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Runner Beans

anthonywhitlock2000anthonywhitlock2000 Posts: 2
in Fruit & veg
I've tried a new variety of Runner beans this year called Enorma which are supposed to have long, straight stems. My first boiling were fine but now a lot of them are going very curly and mishapen. I'm watering them regularly, any ideas ?
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Posts

  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    I suspect some sort of insect attack but I don't think there is much you can do about it.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    After the recent heatwave the same has happened with mine and my neighbour's runners. The beans were curled, misshapen and very stringy. They seem to be returning to normal now it's cooled down


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • ForTheBeesForTheBees Posts: 168
    I'm growing beans for the first time, although I was a bit late planting them so haven't had any crop yet.
    The stringless are doing really well with lots growing quickly.
    Climbing french beans are a more mixed story - despite being bought as plugs they've been overtaken by the stringless.
    My runners (snowstorm) are a failure without a single flower setting yet...
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Is there any reliable way of detecting stringiness in a runner bean other than cooking it and finding out the hard way?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    If the pods are smooth the likelihood is that they won’t be stringy ... if there are bulges where the beanseeds are they’re likely to be past their best and stringy. However I always peel the sides of the beans as well as top and tailing them. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I test by snapping the 'tail' in the direction of the stringy side.
    If they're stringy there's a bit of 'string' attached to the tail, if they aren't there isn't
    But as Dove says it's easy to tell most of the time if the surface is smooth and the seeds are just showing they'll be fine.
    Toward the end of the season I find they usually need stringing

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • PlashingPlashing Posts: 328
    If they are stringy my wife always slides a knife along the length of the bean and remove the stringy bits its a lot like removing the stringy bits off celery, they cook perfectly alright without been stringy,they may take a bit longer to cook.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Peter Hewitt said:
    If they are stringy my wife always slides a knife along the length of the bean and remove the stringy bits its a lot like removing the stringy bits off celery, they cook perfectly alright without been stringy,they may take a bit longer to cook.
    I always do that anyway. Hate stringy beans. If they don’t snap clean I don’t even cook them. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Lyn said:
    Peter Hewitt said:
    If they are stringy my wife always slides a knife along the length of the bean and remove the stringy bits its a lot like removing the stringy bits off celery, they cook perfectly alright without been stringy,they may take a bit longer to cook.
    I always do that anyway. Hate stringy beans. If they don’t snap clean I don’t even cook them. 
    I always do that anyway too.  It’s the way I was taught by Ma and Grandma. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Same here 🙂
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

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