[Totty]

Do you thin them out soon, or leave them a while? Do you find the earlier you sow them, the leggier and paler the plant is due to lack of daylight hours?

Totty

[Gandan57]

Thin them out? No I couldn`t do that to them.  

They are back in the conservatory again now, but the idea is not to encourage them to go up the canes too fast. As soon as the weather improves they will be outside by day and will be left out overnight whenever possible. 

I`ve not worried about the leaf colour in the early stages, it`s those June beans on my plate that interest me!

[Salmo]

Even more cruel than thinning them out you could pinch the tops out of they start to get too tall too soon.

[Gandan57]

Even more cruel than thinning them out you could pinch the tops out of they start to get too tall too soon.

 

I know from previous years that by the time they are planted out in mid May, the vines will be around ten feet long. I haven`t pinched the tops before but that`s something I could do. Thanks Salmo.

[Gandan57]

Still confined to the conservatory, but the bean in the lead is just two inches shy of the top of the six foot canes.

[Plot74]

I have just set some seeds away today in a seed tray in the shed on the plot 4weeks later than last year due to the cold weather . I just mist spray them to keep the top moist until they get planted out in may. After all the frosts have gone .

[Gandan57]

This wretched weather is getting a bit depressing now, grey and cold, and due to get even colder. No chance of putting the beans outside, even during the day.

Today`s photo of the triffids :

[Gandan57]

Only the second day outside because of cold winds, and low and behold, flowers! 

[Ivor Backache]

You are really well ahead of the game but now is a critical time. You need the insects to pollinate, and I not sure that they are about. If you had grown climbing French beans or the new varieties of runner bean that are self fertilising there would be no concern.

You may still be Ok because there is a period of warm days (and warmer nights) so you can leave them out.  Thanks for keeping us posted.

[JayG]

It is possible to hand pollinate runner beans - I've never tried it although I have been tempted on more than one occasion in the past when the early flowers seem to escape the attention of the bees:

http://www.swapseeds.org.uk/howto/

[Mark's Sussex Allotment]

They look amazing!

Hats off

[Wiltshire Worms]

This is fascinating...insprired for next year now..not february I doubt..the conservatory is still full of piles of Christmas presents!

[Gandan57]

Thanks for your positive comments.

I will be very surprised if these flowers do set and form beans, but there was a bumble bee in the garden when I took the photo, so you never know!