Runner beans

[Wowbagger]

Two years ago my runner beans were pretty pathetic. The plants were feeble and I picked very few beans. Last year they were very good, for a time we were eating beans with every meal and I gave some away. I can't account for the difference.

This year they are struggling again. I've put them on the other side of the path more-or-less bisecting our garden. I've kept them watered and sprayed the blackfly with washing up liquid.

I noticed that a couple of last year's seeds must have escaped and have self-sown. The two plants in the same location as last year's are doing a lot better than the beans I planted - much stronger growth, much darker leaves. I think the varieties are the same. The only difference I can think of is soil nutrients.

I've ordered some liquid manure to see if that makes any difference.

Any suggestions from the panel would be appreciated.

[campagman]

one of my R beans has been attacked by blackfly and is struggling but the other 3 are unaffected and seem to be climbing ok.

[JellyLegs]

My runners have struggled this year in the main raised bed. Poor germination rate, slow growing, very spindly.  I think the near constant wind this year hasn’t helped, especially with the dry conditions.  You can thoroughly soak the soil and it’s bone dry again the next day.

[Flite]

I have to install a windbreak to have any chance with runner beans.
A few years ago my beans looked great till I went out one morning and all the leaves had blown off.
If nothing else, the constant wind takes all the moisture out of the leaves and the plants struggle to take up enough water.

[Wowbagger]

The above comments have probably answered to a degree one of the things I was wondering about this morning. Why are the beans climbing the bamboo tipis near the wall growing better than the others? It's probably because they are better protected from the west wind. And we have had a very windy last few weeks.

[ElyDave]

I have to install a windbreak to have any chance with runner beans.
A few years ago my beans looked great till I went out one morning and all the leaves had blown off.
If nothing else, the constant wind takes all the moisture out of the leaves and the plants struggle to take up enough water.

Mine are in a reasonably sheltered spot, this year more so than last, but did terribly. Only thing I can think is that they are further up the slight slope, and combining that with the drought this year has just given them more than enough to deal with.

[citoyen]

Our runner beans took a while to get started but have been s as prolific as ever. In fact, they’re still producing, which is surprising.

[ElyDave]

last year mine went through to late October

[citoyen]

Nice. Wonder if ours will go on that long...

It's been a funny year, produce wise. Everything seemed to take longer than usual to get started but then did well - except the tomatoes, which seemed to struggle. The dwarf beans are also still producing.

My wife just harvested the butternut squash over the weekend. I think they could have been left a bit longer but she was worried about frost getting them. They went a bit mad in the end. One of them is well over 3kg.

We had one small bed of early potatoes that yielded a decent sackful. We've finished them now though.

[Snakehips]

Many gardeners apply urine whenever they judge plants to be growing slowly or looking pale, applying about a gallon of urine per 100 square feet every couple weeks until the plants become more vigorous.

[citoyen]

Confession time: when I get up for my morning wee, sometimes the bathroom is already occupied, so I nip outside and go on the beans (well, on the soil around the bottom - not directly on the plants, of course).

Maybe this is why they've done so well!

[JellyLegs]

It's been a funny year, produce wise. Everything seemed to take longer than usual to get started but then did well - except the tomatoes, which seemed to struggle. The dwarf beans are also still producing.

It has definitely been an odd year.  My tomatoes, grown in pots, have done really well but everything in my raised vegetable beds has struggled.  My runner beans have been poor, my dwarf beans produced literally nothing and my leeks are pencil thick.  In general, germination was poor and growth was lacklustre on most other items.  I think the relatively windy early summer followed by the hot dry spell took all moisture out of the soil to such an extent that everything struggled.  Still, every cloud has a silver lining.  The veg beds have been cleared earlier than usual so I have the opportunity to dig in loads of organic matter and improve the soil for next year.

[Wowbagger]

Confession time: when I get up for my morning wee, sometimes the bathroom is already occupied, so I nip outside and go on the beans (well, on the soil around the bottom - not directly on the plants, of course).

Maybe this is why they've done so well!

Reminds me somewhat of Evan Bird, the Ramsden Heath farmer for whom I worked from time to time when I was a teenaged Bagger. He'd distribute some pungent excrement around some plants and would state "That'll make 'em grow - stinks so much they'll want to get away from it!"