Allotments 4 All

Normally do well with runner beans, but this year they are covered with black fly, and I did spray them before I went away.  Watered them today and will spray them tomorrow but don't think they will be any good this year.    Maybe they don't like this hot weather.

I remember having very few beans in 1976.  Most of the flowers dropped off.  Maybe my later sown ones will produce in October.

Mine are not bad but the flowers seem quite low down on the plant. I did sow them extremely late (june).  I still need to sow some more this week, so they will fruit when we are here and not on holidays!

Mine are starting to flower, profusely, but it's too early to see how well they're setting.

My runners are very slow to grow...and those that have grown are shy to flower
But now that we've had such a quantity of rain last couple of days, I hope things will improve and they will romp away
At the moment it is  ..they don't have no excuses left for not giving a good show

Mine all eaten by groundhog- leaves and beans all gone up to 5 feet.  Guess I'll replant some bush beans.

Are groundhogs edible? Should be nice and fat.

I put a small pile of comfrey leaves on the ground inside the wigwam. The runner and french beans are glossy and full of flowers and beans, no blackfly. I believe that comfrey can have that effect and seems to repel blackfly. Did the same with broad beans and not a blackfly in sight

Quote from: Paulh on July 26, 2013, 20:54:48
Are groundhogs edible? Should be nice and fat.

Some people eat them if they're very desperate.

Everyone of our allotment site has got runner beans covered with black fly.  I sprayed mine but still black fly.  Noticed some people had white powder on theirs, maybe ant powder.  Some people have given up and dug theirs up, I will keep mine for a while, but they look very sad.  Maybe the rain will do them some good.  Most years I have been able to give them away, but it seems that this year I gave away strawberries, and now have plenty of courgettes and the apple tree is overloaded.  The french beans are doing OK.  Funny old year.

2013 is the Year of Black Fly, they covered every inch of my Runner Bean and French Bean, it's GROSS! will pull them up this weekend as I can not stand them any more!

There's nothing on my runner beans. The broadies have the normal amount of blackfly, ie not that much.

I've had a few small colonies start on my runners (but not the French)which so far I have been able to squash. It has been worse (touch wood) in other years.

Regards

Bluecar

Terrible, rotten thing to happen. I just stuck my head inside the wigwam today and the comfrey is black and still on the ground. I am wondering if the comfrey is repelling the ants that do the farming. I must have a good nose at other beans on the site. That must be soul destroying as it is such a staple crop

That's an interesting observation strawberry1.  Are ants the main cause of blackfly infestation or just a contributing factor? If they are a main cause then preventing the ants is a good solution and if comfrey does that we have a way forward. I mulched mine and the ground has remained very damp, so this may also keep the ants at bay.

Regards

Bluecar

That's strange.  I haven't had blackfly on my beans, broadies or climbing, for the last couple of years.  Wonder if its because I covered the ground the previous year with comfrey as I was growing squash and also I am infested with the stuff and am constantly cutting it back.

Most people on our allotment site have had problems with blackfly on the runner beans.  Normally can give them away, but only got 2 beans this year, and did spray them.  The only person there with good runner beans had white powder on them at the base, I belive it was ant powder, but it seems to have worked.  I don't care too much as the French beans are doing well, must look up some recipes, maybe soup or freeze.

I planted mine early, and loads of people have had black fly on their beans and have dug them up.  The few I planted late are doing OK.  I picked 4 beans today, not very happy.  Lady I spoke to did use ant powder and her beans are brill.  Also she planted through black sheet, and everything has done so well, in spite of the plot she was given was covered with marestail.  Next year I will remember the ant powder. Well I suppose 4 beans is better than nothing, and all the free blackberries are great. 

Had my first decent portion of runner beans for breakfast.  Lovely with butter and pepper yum yum. 

No blackfly, but I wonder whether ant powder would help the broadbeans.  I believe they actually farm the blackfly and somehow milk them.  I find that where there are blackfly there are almost always ants.
The ants more the blackfly to the next nice young plant and protect them.

I am so annoyed, I had some late sown runners that were doing well, a couple of inches high and this morning I saw that something had gnawed them right off!!!
Is it too late to sow now? They seem to give in about 7 weeks... and how could I protect them this time? nets?