Hi everybody, This is my first time on A4A and my first 'proper' year of trying to grow Veggies. Apologies if it is a dumb question but how many Runner bean plants would you recommend to feed, say a family of 4 - without getting a glut of beans?
Many thanks
LL2x
I planted only 15 plants last year which all climbed up canes in a wigwam shape. I'm the only one who likes runner beans in my family and i had more than enough for me (incl freezing some and giving some away).
Hope this gives you an idea.
We grew 25.
I've been doing some counting-on-fingers here...I'm only growing for one (ME) but like to give presents to peeps. AND I'm factoring in to your question the time that your early sown beans will produce - which equates to major production from other parts of your plot.........so, to not produce a glut for 4 persons + give all the other veggies you're going to be harvesting a chance to be equally appreciated by your family 8)...I'd hazard a guess at growing just SIX plants now.........then stagger the sowing for another 8 summer sown plants to extend the season and give a remainder for freezing.....
Dunno know about my sums, but deffo think that 2 sowings are the way to go.....any thoughts, peeps?
Lishka
PS Tim! .... but you famously feed the Hungry Herd of Hundreds on Sundays? LOL
I'm going to stick about 30 runners in and about 30 borlotti. I had way to many last year but sold them at work @£1 a carrier bag full.
Makes a dint in the seed bill, and they look prettier than sprouts.
As too earlier sowings it can frost in early June up here and that will just wipe them out. Normally beans will just keep goindg unless pinched out until autumn frosts so can't see much point in two sowings.
If you LOVE runners and eat them for every meal with cheese on top ::), your family will eat more than if they're an occasional treat.
Only time will tell! But if you follow Lishka's advice you should have plenty of beans for several weeks until late in the year. If you keep a notebook you'll be able to adjust for next year. How often I wished I'd made notes at the time! ;D
I had 10 plants last year - there are only 2 of us eating them and really it was way too many!
May well try 2 plantings this year - but last year I was picking till late September, and would have gone on longer I think if we hadn't gone away for 2 weeks in early September leaving the plot to the tender care of a young friend. She didn't pick any at all - and my theory is that you need to keep picking hard to keep them going (bit like sweet peas!) Could be wrong of course. And you I always miss some in all that foliage.
Agree on all counts. You need to keep picking for them to keep producing. I planted them as an afterthought (12?) and had loads of wonderful beans until gales blew down the wigwams and frost killed the plants. 6 of us here. I'd plant many more if I had the space. I've never eaten runner beans before - always thought it was too cold in Scotland - but they were just terrific!
Good question LL + I'm glad I read it or I'd have ended up with the Scottish Bean Mountain!
Meanwhile, I STILL haven't decided how many I'm going to plant, myself (still counting fingers...) or when the 2nd lot need to be started off? ...just know that I want to avoid the glut situation I've had in previous years.
(Can't cope with a glut of runners AND courgettes AND saladings simultaneously) ::)
I can empathise Lish!
i'm having 8, for two of us plus whatever (if anything) there is any left over oh and the mates round the corner that donated the bath.
but that's only because i'vegfot a trellis of 4 canes each side and one plant to a cane with a sweet pea in between each bean. symmetry. and if i get anything at all i'll be well pleased method.
;D
From a gardening book that I often refer to ' Home grown vegetables ' it suggests two plants per person, this is just to feed you, no excess, hence none to freeze or store. It also recommends a second sowing in June to replace the first sowing as quote " These will bear freely when the plants from an earlier sowing are past their best ". It also recommends two weeks before sowing to give a good sprinkling of soot and to lightly fork it in. Anybody know why soot?, Is there a modern equivalent?
Quote from: MikeB on April 01, 2006, 09:36:40
Anybody know why soot?, Is there a modern equivalent?
I read somewhere that soot, being dark, makes the soil catch more rays and get warmer quicker. My equivalent is used coffee grounds, intended to mulch today but it was too windy :(
'A good sample of soot may contain as much as six per cent nitrogen in the form of sulphate of ammonia. Fresh soot is rather caustic and may be used as a soil fumigant to destroy insects and slugs. For use as a fertiliser it is best stored in the dry for three or four months.'
fromletsgogardening.co.uk (http://letsgogardening.co.uk)
Ooh, scared by your new avatar graw :o, ran and checked at http://www.primalseeds.org/npk.htm for the nutrients in the coffee grounds and soot. The figures for coffee grounds are first, figures for soot are in brackets:
Nitrogen 2.08% (5.25%)
Phosphoric Acid 0.32% (1.05%)
Potash 0.28% (0.35%)
so coffee grounds are less 'nourishing' than soot. They might have more body though, and seem to deter slugs ;)
PS this link might suit you grawmentor if you want to check the npk composition of e.g. bat guano ;D
Thank you all very much - I think I will take an average from all of your replies and go for 10 to grow up canes and I have an arch that I will grow 2 or maybe 4 plants up...I'm off to starbucks now to see if I can take some coffee grounds of their hands ;)
Thanks again everyone...
LL2x
Thanks SS Iwas hoping people would be scared. 8) Part of my new grawmentor and fat controller image. ;D ;D
Quote from: grawrc on April 01, 2006, 17:24:56
Thanks SS Iwas hoping people would be scared. 8) Part of my new grawmentor and fat controller image. ;D ;D
Glad you're getting into training and taking your responsibilities seriously. 8).certainly frightening me :o - hope it has the required effect on the Rowdy element.....
Runners - I'm going to try 5 plants now with a second sowing of 5 in June. Hope that this will give me and my eldery clients runners during the summer, and more for me and the freezer later.
Thanks, LL2, for starting the thread :D
I grow around 30 plants and give plenty away
I grew one lonely plant last year and I had to freeze a couple of servings as we couldn't eat enough fresh from the plant. We don't eat huge amounts as you can probably tell but they are a lovely treat.
Having said that I only had one because of slugs and this year I'll be planting more and therefore I suppose freezing more. My parents love them but they grow their own so I won't be giving any away.
If there's too many, I like to leave them to dry on the plant, then eat the seeds through the winter as I would any other pulse. I don't think freezing does them any justice. If it's of any interest, I grew 12 runner, 12 haricot and 6 of some-other-kind-of-bean, for two of us.
Geoff.
Usually grow them for the beans inside too, but tend to not let them dry, but pick green and then freeze. They need boiling, but take less time to cook that way.I do pick young beans whole for freezing too though.
Had about 8 runner bean plants, and together with different types of french beans, both climbing and dwarf - grown to freeze both whole and for the beans inside - had enough to last me through the winter and it looks like I won't run out until end of May. Family size 4 (including giving some to my mother). Space used was a bed about 4 ft wide by about 25 ft long.
Having never eaten them before this year i must confess I think they are amazing so will be growing more this year.
First year I had six plants. Only four were successful and produced more than enough for the two of us (they did really well). Haven't managed quite so much since.
Anyway - what I was going to say is - I've found they freeze quite well, so don't worry about a glut. (It's lovely having homegrown beans for christmas dinner!)
I agree they aren't as nice from frozen as they are fresh but if you grow enough it save you having to buy any. I would say my frozen ones were better than the 'fresh' ones from the shops. ;D
Quote from: stuffed on April 03, 2006, 20:50:38
I would say my frozen ones were better than the 'fresh' ones from the shops. ;D
You're right. There is some questionable stuff on sale. Frozen is OK if you're steaming or boiling, but about half of my crop ends up being sautéed or stir fried, where texture is as important as taste. Personal opinion of course.
Geoff.
::) How rubbish am I? After all your help I started my runner beans today in loo rolls - got incredibly carried away :-[ and as I do like things to be even .. and 12 loo rolls wasn't enough to fill up the seed tray....I now have 24 plants started .. :o I am now preparing myself for a glut of runner beans ;)
LL2 x
Oops! :o
(been there, done that ;))
I wonder what runner bean wine's like ;D
Geoff.
Is there any good wine made out of greens?
If there is I'm sure it'll be runner beans. They're just great. (IMHO)
Dunno about that , but I do have a recipe for Carrot Whisky.......
;D
Carrot Whisky?!!!!! Divulge recipe immediately!
;)
Like carrot cake bit it gets you drunk?? Sounds like heaven....
I haven't made it yet - but this is courtesy of a lovely chap on another message board - and I'm sure he won't mind me sharing it. He said it turns out more like a liqueur - and is very nice!
LL2x
Ingredients
6lbs carrots
4lbs sugar
1 gallon water
¾ lb chopped raisins
2 lemons
2 oranges
1lb clean wheat
1oz yeast
Method
1. Wash carrots and boil in the gallon of water until tender
2. Strain onto the lemons and oranges (sliced).
3. Add the 4lbs of sugar
4. Stir until dissolved
5. When cool, add the raisins, wheat and yeast.
6. Leave in bucket to ferment for 12 - 15 days
7. Skim, strain and bottle. Fit airlock.
erm, it sounds so simple :o :-\ :o