In message , shazzbat
writes

"alan.holmes" wrote in message
...
Each morning I go to the bottom of the garden to pick runner beans,
and often I cannot find any, then a couple of days later there are
dozens of them, huge and well past their best, so where have they
been hiding, and how can I be sure to find the damnned things before
they get to the stage when they are inedible?


They're good at hiding aren't they? We pick them in 3 stages. SWMBO
picks all she can see, then I pick all I can see, then SWMBO goes back
a few minutes later and picks some more. We still miss a couple, but
not many.

Steve

For the last few years I have adopted the method of sticking 8 ft canes
in the ground (2 rows of 10 or so facing each other) but, rather than
leaving 1ft or so overlap at the top as "normal", I "cross" them much
lower down leaving at least 4 - 5 ft on the upper side of the cross.
This has certainly been beneficial in being able to spot the beans most
of which hang straight down above the cross point. I grow in raised 4ft
wide beds and have never had them overlapping the parameters of the bed.
Out of interest, since adopting this practice the beans have done much
better in the village flower show )). It may be worth considering for
next year.
--
Gopher .... I know my place!
Deepest Dorset