Dream time

[cleo]

The bulk of my seed order arrived today so it`s time to dream of a wonderful harvest yet again. One question though-has anyone grown `yard long beans?

I`ve seen them growing in a greenhouse but I don`t know anyone who has tried them outside.

I can get peppers and aubergines to ripen outside in the garden so I`m fairly hopeful but any hints and tips would be welcome

[cleo]

[Ceratonia]

No personal experience, but a friend in France grows them in his polytunnel and he certainly has no problems with aubergines outside. I've seen them growing in Malaysia - they're definitely tropical plants and I'd guess they wouldn't do well outside anywhere in the UK.

Once they get going, the vines grow up the supports at an impressive rate - few cm per day? The beans are more like half a yard, though.

[tim]

One question - WHY??

[cleo]

One question - WHY??

Well tim-Jenny saw these things growing in a greenhouse when we were on a trip . And even after all these years of marriage I still want to suprise her with something long and tasty ;D

[angle shades]

Crikey ;D/ shades x

[tim]

Or you could fill her a hot water bottle?

[calendula]

 ;D  ;D  ;D

goodness me Tim - surely this amounts to the same thing  ;D

I guess the original question is never going to be answered now

[Hyacinth]

 ::) 

Steph, I'd think that your chances of growing them outside are v. poor, if not zilch. I've seen them growing in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand (where they were, indeed, yard-long or even longer & were carried home from the market curled round in a sort of hoop and balanced on the handlebars of bicycles 8))...but...see a common climatic theme here?

I've a friend who's tried for 2 years to grow them outside here - admittedly this year was exceptional, but no luck the year before, either.

So....grow them in the 'house or polytunnel, or ship 'em down to one of Eden's bio-domes...bet they'd grow grand yard-longs there :)

[cleo]

Thanks all-I guess it`s the greenhouse then.