French beans

[caroline7758]

Having had a great crop from my French beans, they have now almost stopped producing and the leaves are going brown. Just wondering if this is part of the normal cycle or if they have some kind of disease, just so I know whether to put them on the compost or not.

[caroline7758]

[katynewbie]

 :-\

Some of mine are doing that too, I figure they have done their stuff so they can go on the heap now!

[Kepouros]

They`ve done what they were supposed to do, and now they`re telling you they`ve done enough.  Perfectly safe to compost them.

[valmarg]

skuse me, but arn't you going to leave any of the beans for dried beans?

[katynewbie]

 :-[

Still have two packs of seeds in the biscuit tin for next year/the year after! Will start saving when they run out!

;)

[Curryandchips]

I still have stick beans in the freezer from last year, so all this year's crop will be for dried beans.

[powerspade]

My French beans are looking the same, they have done all they can and in a week or so when the weather permits I shall be cutting the tops off for the compost heap leaving the roots in the ground,  and planting out my spring cabbage to fed off the nitrogen held by the bean roots.

[keef]

My french beans have been excellent - picked 3lb today with still more to come. I dont normally bother growing loads as i prefer runners, but my pea's were a complete disaster this year so i stuck some french beans in there place. I'm glad i did as the runners hav'nt been good this year.

[Svea]

i usually water again when they start exhausting themselves. this ensured that i picked smaller beans until the end of october last year.

if there are still flowers and little beans on them, it's worth leaving them (well it was for us)

[caroline7758]

I did notice there were still a few flowers on some of mine. Would it be worth feeding them? guess it can't do any harm.

[Svea]

sure, give it a try. if you find overall it wasnt worth it, you can make a note not to bother next year :)

[Rosyred]

I haven't had any beans yet sowed then late so i'm hoping I do get some. Flowers are just starting to show now.

[tricia]

I have two wigwams in containers - one of blue lake, the other Cherokee trail of tears and one I've lost the the label) so I've had to water them a lot this year. About three weeks ago I noticed that they were not producing much any more so I fed them with chicken manure pellets and they are now giving me about a pound every two or three days and have loads of flowers and beans to come. It looks like I'll be picking beans well into October!

Tricia

[thomasb]

It has been a strange year for french beans, only a month ago I was saying to another plot holder how poor this year was for these beans. I am not saying that now. Since the rain they have produced massive amounts. Yesterday, I brought a great big bag back.

Thomas