Scarlet runners

Kat1989 · August 2020

Hi, First time growing runner beans, loads of beautiful flowers and there's been some beans growing well. It was pretty windy the other day and the flowers got knocked off and has left a bare stem. Is this because they didn't have chance to set in time ? Thanks

Dovefromabove · August 2020

It does happen sometimes ... this year I’m growing Moonlight ... a white flowered cross between runners and French beans ... they have inherited the French bean’s advantage of not needing to be pollinated by insects so set better in tricky conditions.

We have grown the scarlet flowered one in the past and been very pleased with the results https://www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/runner-bean-firestorm/classid.2000021770/
the flavour is just like ordinary runner beans 😋

It’s important to keep the soil where beans are growing nice and moist ... that also helps with getting the bean flowers to set. I’ve just had a hose and small sprinkler at the base of my bean wigwam for 15 mins this morning. 🌱 🚿

Good luck with yours 😎

nick615 · August 2020

Some people spray water on the flowers, using a salvaged common household spray gun, which undoubtedly helps but this is one crop that pays dividends from diligent preparation. They're best grown in soil in the garden, not pots etc., so that you can pile old newspapers underneath them before sowing, to preserved moisture, and then add as much rottable matter to ensure they have that moisture, as Dove says, preferably in a natural way from below.

Dovefromabove · August 2020

Last winter we decided where the bean wigwam would be sited this year, dug a pit, lined it with brown cardboard and newspaper, put a barrow load of partially rotted compost from the compost heap in the bottom and kept adding to it with potato peelings, cabbage leaves, etc ... the sort of stuff we'd normally put on the compost heap. A few weeks before planting the beans we filled the pit to the bromwith water from the hose and then filled it back with the soil previously dug out. Then we put the canes up as a wigwam and planted the beans ... their roots should be benefitting from all that lovely damp composting 'stuff' . It's working well so far

We'll do it in a different spot this coming winter ...

nick615 · August 2020

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/oz/9exk1ck1qduy.jpg

Apart from using canes, I agree wholeheartedly with what Dove says above. It's more or less exactly what I do each year. One slight variation, I think Dove sows beans direct into the soil whereas I create my pit at the same time I put my seeds in trays to germinate in compost. When they appear, my pit has settled down and is ready to accept the seedlings @ two per upright of 12, giving us 24 plants overall.

Dovefromabove · August 2020

@nick615 😊 I sow my beans indoors in small pots in mid April and plant out (2 per cane) in early June

nick615 · August 2020

Sorry, Dove. I misread your post.

Dovefromabove · August 2020

😊

Kat1989 · August 2020

Kat1989 · August 2020

Not as impressive as yours

next time maybe bigger canes. All the flowers are on the other side mainly but I can't get a photo from that side very well. The soil is looking dry this morning I'll give it a Good spray and mulch thanks everyone

Dovefromabove · August 2020

Looks like a dry spot, sheltered by the fence and steps. A bucket full of water every morning, poured slowly on the ground around the roots so that it soaks in and doesn’t run away ... whether it has rained or not. That’ll do the trick 😃

Scarlet runners

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