[diggerjoe]

who's the guilty culprit? - I planted out my beans bank holiday Sunday - in the pouring rain, in fact i felt quite sorry for them all  although they were hardened off they are now a quite a way from home, any way all seemed well but checking on the lottie last night something's had one lot. I'm not sure if whatever it was, was objecting to anything italian as it was only the italian beans it had a go at, the rest are ok. All that was left was stalk with the top tip, the bigger leaves had gone - i found some leaves lying on the soil and no sign of slug damage - would it have been pigeons?  I have sown a few more as I am keen to try this variety - any thoughts anyone

[Adam Fletcher]

There could be a whole range of things that could have eaten your beans. It could maybe have been slugs (no trail?), pigeons or even something such as a Beetle. :?

I would suggest going outdoors tonight with a torch and having a look  

[CJ]

You mention you are growing "italian" beans - are they Berlotti ?  I am growing them for the first time too.  I would be interested to hear how they turn out (that's if they are not all gobbled up by your mystery visitor).

[Sally A]

My dwarf beans took  hammering in the downpours we have had and several of the large leaved stalks have been broken off, do you not think it might be weather damage?

[splodger]

pea and bean weavil are buggerlugs this year - they can't resist the young shoots - but 8 out of 10 will recover.

throw a bit of old soot down - not many buggarlugs like it - it works for me - and my lottie site is riddled with the little blighters.

it's not too late to get some more in - so don't fret  

[SkipRat]

It could of being the wind. I put some dwarf french beans out last friday and we had reasonably strong winds over the week end and I lost about 50%. Like yours I still have the growing tip so they should recover.

[Aidy]

My beans are fine but my brassicas have been completly gobbled up, cant be pigeon or catapillar as they are under nets but its wiped out three rows 36 in total.

[diggerjoe]

I went and looked again last night and the usual runners are still ok and the french beans are ok - what is even more puzzleing is my neighbours beans can't be more than 6ft from mine and hers are still intact. Perhaps it was the wind as these beans were taller than the rest as they grew like mad - CJ they are ( I haven't given up on them yet I'm going with Skiprat he tips are still ok) Fagiolo Rampicante! climbing frech beans from italy - you get loads of seeds in a packet all for a quid they are yellow podded i've grown them before in the garden at home so I hope the lotty is not too exposed for them - I'm also growing climbers Blue Queen, and Tiger Beans, and runners - riley, aintree, butler, white lady and wisley and dwarf sabo and hidora ( yes we do like beans so does the whole neighbourhood) I grew some borlotti some years back and as far as i can remember they grew well. The judges are round this weekend as the site is entered for local best allotment so we shall be all tidying up tonight

  If you can't grow anything else grow wiser