If either of you'd like a permanent alternative to canes for your beans to climb up (NB only if they're an ongoing crop, not worth it otherwise) by all means drop me an email at nickatipixnetdotcom for my system that's on its eighth year and counting.
I am struggling with my runner beans. They have been very slow to start and not anything near where they were last year. Slugs are getting the better of them and the weather has either been too hot or too wet so new plants put in. They seem to grow slightly and then produce the red flowers but no beans are showing? Any ideas on what to do to help?
The flowers appear to be dying off rather than producing beans. I have now put down some more compost and really watering in case they are too dry. This is the first year that there are issues so unsure what the problem is as they are usually very easy to grow and like you say appear to sort themselves out.
I've always been told that it's the preparation that is the key to runner bean growing and, if it's not done right, a dodgy year can bring out the faults. My offer above still stands if you want to prepare for 2021.
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Slug pellets could help but, if flowers have shown, I think I'd leave them to see what happens. Beans have a funny habit of sorting themselves out.