This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Off with their heads! Runner beans
me london
Posts: 119
Please forgive the slightly rubbish pic, took it tonight at the allotment with my phone, just as it was getting dark with rain.
I noticed I've been losing some flowers recently, but seems to be getting more frequent now. The flowers are being chewed clean off at the stalk and left on the ground. Anyone know what it is? I suspect birds, but someone at the allotment thought it may be bees - am not sure about that tho so thought if nobody minds, I'd ask you fab lot! Anyone had this happen to them and got to the bottom of things?
If it's birds (I have seen a sparrow weaving in and out of them a week or so ago) should I net it? Be a pain to pick later tho, as they are all growing up a wigwam.
Cheers 
0
Posts
Thanks for your reply Tetley, and yes, enough water - watered them well every day. I have also been feeding them. I have always watered my veggies & flowers well, seems pointless to do all that prep, seeding and then to let them down with lack of basic care!
Can't tell from the pic so well, but its like the stems have been snapped off. Does lack of water do that? I am no expert, clearly, but wondering if they be more shriveled through lack of water? A lot of the flowers that are off are, or were, very healthy looking flowers and lovely green, firm stems.
I'm having the same problem, I know for sure it's heat. Been hitting 50 every day for a few weeks now
Maybe, am not 100% on that tho because of the way they've been removed, clean off. The more I read around the ol' interweb, the more it sounds like sparrows and I have watched a sparrow darting in and out for the two hours I was at the allotment, so it's possible that it's made a point of going there.
I have about 30 plants on wigwams, and just two full-grown beans, underneath. If I lose more I will net it, but so birds can't get in and that way I will know for sure. Will make sure there's no gaps at all.
Bees do that, clean off from the back of the flower.
not lack of water.
Cheers folks. Yeah, a ton of blackfly this year, so I guess that's the interest for the sparrows. I am fairly certain it's not water or heat because I have a couple of runners growing in the garden too that I had no room for at the allotment and those are fine. Hey ho. Will leave it for the time being, but if carries on I may just have to net them. My neighbours look forward to the abundance of runners every year, I don't want there not to be any!
You do of course need the bees to pollinate the flowers , ,no pollination no beans.