Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: mumofstig on May 16, 2018, 16:47

Title: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: mumofstig on May 16, 2018, 16:47
same old story :wacko:

18 Celebration R. beans chitted out of 20
Firestorm R.beans 20 out of 20
Mamba French beans 18 out of 20
White Lady R, beans 0 chitted, 4 rotting already out of 20  :( 
All the seeds were bought this spring and set to chit on the same day, in the same way. Just why are the white ones a problem every single year  :wacko:

I'd give up if I didn't actually prefer the taste of White Lady, I'll have to try again I suppose  ::)
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: Mr Dog on May 16, 2018, 17:16
Not white runners, but I have the same problem with Cosse Violette French beans. 1st year I grew them they were fine, since then I'm lucky if I get 1 in 10 to germinate, despite several purchases of fresh seed! Cobra, Trail of Tears, Lazy Housewife, Blauhilde, Scarlet Emperor, Enorma and Firestorm all fine
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: Potty Plotty Lotty on May 16, 2018, 18:27
 I had a high proportion of White lady rotting this year (granted I only aim for 4 runner bean plants). I wonder if they are more susceptible.

Next year I might just sow them straight into pots so see if that helps. It's not like 8 pots will take up much space. Knowing me I'll probably find all 8 germinate...
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: jaydig on May 16, 2018, 19:00
I sowed Moonlight and Snowstorm and only had two seeds that didn't germinate.  It could just be that with the extreme variations in weather I just clicked for an opportune time to sow them.  The Imperial Green Longpod broad beans I sowed were a different story, however, with only about 50% germination.
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: Growster... on May 17, 2018, 06:55
I find that a bit of succession with beans is not too bad an idea, Mum!

An old boy used to have three seasons on his plot, and they often went well into November!

Mind you, the year we did that, we just got fed up with 'em...

The 'Greek Gigantes' Sunny gave me have nearly all germinated, which is a first - that means about a hudredweight of beans over winter...
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: JayG on May 17, 2018, 07:38
I too am a fan of White Lady, very tasty and stringless, but they do seem a bit more prone to seed rotting than the more traditional purpley-black varieties I used to grow.

Using saved seed from last year, I soaked them in water for half a day, then put them into a sandwich box between two layers of just damp kitchen paper. Roots appeared on all of them in two days, so into paper pots, again, easy on the watering. Mostly all up now (some of them, inevitably it seems, choosing to break out through the side of the pot!)

I also sow some direct when planting the others out - they seem to germinate OK at that stage, and if you can keep the slugs away it does extend the cropping season a little.
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: lettice on May 17, 2018, 10:33

Using saved seed from last year, I soaked them in water for half a day, then put them into a sandwich box between two layers of just damp kitchen paper. Roots appeared on all of them in two days, so into paper pots, again, easy on the watering. Mostly all up now (some of them, inevitably it seems, choosing to break out through the side of the pot!)

I also sow some direct when planting the others out - they seem to germinate OK at that stage, and if you can keep the slugs away it does extend the cropping season a little.

I have always pre soaked my bean seeds (runner, broad and french) overnight much the same and then just place them in between a few layers of damped tissue in the greenhouse on flat trays and all sprout nicely in a few days. Then plant them up in a larger tray together for a few weeks before planting out.
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: madcat on May 17, 2018, 11:49
So do I.  It is the yellow climbing french beans (Corona d'Oro) that I have had problems with - they rot or they don't seem to be able to break out of the bean properly.  It takes real tlc to get a good number of them strong enough to go in the ground.  Yet the yellow dwarfs and the flat climbers are romping away.  I was going to try the purples next year but Mr Dog might have discouraged me there .... :unsure: :unsure:
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: Aidy on May 17, 2018, 13:23
I had a similar problem this year chitting mine where by they started to rot, the chap next to me suggested drying the compost to barely moist, I tried it and everyone now chitted and no sign of rotting at all.
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: Goosegirl on May 17, 2018, 14:51
It's the same family, but last year getting my dwarf French beans to germinate was a disaster! Never had that problem before. This year and first time of using Jack's Magic compost which looks really good, it has taken quite a while for them to shoot. Yup - we've had cold night and am sure that's set a lot of things back a month or so.
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: lettice on May 17, 2018, 15:44
I was going to try the purples next year but Mr Dog might have discouraged me there .... :unsure: :unsure:

Ive been growing dwarf purple queen for decades and always germinate fine in the method i mention above.
Have used De Ree seeds in the past but last few years have used Seekay.
A great cropper for a dwarf bean, long pods, tasty and like other purple ones turn green when cooked.
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: Growster... on May 18, 2018, 05:39
It's the same family, but last year getting my dwarf French beans to germinate was a disaster! Never had that problem before. This year and first time of using Jack's Magic compost which looks really good, it has taken quite a while for them to shoot. Yup - we've had cold night and am sure that's set a lot of things back a month or so.

Jack's Magic is the compost of choice here too, Goosers!

Somehow, I now have about ninety beans of various types belting away, and hitting the greenhouse roof from their shelf, which is a first, and somewhat worrying...
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: sunshineband on May 18, 2018, 13:18
Here there were issues with white beans, in this case Moonlight, even though Firestorm, also a fb cross had 100%. I ended up with only 5 plants out of 20  :( :( :( :(

All French beans of various colours and heights had 100% germination too, and those Moonlights are new seed too  :wacko:
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: Lardman on May 18, 2018, 17:41
I've not bothered with runners for a few years but I never had any problems with desiree white flowered runners. I didn't bother soaking or chitting, just MP compost. I could only find them in premium supplier like (T&M) ranges though and £4 for beans isn't funny.

They might be worth a go if you're struggling with others - they must be ok if I'm not complaining about them  :D
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: AnneB on May 20, 2018, 18:10
Not had many problems with germination this year, only 1 or 2  no shows.  I have gone a bit bean crazy this year and have a new structure made with hazel poles.

I am growing:
Black Knight runner beans
Carminat Climbing French Bean (CFB)
Cobra CFB
Lazy Housewife CFB
Borlotti Beans
Veitch's CFB
Kentucky Wonder Wax CFB
Cherokee Trail of Tears CFB
Snowcap Pole Bean
Cara la Virgen de la Baneza CFB

I have noticed though that 50% of the Carminat beans have decided to put their heads in the soil and their roots in the air.  I have just turned them the right way up and they seem to be OK.  I have had 1 or 2 do this in previous years but never half a dozen of the same variety in 1 year, but no others. 
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: Growster... on May 21, 2018, 07:49
Interesting Anne! I had half a dozen Gigantes do that, so just tipped them out, turned 'em round and gave them a good talking to!

They're fine now, maybe a bit embarrassed...;0)
Title: Re: White Runner Beans.....
Post by: SnooziSuzi on May 21, 2018, 11:05
I ordered Czar this year after Charles Dowding recommend them and I'd been looking for a white runner for the beans more than the pod.

I sowed 2 beans per pot in 8 pots, so potentially could have had 16 plants but only 6 came up and one of those struggled to break the surface after germinating.

I had used crushed up baked eggshell as a deterrent against snails but they formed a hard crust in the top.  I had thought it was that that prevented them from germinating, but from the posts above it could just be harder to raise the whites.