Hi all, just been up the lottie with my (rather cynical of organic gardening) dad to admire my runner beans. Anyway, to cut a long story short, he reckons they won't survive the slugs on my clay soil without using slug pellets to which I promply replied that people must have been growing veg for years before slug pellets were even invented!
He then says "Don't be so silly, runner beans aren't native and would only have been imported when the chemicals to grow them sucessfully were availible!"
Arrrg! I know runners are native to south america but that's about it, anyone know anything about when they first got here or when slug pellets were first availible to home gardeners? Got to prove old grumpenstein wrong on this one!!
Runner beans thrive on being neglected - especially if you have a lot of organic matter in the soil which retains moisture. All they really need is a bit of water when they are dry and a bit more when they are flowering and fruiting.
Bah humbug toyour Dad ;)
it's true, they were originally introduced (by the victorians?) as a decorative plant, much like sweet peas. until someone tried eating them, too.
don't know about the time span, or anything else about it though. sorry
i agree on the decorative qualities of the runner bean, for sure.....;)
PS - I have had trouble with snails and slugs when I have direct planted - now I raise them to a goodish size in paper pots and out of 70 odd planted - only two have succumbed to attack, and one got trodden on. I have direct sown their replacements so I will see how little seeedlings get on when surrounded by bigger plants. For a row of runner beans to be devasted by slugs and snails once the plants are a bit big must require a huge population or very big appetites - or both. Would not want to meet your dad's slugs down a dark alley.
According to Thomas Etty Esq's catalogue, the RHS Dictionary of plants records 4 varieties of runner bean introduced in 1633, one of these was Painted Lady, which is still available
Phil
I use that and have bought Painted Lady for next year (half price at Wilkos)as a result. I employ the 'if it's been growing here for years (before chemicals), it still will do' philosophy to gardening.. Also bought some white and now only have to buy some reds. By heck - it'll lokk good next year.
Thanks all, 1663 would more than likely have been pre-pellets so grumpy old dadkins will have to eat his hat hee hee ;D
And if he still doesn't agree, my lovely green rows of non slug eaten painted lady will be yummy proof!
I've planted "Painted Lady" this year. Got them good and large in the greenhouse and then transplanted them out. Very vigorous and attractive runners - red/pink and white flowers. The slugs seem to be leaving them alone too!
I heard that Henry Vlll gardeners used runner beans to make a fast growing hedge/screen. They didn't know that the beans were edible though.