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runner beans
raysoan
Posts: 1
hi. my runner beans have lots of flowers more than most years.Also an abundance of bees so I would have expected a really good crop but no all my flowers are falling off.I did happen to notice that the bees are all going to the back of the flowers.Through my observations I did not see any of the bees going to the front of the flower Is their a reason for this. thank you
0
Posts
Some bees have learnt the trick of getting what they want without going through the front of the flower. Some people recommend a white flowered runner bean does not seem to have the same problem.
Mike .... There's no such thing as 'male' runner bean flowers
... all runner bean flowers are 'hermaphrodite' ... however they do need the intervention of insects to move the pollen from the male stamens to the female stigma within the same flower.
French beans do not need the intervention of insects for this to happen. Crosses between French beans and runner beans have been developed to overcome the problems of poor pollination while still keeping the flavour of the runner beans.
More info here
http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/blogs/graham_rice/archive/2013/02/20/two-new-self-fertile-runner-beans-set-pods-in-all-weathers.aspx
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I'm growing White Lady with white flowers and having similar problems, but that's down to me.
I have seen the bees drilling holes in the back of the flowers to get pollen.
Your post gave me a light bulb moment though Dove. I'm growing dwarf french beans in a veg cage and realised the other day that bees won't be able to get to them! Much to my surprise there are lots of beans forming - now I know why
thanks
- a lesson well-learned for next year
The reason my runners aren't getting well pollinated is because I squeezed them in behind the veg cage, so effectively one side of my runners are shielded by the netting
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I've just been out to look at my runners ... yes the early flowers were falling off without setting beans - that tends to happen every year, but now there are lots of little beans forming and the plants are buzzing with honey bees
We'll be eating runners very soon
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
When the bean-glut hopefully arrives I love this recipe.
I just gently fry a red onion, add some garlic, add a tin of chopped toms, then loads of beans (runner and dwarf), cover and simmer very gently for about 40 mins until it's thick and scrummy throw in a handful of parsley and enjoy
Lovely with a chop and sautee spudz
http://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/greek-green-beans-recipe-fasolakia-giaxni/
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Looks very good Pete ... Thanks for sharing.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
My dad always picked off the first flowers anyway to give the plant chance to build up bigger first, most times they dropped off on their own.
I grow Firestorm self pollinating and drought resistant, I rarely, if ever water them. Always a bumper crop.