I live in Dordogne where the summers are usually hot. I grow Firestorm and Scarlet Emperor. We've been eating Firestorm but are having to pick them young as they are going purply and stringy very quickly. The flowers drop off the SEs when it's hot but when it's cooler in autumn they usually have a second crop and do pretty well.
AHAH! my scarlet emporer is doing the same. Healthy plant, 10 feet tall plenty of flowers but very few beans!
My french beans are doing quite well.We have been eating them for about three weeks. They are in shade from about 4pm onwards. The runners next to them have only just started setting beans, but loads of flowers on.
I have just picked enough beans from my French beans for the two of us today( the second pick). I gave up on runners two years ago. Mine are in the shade till lunchtime. First flowers didn't set but they are coming along now.
My understanding was that they should be picked when they reach between 6 and 8 inches (the runners/climbers that is). Those that have snuck through and got longer are purply and the skins are really rough. But even the shorter ones are disappointing. And yes, mine are infested with black fly. I was about to spray today when I saw some ladybirds, but really... three ladybirds versus 10,000 black-fly...? And I just checked the packets - Enorma, Firestorm and Tamara. If anyone wants a recipe for bean soup, I've got a cracker which I made today - but you'll need to sieve it before freezing.
I started picking french climbers friday ,saw some blackfly and ladybirds picked some more beans today and the blackfly have gone the ladybirds are still there though ! I thought it was " give peat a chance " . DD
I’ve been picking French and runner beans for the last month. They don’t seem to mind the heat, but have needed lots of watering. The French beans are much more productive than the runners so far, despite being much a smaller plant, but we’ve got plenty of both.
French beans are ‘purple cascade’ and the runners ‘white emergo’. I did have some dwarf beans as well but those were a bit of a fail and only got a handful of beans from those. Broad beans were good while they lasted but they stopped producing back in June.
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French beans are ‘purple cascade’ and the runners ‘white emergo’. I did have some dwarf beans as well but those were a bit of a fail and only got a handful of beans from those. Broad beans were good while they lasted but they stopped producing back in June.