Disaster!

[katynewbie]

 ;D

My pathetic, sad looking runners have finally started to do something! Spotted three tiny beans today, the bees have finally discovered them. Think this is due to sweet peas flowering. Planted a few in between and up the canes and they have just started to flower, bees must have seen them!

;D

[katynewbie]

[davy1]

Runner bean/ French bean.  Maybe this will help. ( i would put a photo on but cant work out to do it)
As i grow my beans up 8ft bamboos frame work 12ft long [ two frames] totaling 24ft.  I have to plan each year where they are going to go so not to take any light away.
I always take note what part of your garden has good or poor drainage, Runner Beans produce poor results in hungry, badly drained soil.  Acid in the soill is also  undisirable.
My method is to
1.  Sellect a site which i know has good drainage and the shade from the frame will not affect  any other veg.
2.  In the Autum i dig in an abundence of well rotted manure or Rooster. This growing spot is then not turned over again i just hoe and keep it weed free.
3. I dont believe that you can grow with just manure/mulch so about 2 weeks before planting out i rake in a general fertalizer  (( Growmore)
4. When i plant the beans ,[ i do this with all my veg ] i put a circle of growmore round the plant making sure that none touches the young plant then water regularly and liquid feed i use Chempac once a week.
Dont bother misting for pollination its an old wives tale.

Davy1

[katynewbie]

 ???

Don't mean to be cheeky davy, but if it's an old wives tale, why do all the old guys on my site do it?!

;)

[tomatoada]

Sometime ago on T.V.  Pippa Greenwood recommended spraying kidney beans at about 6 in the evening, if possible.  But she added it was best to do it sometime than not at all.  So that is what I have done.   Also watering the roots well.
I am also growing Lady Di and for the second year I am having a good crop. Started picking a few beans a week ago, and now picking enough every other day for 4 people.  Hope this helps.

[davy1]

QUOTE KATYNEWBIE  {Don't mean to be cheeky davy, but if it's an old wives tale, why do all the old guys on my site do it?!}

Probable because they refuse to change a habit of a life time and move on to more modern methods and better verities of veg. A lot of veg flower prior to producing there best fruit potato's, peas,sweetcorn and cucumbers its a natural proses for that plant.
Also i have noted that a lot of old Gardner's will not move on they have done the same thing and grown the same variety every year. If they have grown Telegraph cucumbers for a lot of years try convincing them that Tasty King F1 is a better one they will argue thats its not but they will not try it to find out
Davy

[amphibian]

3. I dont believe that you can grow with just manure/mulch so about 2 weeks before planting out i rake in a general fertalizer  (( Growmore)

Really?

[davy1]

What i should of said " i don't believe you can grow with just manure/mulch or just fertilizer i think you need both