[digby]

Hi everyone,

Usually I'm overly eager to get my runner beans in and put them in too early ie end of April and I'm usually starting to harvest them at the beginning of August.

This year I'm off on holiday for the middle 2 weeks in August and whilst someone is living in our house their not too keen on harvesting them for me (don't ask, I'd be delighted to have a garden full of veg:wacko: )

I was wondering what is the latest I can get away with sowing them and how much this will delay the harvest, preferably until after I get back. 

Thank you
 D x

[Yabba]

I won't be starting to sow mine until start of may at least.

¥

[Swing Swang]

Thin out to one bean per stick from an early May Bank Holiday planting, then push in another bean or two per stick late May BH, and again thin out to one new plant per stick (leaving an 'old' and a 'new' plant on each stick). If the early beans 'go over' then you've still got the later sowing which hopefully will crop a little later.

Another option that I've just thought of would be to plant as normal, but to cut the plants right back when you go on leave - they should soon sprout again, but you'll set the flowereing period back a bit. Not only that, but they'll be on well established roots. Also as there'll be less topgrowth to support they might even cope a bit better if there is a dry spell and don't get watered by your 'friend'. I'd be curious to know if this would work - it's just a hunch on my part - so hopefully other contributors will give some feedback too.

Alternatively find another friend who's grateful for the free veg.

SS

[digby]

Fantastic, thank you so much.  The dual planting is a brilliant idea, I hadn't even thought of it.

I've never even considered cutting back beans, how far do you think I should cut them back to? (I might try half as an experiment)

[Swing Swang]

Haven't a clue as to how far to cut them back - I guess that I'd go down to a couple of foot at the beginning of August, but it's just a gut feeling. I'd go for the double planting method in preferance. I'd also choose two varieties that have significantly different pods/flowers/foliage etc, then you'd be able to tell which pods came from the older plantings which could be left to mature and go to seed if you wanted to.

SS

[mumofstig]

I did pink beans and white ones last year so that I could see which ones cropped best for me they looked nice together, but there was no obvious difference between the pods
so......

It wasn't untill I cut the pods that I could tell that the white ones had set better

[Swing Swang]

On second thoughts my 'two varieties idea' might not be such a good idea after all - runners cross much more easily than french beans, and it doesn't appear as though you can get pods in any other colour other than green (unlike french beans).

[GrannieAnnie]

I usually plant my beans in pots in a cold greenhouse in April, but they say May for planting outside direct.  If you left it til mid or late May, you may be okay?

[peterjf]

JUST STARTED MY 1ST BATCH OF BLUE LAKE OFF TODAY IN 3.5 POTS ,

will start 2nd batch cobra end of may ,

should have beans right through to september

[blackbob]

Hi everyone,

Usually I'm overly eager to get my runner beans in and put them in too early ie end of April and I'm usually starting to harvest them at the beginning of August.

This year I'm off on holiday for the middle 2 weeks in August and whilst someone is living in our house their not too keen on harvesting them for me (don't ask, I'd be delighted to have a garden full of veg:wacko: )

I was wondering what is the latest I can get away with sowing them and how much this will delay the harvest, preferably until after I get back. 

Thank you
 D x

do 2 crops the last one being the end of may

[JayG]

I'd definitely go with the 2-crop idea, at least 4 weeks apart, and would also make sure I'd picked every set bean before I went away no matter how tiny, because any that have matured by the time you come back will not only be tough but will stop the plants from producing any more.

You could even consider cutting off the open flowerheads before you go but that might be a bit extreme (not sure I could bring myself to do that; too much apologising involved!  )

[Anton]

I always plant two types of climbing beans: the ordinary long "French bean" type and the long flat ones and they seem to commingle quite happily (I start some off in pots and plant some straight from seed) so perhaps you quite start off one with one type and then plant the others a bit later!

Anton

[hamstergbert]

How about a little bit of brutality just before you set off on your hols.  Pinch out every single flower from half your bean plants a week before you head off - the plants should generate replacement flowering spikes in the three weeks that hopefully will be nearing pickable beans size by the time you get back.   Pinch out the flowers on the other half the day before you go.

[digby]

Thank you so much everyone I will definately do the dual planting thing, and the removing every single bean thing before I go and hopefully we will be harvesting well into September.

Mind you, apparently this lovely volcano was erupting on and off for 14 months last time - so I may not be going anywhere

[mumofstig]

But that breeze from the north has to stop at some point and then we won't get the ash.... fingers crossed it happens soon