[Gandan57]

........from sowing the seed to (hopefully) harvest, in pictures. 



Started off the first of this years runner beans in the final few hours of February. Time will tell if this is too early but the seed is all self saved so the only cost will be my time, but I`m fairly confident I can get these beans through to harvest.

The top photo shows the seed on compost in carrier bags in two tubs. The bags and tubs both have the important drainage holes.

 

This photo sees two inches of compost added and a wigwam of five, six foot canes pushed into the compost. The plants will be planted out on the plot when there is no more chance of a frost, so by growing them in a bag they can be transplanted without any disturbance.

[mumofstig]

It worked last year- IIRC 
Keep us updated please 

[Gandan57]

Ah yes Mum, but last year it was March, I`m pushing the barriers out a little bit more this time.

I forgot to add, the pics were taken outside, but the tubs are now snug in the conservatory for the foreseeable future!

[Yorkie]

What do you do with the plastic bags when they degrade, or do you remove them before transplanting?

[mumofstig]

but the tubs are now snug in the conservatory for the foreseeable future!

A heated one?

[Gandan57]

When the beans are planted out in May, I take out a hole in loose soil maybe twice the size of the rootball in the carrier. The bag is lifted out of the tub and I cut the plastic down one side and halfway along the bottom.

I can then put the bag, still containing the bean wigwam into the hole, and push it to the side of the hole with the cut side against the side wall. By holding the bag handles, I can then easily pull the bag away from the rootball, which does not fall apart because of all the roots. The hole is backfilled with soil, and voila, one six foot wigwam planted!

Photos later will illustrate this better than I can describe!

[Gandan57]

I take your point about the conservatory. It has a radiator and is always open to the house, but the heating is not on at night, so until the weather warms up and until the beans germinate, I will sweet talk my lovely wife into allowing the tubs temporary residence in the spare bedroom.

I did take her to see Jimmy Osmond the other night, so she owes me.

[mumofstig]

  She sure does 

[lettice]

Why are you starting runner beans off in February, they should be sown in May in the ground or the earliest I ever heard was April indoors?

In Hampshire its an old tradition to get your runner beans in the weekend of Wickham fair, which is mid May.

[mumofstig]

Because he like them- a lot  

and tries to get them earlier each year  


Here's the 2011 challenge
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=80011.msg896986#msg896986

[pdblake]

Because he like them- a lot 

I can see that by all those saved seeds. I saved a few myself but there's more in that bucket than I ate last year

[Thephoenix572]

I planted some under pop bottle cloches last October and they are doing well. Still covered at present but doing well

[DD.]

Runner beans? 

[Thephoenix572]

Oops my bad, meant broad beans. Always read the question Neil!!  :blink:

[Gandan57]

Aha. We have germination after twelve days in the spare bedroom.