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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: tonybloke on July 13, 2008, 18:43:35

Title: How's your runners?
Post by: tonybloke on July 13, 2008, 18:43:35
Picked this afternoon,[attachment=1]
Scarlet Emporer
;)
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: allaboutliverpool on July 13, 2008, 18:47:49
Wow!
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: tim on July 13, 2008, 18:55:02
Indeed!!

Just got a handful for supper tonight. All so bashed by the gales.

Surprised that Tony gets away with it, if near the sea?
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: beanie3 on July 13, 2008, 19:27:49
 :o  dead jealous - my beans havent done at all well this year......i am hoping a little patience and good luck will bring them out!

Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: manicscousers on July 13, 2008, 19:43:40
just had some more purple podded beans for tea, ours don't look too bad, the runners have some flowers on  ;D
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: saddad on July 13, 2008, 19:44:33
We have some starting to produce, next weekend...  :)
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: Emagggie on July 13, 2008, 20:21:47
Had some today, but plants don't look as good a last year. Can't see me having many to freeze. :(
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: OllieC on July 13, 2008, 21:05:17
Very impressive! I've got a few that are up to 2 inches long & plenty starting to set - so a fortnight to go until your kind of harvest. Are you right on the east coast, getting less frosts, very skilled or both?!?!
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: Deb P on July 13, 2008, 21:06:52
Mine are still in their pots...... :-[

Have to dig up some potatoes to get their new home sorted out...
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: ninnyscrops on July 13, 2008, 22:11:26
Just waiting and hoping  :P

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/12072008003.jpg

Did staggered sowings this year too for the first time.
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: valmarg on July 13, 2008, 22:21:17
And here was me thinking we were doing well with runners 4-6" long, even having had to fleece the plants shortly after they were planted out. ???

The climbing french beans are at a similar stage.

valmarg
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: DAVIESFOZZIE on July 13, 2008, 23:30:57
 ::)jealous i  have 1 bean about 6 inches long and lots of tiny beans it is the cold damp windy weather here in Caerphilly this time last year i was picking beans and cucumbers nothing this year
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: tonybloke on July 14, 2008, 07:51:20
Quote from: OllieC on July 13, 2008, 21:05:17
Very impressive! I've got a few that are up to 2 inches long & plenty starting to set - so a fortnight to go until your kind of harvest. Are you right on the east coast, getting less frosts, very skilled or both?!?!
2 miles from the beach, surrounded by housing estates. This was how they looked at the end of may[attachment=1]
Istart them off in april in an unheated G/H at home, plant out behind glass in mid may. I use the same ground each year, trenched and compost/manure added in spring. I plant 3 varieties, this year, 'scarlet emporer' 18 plants,  in may i started off 18 'white lady' indoors, planted these out 1st week in june, at the same time i sowed direct 24 of my own saved seed. I am harvesting the S E now, the W L are just starting to crop, and the others are now 6ft high and in flower. ;)
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: Chris Graham on July 14, 2008, 12:21:37
Doing quite well.

"Enorma"

(http://www.backyard.8m.net/garden%20veg/09.07.08/IMG_2121.JPG)

(http://www.backyard.8m.net/garden%20veg/13.07.08/IMG_2190.JPG)
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: Anne Robertson on July 14, 2008, 19:12:13
I gave some runners to a fellow lottie holder as his weren't producing yet and he came back 20 mins. later with a lovely joint of pork from his son's farm!
Actually he is my Fairy Godfather as I'll often arrive at the plot to find he's cleared an area of brambles for me or dug a bit(I've taken on a 2nd!).
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: debster on July 14, 2008, 19:30:48
chris g they look lovely mine are about that size but my plants dont look as good as yours
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: jennym on July 14, 2008, 22:35:08
Last week was the third time I sowed runners - first and second sowing bit the dust, cold weather and flooding, then hot weather and slugs  :( will be lucky if I get any! French beans not so bad, but then they're only about 3 ft up the strings. The pics look fanatastic, you have done well  :)
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: Chris Graham on July 15, 2008, 08:51:30
Quote from: debster on July 14, 2008, 19:30:48
chris g they look lovely mine are about that size but my plants dont look as good as yours

Thanks debs, first time growing these, so it'll be interesting to see how things go.
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: tonybloke on July 15, 2008, 12:59:54
this morning at the allotment.[attachment=1]
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: bruno on July 15, 2008, 13:19:30
My runners now upto top of canes - should i pinch out the tips?

Also trying borlotti for the first time

Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: Barnowl on July 15, 2008, 14:51:54
Make sure whoever does the picking is warned. OH picked my Borlotti that were planted at the end of a row of French beans because they had got to French bean size  :).
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: manicscousers on July 15, 2008, 15:27:21
hi, bruno, welcome to the site  ;D
we've pinched the tops of our runners when they reached the top of the support, we're both 5'6" tall and don't want to stretch too high  ;D
Title: Re: How's your runners?
Post by: Sinbad7 on July 15, 2008, 15:31:33
I always find the secret to early runners is to pinch out the tops when about 3-4ft high.  I do this to every other plant, also makes them bush out.

I'm pleased with my beans this year.

Sinbad