Allotments 4 All

Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: mentallot on June 20, 2011, 13:52:18

Title: Whats killing my runners off ?
Post by: mentallot on June 20, 2011, 13:52:18
On my (newly taken up) allotment plot, the leaves on my runner beans are being nibbled to oblivion, even though some of the plants themselves are well up the canes. Any thoughts ?

Never had an issue with runners in the garden !

Thanks in anticipation
Title: Re: Whats killing my runners off ?
Post by: GRACELAND on June 20, 2011, 14:18:37
rabbits  come to mind ???
Title: Re: Whats killing my runners off ?
Post by: Digeroo on June 20, 2011, 14:39:24
Snails.
Title: Re: Whats killing my runners off ?
Post by: cornykev on June 20, 2011, 18:12:46
Sprinkle slug pellets and watch how many dead snails you find the next day.   ???
Title: Re: Whats killing my runners off ?
Post by: Unwashed on June 20, 2011, 20:27:30
I've never known runners to be nibbled once they've started to get away, and even before that I've never seen any serious damage - and I never use slug pellets. :P
Title: Re: Whats killing my runners off ?
Post by: betula on June 20, 2011, 20:44:50
I have a pigeon in my garden area that likes to sit among my geraniums and when the fancy takes him he swipes the top of my cosmos off..........Me and him are going to fall out soon.

I vote pigeon.
Title: Re: Whats killing my runners off ?
Post by: lincsyokel2 on June 20, 2011, 22:51:34
Slugs with personal jet packs.
Title: Re: Whats killing my runners off ?
Post by: darkbrowneggs on June 20, 2011, 23:21:23
The slugs (as usual  >:( ) are wreaking havoc with mine - but I must tell you this. That very rainy year I protected them with bottles and copper tape round them and the sticks, and it worked, but when they got to around 4 ft high the neighbouring plants flopped over because of the rain and the slugs got them again

I tied those back out of the way, and the beans got going again only to start loosing WHOLE  leaves.  What was doing it  MY GREAT DANE who - I discover - has a penchant for fresh runner bean leaves.

Just can't win can you

All the best
Sue
Title: Re: Whats killing my runners off ?
Post by: InfraDig on June 20, 2011, 23:27:53
I went on a torchlight snail hunt three nights ago, around 25 snails bagged. About 10 the next night, and another 10 tonight, plus about 8 slugs. The snails were up the sticks at the runners, the mangetout and the dwarf beans ( that I made the mistake of staking! That gave the snails something firm to climb up!
Title: Re: Whats killing my runners off ?
Post by: TEL on June 21, 2011, 06:43:52
Got the same prob with mine.
Kept a eye on them & found it was the pigeons so had to net them what fun