[gobs]

No, no, You are on about why they wind around and how, that's a slightly different matter, others on about which direction they do it.

Yeh, definitely touching about the the winding, don't know personally if they know the difference between thin or thick post, I always thought they just wind around anything they touch, even if it's not a post.

[Ice]

I thought at first that why they wind might be pertinent to whether they wind left or right.

Is this a wind up?  

[Yorkie]

There's a quaint song by Flanders & Swann (1950's-60's) about the honeysuckle, which twines clockwise, and the bindweed - anticlockwise.

Just admitting to having a Flanders & Swann CD is embarrassing enough .  If further details are required, I can embarrass myself further...  :oops:

[mabel]

:shock:  OMG.  the next time I talk to my beans (tomorrow) I'll tell them which way to wind and sing them that song from Flanders and Swann ( well I would if I knew it).   :roll:

[Ice]

Ok, this seems like a challenge .  Lets try to get out beans going anticlockwise and see what happens.  If nothing else we will understand more how fantastic mother nature is.  

[mabel]

Ok, tomorrow I'll tie one of the beans clockwise and one anticlockwise and see who puts himself straight :roll:  

[shaun]

what would happen if you planted them in a bucket and hung the bucket ontop of your bean cage and let them grow down hill ?  :roll:  

[gobs]

Ok, tomorrow I'll tie one of the beans clockwise and one anticlockwise and see who puts himself straight :roll:  

all will do as clockwork    

If you can mange to twine them them the wrong way round in the firsts place, that is.

[Eristic]

If you can mange to twine them them the wrong way round in the firsts place, that is.

I've done that! They kink up, then when you are not looking they carry on and wind themselves up the right way, usually on the next cane.

[Ruby Red]

as a matter of fact they will grow in the same direction as the earth rotates

This is not necessarily so. Climbers climb in the direction dictated by the gene or whatever. Some plants will go one way and some the other. The sensible thing to do is look to see which way a plant is trying to coil and assist it to continue in the same direction.

   
   Weve got a left handed Wisteria and you cannot make it change its mind. Bindweed too has a definate preference though I sant remember which way. Its just down to the genes not outside stimuli. When stuff starts growing it will be interesting to ask ppl what the preferences are for their climbing plants.

[gregmcalister]

I try to think like a plant and decide which way I would climb if someone planted me in the ground and stuck a cane next to me.

[GreenOwl]

There's a quaint song by Flanders & Swann (1950's-60's) about the honeysuckle, which twines clockwise, and the bindweed - anticlockwise.

I read this thread and that song came into my head too.   :oops:  
I'd just like to make it quite clear that I was not around during the Flanders & Swann heyday however my parents used to inflict them on us during long car journeys.  (alright we liked them too  :oops: ).

For those who don't know the song I bet you know another they wrote... "Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud" which now seems to appear on all childrens CDs/tapes.

Altogether now ...

[mabel]

Done the dirty deed.  My poor beans will be so confused.  Just to ensure no cheating :  

here's the referree
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As you can tell I'm not very good at the photo thing but will take some more photos next week just to see.

[gobs]

Isn't that cheating, tying them on?

[Alfie]

Isn't it something to do with the direction water goes down a plug hole  :roll: