[musical]

This year I have grown runner beans in a tub.  They seemed to be doing really well at first.  Now however, I have whole tendrils, which were full of flowers, seemingly stripped and only have 1 or 2 beans growing!  There is a very small amount of black fly but nothing else.  Any ideas?

[Oliver]

This year I have grown runner beans in a tub.  They seemed to be doing really well at first.  Now however, I have whole tendrils, which were full of flowers, seemingly stripped and only have 1 or 2 beans growing!  There is a very small amount of black fly but nothing else.  Any ideas?

SNAILS! Believe me, I know, she has beans in pots too and the SNAILS strip them, especially after a drop of rain, like today.

[John]

We grew runner beans in a big tub when we lived on the Isle of Man with a concrete garden. To either side were dry stone walls in which lived masses of slugs and snails. I mean whole armies of the devils!

Oliver is bang on there - bet they're your problem.

[musical]

Thanks
I did think it looked like snails so I tried to keep an eye out.  Even so I have still not seen a single one.
However, it makes me feel better that is not something I have done wrong.  Just disappointing!

[Heather_S]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that runner beans won't do something or other (i thought it was set flower but make it was set fruit) if the temperature is over 30C. Maybe the freakily hot weather we're having is having an effect?

[marie]

Mmmm I think the heat is having a bad effect on the runner beans, ours are not very good at all, not many flowers and few leaves despite watering well in this weather!

[Oliver]

Mmmm I think the heat is having a bad effect on the runner beans,

The heat IS having an effect on the runners - even Old Fred's, (he is 93 you know and usually has FANTASTIC beans) are pretty poor. Ours are marginally better.
The ones in the tubs, however, are the worst - few beans forming on the trusses - severe lack of water (the tubs dry up very quickly - they need watering sometimes twice a day and she forgets ... :roll: ) but whenever it has rained the snails finish off what is left. Some of the leaves are just veins!  So, in future, no beans in tubs, even though one tub looks quite good with greenery and some flowers, the other one is pathetic!

[GrannieAnnie]

Mmmm, I've only gtot 36 runner plants this year as opposed to 70 dd last year, but I promised OH I wouldn't grow as many as the freezer was full of them, then broke, also OH doesn't like to eat them when they are frozen, but even so, I don't have vast amounts left over after picking what I want, so yes, mine too are a lot less than last year, even though I keep trying to water them.

[rugbymad40]

My Runners are going very well although the flowers lower down the stems did not set very well. I would think that 70% of flowers are now setting.  Only difference I have noticed this year is that the beans are very curly - could this be down to lack of water?  The earth is always wet when I go to water (twice a day)

My dear old grandfather always used to plant sweet peas amongst his beans to attract the bees.  So every forth stick I have planted a sweet pea as well as a runner bean.  I can't tell if it has made any difference to the pollination process, but I am picking a large bunch of sweet peas every day now - along with 1/2 pound or so of runners.

I have notice far fewer bees this year.  Last year as you approach the beans you were greeted by a buzzing/hummm