[Comfortably Numb]

My Cobra are going great guns.
They've got their roots in the trench full of rotted horse muck and are romping away. I've got a 1 metre high debris netting windbreak around them.
I'm giving them away to anybody who wants them at the moment 

[mumofstig]

perhaps I need to try the wind break idea next year, cos this is the 2nd year in a row that the Frenchies have been useless  and I did do trench for them as well this year.

The site is quite open so gets all the wind going, but purple podded on the same frame are beauties for the 2nd year running, so they must be a bit hardier 

[madcat]

Mine are only just getting going, lots of flowers and tiny beans, but not an edible one yet.  Runners are really into their stride and usually they are behind the french beans, so I am very confused.    But it is chilly for August ...   

[Comfortably Numb]

perhaps I need to try the wind break idea next year, cos this is the 2nd year in a row that the Frenchies have been useless  and I did do trench for them as well this year.

The site is quite open so gets all the wind going, but purple podded on the same frame are beauties for the 2nd year running, so they must be a bit hardier 

It's certainly worth a try next year.
Down here just a couple of miles from Dungeness windswept isn't the word for it, so I'll definitely be doing it again next year 

[digalotty]

i planted 10 dwarf plants and had enough for sunday dinner and some to freeze nand the same again coming so i am pleased and i have another 20 that i planted a month later to give beans

[grendel]

we have 20 lbs of beans in the freezer before that lot arrived, just picked about half as many again from the other half plot, bagging up tonight.
Grendel

[Rangerkris]

Runners are doing fantastic, i got some climbers mixed up for dwarf beans and they have made a mass tangle in the area and they seem to be giving a good few beans not as many as we would have liked but that's my fault for not really setting them up on frames i guess. 

I got 4 long electric fence poles stuck in the middle if them that they all seem to want to climb the beans have been nice and long and straighT the sort you would pick up when in M&S.

[Robster]

As well as planting in the plot I have also had french and runners in a potato bag.  About 6 plants growing up three poles in a teepee arrangement in each bag.  I have done this for a couple of years with runners.  My observation is that you get a pretty good crop from this arrangement.  Obviously it is easier to keep it watered although if you forget the drying out is more rapid.  Easier to feed (only used growmore previously).

I wonder if the space stressing of these plants in an otherwise well fed and watered arrangement contributes to the high yield by this method.  Anyone had similar results?

[waddecar]

Only just starting to see flowers - they were late going in

[Swing Swang]

Still no beans for me

[kermit]

Had a pathetic handful of runners last night - my first. Still no climbing French. Just dont get it. The plants look healthier than last few years. Getting cooler at night now so not holding out much hope. Worst ever year for beans and courgettes for me. That is, havent got anything!  Sucks...

[Comfortably Numb]

Picked a mushroom tray full of climbing bean Cobra, and runner bean Galaxy this morning. Still loads coming 
Asked my plot neighbour to help herself to the dwarf beans, as I can't keep up with them.

Strange how it's so different in some areas isn't it.

[ermck1]

My purple frenchies are about 4 to 5 inches - hundreds of them . Just slapped in and left with the occasional sprinkle of water.

Runners - glut due next week for several weeks, yellow flat pod as per purple frenchies and dwarf beans are starting to fall over under the weight - happy days.
Guess I have been lucky this year - who knows what's round the corner for next year

M

[shokkyy]

I've got about 3 or 4 pods on my runners that are just about full size, with more smaller ones on the plants, but not looking like a bumper crop for sure. And that's from 32 plants plus extra seeds stuck in at planting time

I did Cobra and Blauhilde climbing French. The Blauhilde are much bigger plants, went off the top of the 8 foot canes a while ago, whereas the Cobra are much smaller and less vigorous. The Cobras are giving a bigger crop though. Given their smaller size, I reckon I could get away with more plants than two per pole on a wigwam.  Although they're cropping quite well, a single wigwam isn't giving as big a crop as I'd hoped, considerably less than I got from dwarf French beans last year planted in just 6 inch depth of soil, despite the greater height.

[Comfortably Numb]

In previous years I had grown Cobra at home in the garden. They always seemed quite a weak growing bean.
This year though, now I've got an extra allotment, they are in a dedicated bean trench along with the Runners and Borlotto beans. They've got their feet in lots of rotted horse manure, and are growing really strongly.
Perhaps they are a big feeder