[cheshirecheese]

Having planted out my runner beans a few weeks back, I was devastated to find that even though I'd protected them with cut-off plastic bottles to start them off, they'd all been eaten by voracious slugs within days!!!

I therefore had to resort the garden centre, as it was too late to start again from seed.  They looked very healthy when I put them in, but they're nowhere near as advanced as I'd expected them to be by now (or indeed, as advanced as my neighbour's plants).  I know they're not supposed to need feeding because they set their own nitrogen (I think?), but would it help to give them a bit of something to help them along?

[mumofstig]

yes indeedy  any general purpose will do, as all the rain has washed nutrients out of the soil 

[m1ckz]

yes  i fed mine with tomato fertilizer,,as my tommys are gone,,,,they have perked up well   im now picking a few each day

[mobilekat]

I have always fed my beans, and they seem to thank me for it. they have to be quite grown-up to be fixing plenty of nitrogen, so need help- especially when cropping!
Or coping with this years weather!
Also sadly plastic wont stop snails and slugs, as they just climb straight over, the only real way is slug death (I use the animal friendly stuff) oh and creeping around after dark killing slugs and snails with a well aimed trowel!

[cheshirecheese]

Thanks everyone - I can now challenge my OH's 'they don't need feeding as they fix their own nitrogen' stance with reliably-sourced information to the contrary!!  Can't bear to see them looking so spindly and light green.  Veg feed here I come!!