runner beans

Too hot. I love them too, and have tried unsuccessfully to grow them. The climate's just not right!

I think that runner bean flowers need a damp atmosphere to set their flowers - if there was no rain when his beans were in bloom my dad used to go round giving them a spray from a water mister thing. Of course it was time consuming but as he spent more or less all day in the garden and sitting out there contemplating if not actually doing anything he didn't mind the fiddly job. I never knew if the spraying did any good but he always had a crop big enough to eat as they went along and for my Mother to freeze to last them through the winter.

God luck with your beans - we love them too - nothing like them and with marrow heaven!

We used to grow them a lot and we started by digging in newspaper and compost to hold the water. We used to use the garden hose to spray them from the top down in order to set the flowers and it always worked. I also remember that the more we picked the more they grew. Is it too late for this year in Italy?

Three is nothing quite so wonderful as a good plump runner bean - and nothing quite so revolting as a stringy one!

Mine are languishing in their growing box and need planting out - hopefully tomorrow my little gardener will come and dig a trench for me....only I have to do at least a bit of weeding there first, which will have to be when it gets cooler tonight.
I plan to fix them up with some trickle watering from the water butt (which I'm allowed to fill) via leaky hose, as I have for the broad beans yesterday, they were looking a bit dry and I can't carry a lot of cans down the bottom of the garden!
I must remember the spraying bit if it continues like this.
(oh whoops should I have said that....? ....Murphy's Law?)

Agree with Alison. Compost and wet newspaper in the bottom of the trench before planting, and then spray the flowers with water if it doesn't rain.

The ones they sell in shops are always too tough and stringy, home grown much nicer.

Grown runner beans successfully even ina my tiny garden.last yearI grew in a large potato growbag.On advice of a friend I interplanted with sweet peas -works well as they support each other and I'm told sweet peas attract pollinating insects-and smell divine.
However realised at end of a bumper crop that I don't actually like them .good when freshly picked but after freezing seem tasteless
just provide green fibre.Any suggestions?

Grown runner beans successfully even in a tiny garden.last year grew in a large potato growbag.On advice of a friend I interplanted with sweet peas -works well as they support each other and I'm told sweet peas attract pollinating insects-and smell divine.
However realised at end of a bumper crop that I don't actually like them .good when freshly picked but after freezing seem tasteless
just provide green fibre.Any suggestions?

Sorry about repeat,-got interrupted!

Maniac No apology necessary - all good advise. Thank you.

Boil with garlic, drain, chop into small pieces, serve with a vinaigrette dressing!

We called them 'has beans' when they got stringy

Gary the Gardner grows them at the bottom of my garden, angel next door picks them and distributes them among the neighbours!
Me? I don't eat green :- it's poison!

Anyone having trouble with their runners? Mine are planted out but don't seem to be getting going at all - is it the weather? My sister says hers are the same, she has planted some more and they are bigger!

Mine are struggling to get up their poles too Allie. Can't be lack of water!!!

Mine are barely started climbing up the poles , I think I was picking beans in mid-july last year... also my tomatoes are barely flowerin.

Mine are, come to think of it, still in the packet. Oh well, next year....

I have now put some more in pots - encouraged by my gardening mag which came yesterday - says it's not too late, put cloches over them ie plastic water containers with the bottoms off - pushed in to keep out slugs - tops off, until they are big enough to remove the bottles.
But I am keeping mine in the side passage of the house (plastic roof) for now instead of planting seeds straight out. It's warmer.

My tomatoes are useless! My beans are going backwards I have some mange tout and a courgette flower. A few raspberries.

My tomatoes are doing ok, but I keep them inside since I lost a crop to blight.

I have managed to get my beans up the poles and they have flowered, but the flowers are dropping before any beans have set. The bees don't seem to be taking any notice of them. I think it must be the wet weather - I've never had a problem before. Tomatoes will be very late this year, but at least they are flowering. The only thing that is thriving is the flipping grass!

Mine have actually improved enough (since the sun came out) so I have had a few beans to EAT!
I have now planted the new lot in between the others where the canes look a but bare. Don't know if they will do anything or not.

Tomatoes beginning in the greenhouse.
Cucumbers succumbed to wilt, but I have four new plants in the side passage and so far they are fine.
Also two melon plants, but they may be far too late!

Since my last post, I have picked about nine beans! They were absolutely delicious but I'm glad the rest of the crop is not all that is standing between me and starvation!

We were only talking about runner beans yesterday how there don"t seem to be that many about, came to conclusion that with wet weather earlier in year , didn"t set . I like this time of year with all gorgeous veg. about , love stuffed marrow served with beans. YUM , YUM [FLAG]