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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Eristic on September 12, 2009, 00:45:03

Title: Cussedness
Post by: Eristic on September 12, 2009, 00:45:03
One of my new plants this year has been the hyacinth bean or lablab bean. For those who do not know, this is supposed to be a heat-loving tropical plant so it would make sense to grow it in the polytunnel. Well I've now got a tropical jungle but no beans and even worse, no flowers.

Picture of beans growing in poly.

(http://downtheplot.com/images/hyacinth_bean_1.jpg)

As I grew too many plants I stuck the leftovers on a wigwam on some surplus space on an adjoining plot where they got watered if it rained, ravished by slugs, left unfed and only weeded on an occasional basis.

The result:

(http://downtheplot.com/images/hyacinth_bean_2.jpg)

(http://downtheplot.com/images/hyacinth_bean_pods.jpg)

Moral of the story- Don't read books.
Title: Re: Cussedness
Post by: Anisemary on September 12, 2009, 00:52:00
Can't get the pictures but don't really need to, sods law! I take cuttings from  shrubs and follow instructions to the letter - nothing! Stick prunings in to support floppy perenials, result - shrubs where I don't really want them!   ::)
Title: Re: Cussedness
Post by: plot51A on September 12, 2009, 08:26:55
Was gazing at my hyacinth beans yesterday. Growing up a fence, outside. Very rampant - but must be related to your polytunnel beans, not a flower in sight!

But will try again - your wigwam is lovely.
Title: Re: Cussedness
Post by: Fork on September 12, 2009, 09:45:43
Could it have been a lack of humidity in the polytunnel?
Title: Re: Cussedness
Post by: saddad on September 12, 2009, 10:27:42
I have two butter beans (Spagna?) in the big greenhouse and they are attempting to take over... even a massive B'Fly infestation and an attack by some "Looper" type caterpillars hasn't stopped them... got some pods though.. Keep trying Lab-Labs but no joy yet...  :-X