Runner Beans AGAIN
Jaybee45
Posts: 5
Hi all,
A question about my first time runner beans again! They look really healthy and have lots of flowers on them BUT the flower stalks are up to a foot long and there are just mini stalks which look as though the flowers have dropped off. Is this normal as there doesn't seem to be a bud on them where the bean grows. Some of them have tiny beans growing but lots just have a little stalk with no bud. I have to keep cutting the top growth off as they are growing too tall to pick (over 8ft) So I just keep cutting off the top. Hope this is the right thing to do.
I have now started to give them some tomato feed.
I've uploaded some pics to show the flower stalks.
Sorry for the daft questions but I really am "green" when it comes to veg. growing.
Hopefully by next year I will have learned something.
Posts
The little stalks are where the flowers haven't been pollinated so the flowers have just dropped off without making a bean. This is quite common early in the season - usually once the bees all know where your beans are most of the flowers get pollinated and you'll have more beans than you know what to do with.
Keep the roots moist as this will help with setting.
Otherwise it sounds as if you're doing just fine
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks very much. I have noticed that the bees have started to arrive this week so fingers crossed.
I've noticed sparrows seem to be attacking the flowers on my runner beans. Would it be for the nectar?
I think it's just mischief and inquisitiveness
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
My pennyworth: Flowers dropping during hot, dry weather is common...misting on hot days can be beneficial.
Runner beans reach their peak of production when the nights get cooler, usually in another month or so...which is why I sometimes wonder why people sow the seed so early in the year, when they run the risk of losing them to late frosts.
Birds do peck-off the flowers, but this seems to be more prevalent with red flowered varieties and I haven't known it to be a big problem.
I would definitely recommend growing the white flowered variety 'White Lady'. These are proven to set well in hot weather, are less attractive to birds and have a superb taste & are stringless.
I'm on commission. btw.
I have grown white beans in the past but my usual favourites are a red flowered variety.
However this year I had a bad germination problem and ended up buying in some plants quite late in the day - Whiite Emergo - I know Verdun recommends them so I'm looking forward to seeing how they do.
I agree with you David, about the rush to get them cropping - I think this is a relatively new phenomenon - I don't recall fellow allotmenteers back in the 70s expecting to pick runner beans in July.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
We pick, down here in September, but we are about 3 weeks behind everywhere else due to high altitudes. We are only just getting flowers.
Snap! My first sowing (*May 12th) failed too, Dove. I re-sowed towards the end of May, these are at the top of their sticks and in flower.....maybe they'll be a week or so behind, but I know they'll be cropping well at the same time as most of us.
*May 12th sowing date has been passed down to me from previous generations.
I sowed Firestorm last year and this, bought from Marshalls and all 4
5 germinated, I will definitely buy from them every year they are very easy to look after, they are drought tolerant, so plant and walk away, I had a fantastic crop last year.I do put lots of mu*k in the trench though.
Yes, David K, the variety I'm growing is Painted Lady, red & white. White for me next year!