judith wrote:

I've grown my runner beans in the greenhouse and have just planted out
(I know, there may be more frost - I'll wrap them in net curtains if
it's forecast).

Slightly crazily, I sowed my runner beans (inside) from 31st March to
10th April this year and planted them out 21st - 28th April with no
protection. Even now, it's still possible we may get a frost of course,
but I think the worst of the risk has passed here. I shall be very red
faced (and sad) if I lose them all to frost now!

They are quite long already - so I have had to wrap round the canes.

Most of mine are now winding themselves and are halfway up their
supports. I love the way they get the idea of what they're supposed to
do once they get going!

I always have difficulty tying them to the canes to get them started
self twisting. I've tied most with string - but as an experiment I've
fastened some of them with biodegradable sellotape - it was a doddle
to do - much easier than the string.

Interesting... I've not come across that tape.

How do others do this?

I used yards of string to make the support, but I haven't used any to
tie the runner beans. I'm sure I'm making it hard for myself, but most
dry days I've gone over them all one by one, twining them round as much
as possible. At first, I'd find a lot of them untwined the next time,
but gradually they've got the idea and started climing on their own.

Peter