[mumofstig]

it would but wouldn't you be squashing the leaves up to get them in, if they're big already? :blink:

[george007]

that would work fine
i just had no bottles myself

if you thought it was going to be a severe frost , wrap the bottles in fleece as well

[MoreWhisky]

Im kinda thinking thats the last of the frost  im hardening mine of to go out in 2 weeks.

[TheModfather]

it would but wouldn't you be squashing the leaves up to get them in, if they're big already? :blink:

Yes, only in the early stages though (I know its not ideal but does that matter at night). Ideally I should keep the 5liter ones I throw out

[george007]

well they all survived a the chilly night . i was down the allotment at 6 this morning
removing the fleece. the thermometer said six degrees.
thats watford temperature.

[Larkshall]

I once worked with a Brecklander in Norfolk who saved his potato crop by getting up at 4.0am and watering the frost off before the sun struck them. It saved half an acre of potatoes.

I wonder if it would work for the runner beans.

[peapod]

I dont like them enough to get up at 4am 

[Ivor Backache]

Because of the weather changes over the last few years, runner beans are becoming an awkward crop to grow. They have to be pollinated so:-
Plan A; grow them early, flower when the insects are about, and hope for no frost.
Plan B: grow normally, no frost but rain prevents pollination in the early stage.
Plan C: Hope that weather man has got his long range forecast right. In which case you will be eating beans until they come out of your ears!

My beans were chitted and planted in paper pots. Four are showing seed leaves. This will be a gradual process and all will be planted out by the end of the month. Because i am close to the sea I do not expect any frosts to occur.

[TheModfather]

As a bit of an update - half are now being hardened off and half have been potted on this morning.

You're right Ivor. Its certainly a dilemma. Being close to the coast myself, I think I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed. 

[polly tunnel]

Yep, mine are in..two types, Achievement and Wisley magic, although I have sown more seed just in case.

[Kristen]

Ah ... pollination ... had forgotten about that.

I've put half a dozen French Climbing Beans in the greenhouse - to get an early start tot he crop.

Can I hand pollinate them?

(I planned to keep bees this year, isn't going to happen, but if I had bees next year, and the hive was about 5M away form the greenhouse, would they find their way in to do their work?)

[mumofstig]

Does this help?

Medwyn Williams.The French beans are easier to grow in the sense that they are quicker from sowing to your first harvest as well as giving you no problem with flowers setting. The difference is that Runner beans need to be pollinated and the French beans are self pollinating. In simple terms, with runner beans if the pollen doesn’t set on the flower it won’t form a bean and will simply drop to the ground where as with French beans, each and every flower will always have a bean at the end of it. There are plenty of French beans to select from both climbing and dwarf as well as purple, yellow and speckled pods. They grow amazingly well in pots as well, I have grown some superb examples for my Chelsea vegetable display.

[TheModfather]

With regards to pollination, I'm just going to plant some sweet peas up the longer vertical supports of my munty frame to attract the bees.

[Kristen]

Does this help?

" ... French beans ... giving you no problem with flowers setting ... French beans are self pollinating .... with French beans, each and every flower will always have a bean at the end of it ...

If helps hugely, thanks.  One less thing to worry about!!

All I need now is a Dwarf French Bean, which would be more suitable for greenhouse, but which has flat pods (like Sutton's Limka [climber])

Mine you, I like French beans when we are in France, so maybe I should just try some dwarf ones.

[Idra]

Planted mine out yesterday,