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Runner Beans
in Talkback
Hi all,
I planted my runner beans in pots about two weeks back and have them sitting in the spare bedroom window. The point is they are now over 38 cm tall and I'm worried that if I don't plant them out soon they will get too large to support themselves or take over the bedroom..... I have the window open in this room so the temperature is similar to the outside and hope this will help in hardening them off. So the question is should I insert little sticks for them to support themselves with and keep them in till the end of May, or plant them out and pray there is no frost ????
Any advice would be welcome,
Paul
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Posts
A lot depends on where you are and how susceptible to frost. If you're on the coast or in a city you'll probably be OK. If you're in Scotland or up a mountain, you won't be!
Having said that, I'm in a coastal city (Liverpool) and I won't be starting to harden off my beans till next week. They've been soaked and are germinating in loo rolls/peat
pots. They have to go out on 15th May though as I'll be away for a week after that.
An idea: Maybe you could pinch them out. This would stop them getting any taller for a bit, and encourage them to bush out, which would give you more stems. Never tried it, but it seems reasonable - what do people think?
Steve, I was just about to ask that! I have pinched out the Morning Glory as they were starting to flail around and I don't see why one could not do that with Runners.
Ours out and growing away just hope that late frost does not affect them.
Thanks all, I'll keep them in till Monday and keep my fingers crossed... then I guess it'll be to fleece or not to fleece, will be the question
Mine have now (mostly) gerninated in the g/h and wil be going in the cold frame on Friday for a week before being planted out. The roots have already reached the bottom of the loo rolls!