[mrs bouquet]

I use a fine spray and do this each morning about 10ish and in the evenings when I water them.  Is there any advantage to doing it more often during the day, if you can?  thanks,  Mrs. Bouquet

[titch]

I am intrigued - why mist the flowers?  how does this help?

[mrs bouquet]

I have always done it becuase my Grandad did, and so does an illustration in an old Percy Thrower book.  Apparently it helps to set the flowers into beans.  I don't know why, perhaps it encourages the bumble bees, there seem to be lots after I spray.   Sorry I can't be of more help, but I bet somebody can  !!  Mrs Bouquet.

[Yorkie]

My neighbouring plotholder, who must be in his 70s, also says that watering the leaves etc helps with setting the beans / germination.

No idea why  :roll:

[Bombers]

I've always done this... and never had a bad crop.
 (If it werks for you, etc,etc,)

[corndolly]

It is also a good idea to do the same to tomatoes , I think the moisture helps to make the pollen sticky in dry weather , more chance it will be transferred by insects  .

[Aunt Sally]

Runner beans are pollinated by bees but they don't like hot weather and misting the flowers in the evening if the weather is very hot helps to lower the temperature around the flowers to aid the pollen tubes to grow and set the fruit.

[corndolly]

Thanks Auntie , just trying to think what a pollen tube is , can you describe !

[gobs]

I don't think it has much benefit if any for runner beans. As Aunty says, pollinated by bees, it can be of use for self setting flowers that require a certain temperature range and humidity.

Especially spraying sub-tropicals in the evening here, some nights might see them flowers frozen.

[corndolly]

Well Gobs , I have to comment here on the effect of spraying water on flowers and frost, cos I live in Worcs famous for its apple production , in the past anyway. I heard that the blossom on apple trees used to be sprayed with water to counteract the effects of frosts ! Wonder why they used to do that , they thought the water protected the flowers from the frost apparently and as they did it for years, it must have been a success or they would have stopped doing it I guess  ?

I would nt have thought that Runner Bean flowers were in any danger of frost damage at this time of the year ? I think the main reason for spraying the plants was to raise the humidity around the flowers as Auntie has said and maybe to wash off any bean aphids etc.

[Aunt Sally]

Thanks Auntie , just trying to think what a pollen tube is , can you describe !

It's the little tube that grows from the pollen grain down to the ovules to take the genetic material so the boy part and the girl part can join together  

See if I can find a picture

[Aunt Sally]

Here we are :

[corndolly]

Feel like I've got a headache coming on !

[Bombers]

Feel like I've got a headache coming on !

   

Better excuse.. 'Love actually' has just started on ITV2!!

[mrs bouquet]

thanks everyone for your help and advice  Aunt Sally, my OH looked at your picture, and he's definitely got a headache coming on, itsd made him feel bad.  Again many thanks to all, I ashall keep on spraying, although its raining well 2nite.  Mrs Bouquet   :roll: