a permanent bean patch.

As an update I have salvaged 3 broadbeans and sort of salvaged 2 very sorry looking wind burned french beans so may get some more yet!

The replanted ones carried on dying so they are now on the compost heap  :(

Still now I know I can have a nice bonfire with my old poles when some available!  Havenlt roasted potatoes on a fire for ages! 

Thanks for all the feedback,   :D  Iain

[john_miller]

The quick way to get a runner bean crop is to train them horizontally. Takes up a lot more space and is a lot more work but will also produce a much heavier crop per m².

[Icyberjunkie]

How high off the ground do you train them?   Presumably you could make a frame along the same lines as a five bar fence or something with one bean per level?

Mind you,  my only concern is that they would blow over even easier then the a frame!!!!

Mmmmm undecided on that one although I guess harvesting easier as well

[john_miller]

It is a technique that used to used to produce early commercial runner bean crops when labour was far cheaper in relation to crop value than it is now. You could use wire fencing, or something similar,about 30-45 cm. off the ground, or any other height you find convenient, and let the vines scramble along the wire. The beans themselves will mostly hang down under the support so that you can pick them easily.

[Icyberjunkie]

oh I see - that makes more sense.  THanks for that John.  I may well give it a go for I have lots of 6" wire meshing I inherited.

Thanks Iain

[Ed^Chigliak]

In the past I have used posts with washing line spanning my beds then I anchor 8' tall frames at the top to the overhead lines so they are suspended. The plants will anchor the frames at the bottom although a couple of stakes initially does the job until the plants are establised. It seems to work in strong winds and I can move the frames along from one bed to the next for crop rotation. I prefer not to make new frames each year if it can be avoided and don't like to damage canes by pushing them into the ground.