[mosser]

With so much blossom on the beans I thought I was going to have a bumper crop.   As the flowers have dropped off there are very few beans ( perhaps 2 to a flower head).       Is it the weather ( dry) or lack of bees to fertilize the flowers?   The plants are free from black fly, although others in the allotments have been devistated with the beast.   Can I expect a late crop from the top of the frame

[Benandbill]

Ours are very slow this year.  Plenty of flowers now and we've only just started getting runners big enough to pick - from the bottom.  I've put it down to too little sun, but I'm hoping things'll pick up a bit in the next few weeks which are the last few of our 'summer'.  I didn't know black fly attacked runner beans.  A few of my broad beans suffered from black fly and next year I'm going to try growing rows of onions between the broad beans as I'm told this will deter the fly. 

[Kleftiwallah]

I think it is your impatience mosser,  they do start off auwfully small y'know.   I'de check again in a day or two.      Cheers,    Tony.

[tosca100]

You often find the first few "trusses" do not develop beans. They seem to take so long to get going. But once they do, they really do!

As Kleftiwallah says...patience!

[mosser]

Thank you everyone.           Patience!!!!     Well I now do have some beans but not on the early flowering stems.              Looks like a short season.    Thanks again

[NN2Blue]

With so much blossom on the beans I thought I was going to have a bumper crop.   As the flowers have dropped off there are very few beans ( perhaps 2 to a flower head).       Is it the weather ( dry) or lack of bees to fertilize the flowers?   The plants are free from black fly, although others in the allotments have been devistated with the beast.   Can I expect a late crop from the top of the frame

I've had a thinner year for runners this season, though I did lose the majority of the vines in the "Terrorist Frost Attack" in Early May  which necessitated  a second sowing. Having said that, I've been picking beans for about a month or more, mainly from the vines that survived the frost. I grow them close to a row of African Marigolds (Wilkinson's finest seed!  )which encourages bees and my plants have remained blackfly free apart from a very mild attack in July.

[shokkyy]

I only started picking my runner beans last week.

[viettaclark]

I've had enough for several meals and frozen some over the last 4 weeks (23 White Lady plants) but they're slowing up now.
I fed them this morning and gave them a good water.
What are the chances they'll carry on?

[DD.]

I've got "White Lady" also. Not sown until May, then transplanted. Picked the first beans on 1st August.

Plants are still flowering.

[NN2Blue]

I've got "White Lady" also. Not sown until May, then transplanted. Picked the first beans on 1st August.

Plants are still flowering.

A few fellow allotment holders grow "White Lady" - I've stuck with "Scarlet Emperor" over the years. Early croppers and then right through to first frosts. Good flavour as well.