Vegetable Growing 2025

I was told that if you water the flowers of the Runner Beans it help the
flowers to set. This is what I do.

 

I dont think its unusual for the first runner bean flowers to drop without setting.

 

I had poor setting of broad beans earlier in the year - I noticed that it was larger bees, rather than smaller bees, which visit them.
I opened up the netting to give better access, and I got better setting as the season went on:

 

I haven’t netted the broad beans (didn’t realise I needed to haha) but they are growing up beside a metal mesh which I’ve tied horizontal strings to, just to keep them from toppling over, maybe I’ve had too many plants squished together to get good pollination?

 

I'm not sure why people would net broad beans, my biggest pest is aways black fly, maybe fle beetle.
I usually take the tip out of the plants once I see a decent set of pods.

 

I see they are in pots,are you feeding them.

 

Only need to net if pigeons or rooks are an issue. The above are plenty close enough (space at 6-8 inches. )
Plants do seem to be healthy ,if a little 'overgrown;. If you only have these few, perhaps did not attract enough pollinators, which are often few at the bean flowering period.Do try again next year, perhaps of a spring sown variety such as The Sutton ,which has a long season and can be sucessional.

 

There are plenty of pigeons around our Allotments but I never need to net broad beans. Brassicas and fresh green lettuce plants are another issue though.

 

Peas as well for me, they have to be netted all the time.

I'm waiting for my garlic to be ready, beetroot and maybe some salads will go in here. Onions are getting a bit bigger. Squash and corn managed to grow away from the slugs, would prefer warmer drier days.

 

They are in the end of a veg trug that’s had a small divider put in so yes the space is small but it was a trial as we haven’t grown them or eaten them before. I am feeding them weekly with tomatorite. Before they got flowers I was feeding them one week seaweed and one week nettle tea. I have sown a few more in the potato buckets after I harvested the Charlottes, they are just pushing through now. I’ve put up a 3 cane wigwam as support if needed. Hoping for a harvest from them, they are beside the runner beans so might get more pollinators?

 

They are next to six big courgette plants that are all flowering and producing fruits, would think the pollinators would hop next door to the beans, unless they are full up from all the courgette flowers!! I’ll look out for The Sutton as I definitely want to grow them again. Maybe I’ve made a mistake though as I’ve sown more of Aquadulce Claudia and they are just coming through, maybe they won’t produce?

 

Picked my first courgette today, firenze. Also Picked another Calibrese head and raddish. Still getting strawberries
More peas on the way, the climbing beans are just beginning to flower.

 

I've never sown Broad beans this late, be interesting to see what they do.

 

Thanks, I'll try that

Oh I didn't know this, thank you. I have started spotting a couple of tiny beans, so hopefully that continues

 

I’ll let you know @pete probably made a rookie error but having fun trying