Few runners on my beans

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by mogcat22, Sep 1, 2020.

  1. mogcat22

    mogcat22 Apprentice Gardener

    Joined:
    Sep 1, 2020
    Messages:
    17
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    Notts, UK
    Ratings:
    +8
    I have grown runner beans and french beans in large containers in the same fairly sunny spot in the garden for the first time this year. They are in a sheltered spot against a tall white painted wall. The french beans are good producers and I have picked several batches and they are still producing beans but the runner beans are not yielding many beans - think I have picked about 5 beans so far, lots of flowers, I can see tiny beans starting to form on some, leaves look healthy. I am wondering if they need a booster feed or something to get them going. I am using phostrogen when I water them and I mixed manure with the compost when I planted them up. What month are runner beans harvested? Live in Notts and weather has been very changeable.
     
    • Friendly Friendly x 2
    • JR

      JR Chilled Gardener

      Joined:
      Jul 19, 2020
      Messages:
      954
      Gender:
      Male
      Occupation:
      Retired oil magnate
      Location:
      Cotswolds
      Ratings:
      +2,381
      Hi mogcat, welcome to GC.
      I would have fed the beans with liquid tomato feed every week as soon as the first pods had set.
      (That was probably around late June)
      As your plants are generally healthy I'd guess feed was the main problem with few pods.
      I found that this year, due to a dull cool July, beans were a bit slow.
      The one's I've got at my allotment are producing kilos, whereas the few i put in at home in a patio barrel have been like yours..a low yield.
      The french one's are probably a better choice for containers.
       
      • Agree Agree x 2
      • Like Like x 1
      • Informative Informative x 1
      • shiney

        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

        Joined:
        Jul 3, 2006
        Messages:
        60,996
        Gender:
        Male
        Occupation:
        Retired - Last Century!!!
        Location:
        Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
        Ratings:
        +117,283
        I agree with JR. It's likely to be lack of feed.

        Having said that, I never feed my beans but they are planted in the ground after having dug in well rotted garden compost and horse manure. That keeps them going for the whole season. I picked my first good batch of runners in the first week in July but I find that they then tend to finish a bit earlier. I'm not getting much now as they have run out of energy. The last good batch was a week ago.
         
        • Like Like x 2
        • Agree Agree x 1
        • mogcat22

          mogcat22 Apprentice Gardener

          Joined:
          Sep 1, 2020
          Messages:
          17
          Gender:
          Female
          Location:
          Notts, UK
          Ratings:
          +8
          Thank you for your replies - so do you think tomato feed is better for runner beans than phostrogen?
           
        • pete

          pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

          Joined:
          Jan 9, 2005
          Messages:
          47,698
          Gender:
          Male
          Occupation:
          Retired
          Location:
          Mid Kent
          Ratings:
          +84,318
          Never been a fan of phostrogen .:smile:
          I always thought runners liked cooler conditions, they tend to drop flowers in heat.
          When I grew them they were always cropping better in the cooler days of september rather than July.
          If the beans were forming but falling off I'm thinking feed and water.
          I dont think Runners are a plant for containers:smile:
           
          • Agree Agree x 2
          • JR

            JR Chilled Gardener

            Joined:
            Jul 19, 2020
            Messages:
            954
            Gender:
            Male
            Occupation:
            Retired oil magnate
            Location:
            Cotswolds
            Ratings:
            +2,381
            Only problem there, is that by September they are getting stringy and rough.
            Tomato feed is best, and beans are in better eating condition before the end of August.
            I'm still picking plenty now, but i take them at a smaller size than i did last month.
            Fully agree that beans like a good deep loam in the ground where possible.
             
            • Like Like x 2
            • mogcat22

              mogcat22 Apprentice Gardener

              Joined:
              Sep 1, 2020
              Messages:
              17
              Gender:
              Female
              Location:
              Notts, UK
              Ratings:
              +8
              Thanks Pete - let's hope September puts some beans on the table! No flowers or any of the tiny beans have been falling off. I'm pretty sure watering has been fine - must be the feed. And yes maybe not best in containers, I will do all french beans next year if we get no runner beans to speak of. If I get some tomato feed how often should I water them with it ?
               
            • shiney

              shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

              Joined:
              Jul 3, 2006
              Messages:
              60,996
              Gender:
              Male
              Occupation:
              Retired - Last Century!!!
              Location:
              Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
              Ratings:
              +117,283
              They do. :blue thumb:

              They originate in Central America and although they're from a hot country they came from the highlands in the mountainous but semi-tropical areas. The temperature there is lower because of the height above sea level and they survive better in the shady areas.

              When we have hot very bright sunny periods, as a lot of us did this summer, they tend to lose their flowers or don't form them. It's not an anti-survival thing not to form them as in their native countries they're perennial so it's not so imperative for them to flower that year.

              Many years ago I set up an experiment in a couple of schools in Sao Paulo and although the plants grew fairly well they didn't produce much in way of beans. Those grown in full sun, and heat, produced almost none but those grown in the shade did better. As a plant that grew fast they were a success but absolutely useless as a veggie plant. The school kids liked them for the speed they grew. :)
               
              • Like Like x 1
              • Informative Informative x 1
              • JR

                JR Chilled Gardener

                Joined:
                Jul 19, 2020
                Messages:
                954
                Gender:
                Male
                Occupation:
                Retired oil magnate
                Location:
                Cotswolds
                Ratings:
                +2,381
                The only thing that i do notice on the sunny days however is that the beans are teeming with pollinating bees and their friends.
                On the dull days there is little buzzing to be had lol.
                So i guess we need a balance of weather which suits my patch and I've got a freezer rammed with frozen beans this year so no complaints from me!
                 
                • Like Like x 1
                • pete

                  pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

                  Joined:
                  Jan 9, 2005
                  Messages:
                  47,698
                  Gender:
                  Male
                  Occupation:
                  Retired
                  Location:
                  Mid Kent
                  Ratings:
                  +84,318
                  Many years ago I remember trying over wintering runner bean roots in the green house.
                  The idea was to get earlier beans, perhaps.
                  When they regrew the following spring I got multiple shoots from each root but I don't remember them cropping any earlier.
                   
                  • Informative Informative x 1
                  • Creative Creative x 1
                  • pete

                    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

                    Joined:
                    Jan 9, 2005
                    Messages:
                    47,698
                    Gender:
                    Male
                    Occupation:
                    Retired
                    Location:
                    Mid Kent
                    Ratings:
                    +84,318
                    Feeding should be at least once a week.
                    But size of containers could make that difference.
                    How about an experiment, very diluted feed at every watering.
                     
                    • Like Like x 1
                    • mogcat22

                      mogcat22 Apprentice Gardener

                      Joined:
                      Sep 1, 2020
                      Messages:
                      17
                      Gender:
                      Female
                      Location:
                      Notts, UK
                      Ratings:
                      +8
                      Many thanks for all the replies I will try a diluted feed every time I water - may just save the day
                       
                      • Like Like x 1
                      • Sheal

                        Sheal Total Gardener

                        Joined:
                        Feb 2, 2011
                        Messages:
                        35,545
                        Gender:
                        Female
                        Location:
                        Beauly, Inverness-shire. Zone 9a
                        Ratings:
                        +52,310
                        Up here my runners (grown in the ground) have cropped really well again this year, so I agree with you Pete. :) In fact I can't keep up with them and having to freeze quite a few. I picked the first of them in the second week of August and if they continue the same as last year I will pick the last in mid October.
                         
                        • Like Like x 1
                        • Jiffy

                          Jiffy The Match is on Fire

                          Joined:
                          Aug 25, 2011
                          Messages:
                          11,168
                          Occupation:
                          Pyro
                          Location:
                          Retired Next To The Bonfire in UK
                          Ratings:
                          +31,458
                          Our beans have not been to bad, but about 2 weeks ago they stop but now have just started to flower again, i've got some i planted in 1st week of August and flowering nicely :) so i'm hoping for a nice Autumn/Indian summer :love30:

                          The hot weather wasn't any good for my beans, still got to fill the freezer so yeild is down so far
                           
                          • Like Like x 4
                            Last edited: Sep 4, 2020
                          Loading...

                          Share This Page

                          1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                            By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                            Dismiss Notice