Hi All,

A gardening mate of mine gave me a 'runner bean starter kit' re 18
greenhouse plants (about 10" tall) and 3 tomato plants (about the same
height) and a couple of packets of canes. ;-)

Our back garden is mostly concrete but our neighbours is pretty unused
and mostly running wild so I asked him if I could borrow what was the
flower bed (then 3' high grass') for some produce. He said 'do what
you like' (don'tcha just love nice neighbours) ;-)

So I ran the bushcutter over the lot (grass / garden) and turned over
the N/S running ex flower bed strip beside the fence with a fork and
planted the beans and toms (sticks in tripod shapes with a bar across
the top for the beans and straight sticks for the 3 toms).

Most of the bean plants were up to the top of the poles very quicky
and I 'nipped out the tops' as they all got to the top of the poles.

I think I missunderstood the instructions re the toms and broke some
important lumps off (green stalks with those flt green bits on the
end) and I thought I'd killed them but there seems to be a fair few
bunches of green toms on each at the moment! ;-)

So, we have now probably had 10 handfull bunches of beans (what we
aren't ready for, friends / family seem happy to take!) but I think I
have let them get a bit out of control and there looks like loads of
flowers / growth happening at the top (good job I'm 6'2" g).

So, what are the consequences of letting these things go 'au naturale'
other than having to unpick the odd bean to give it space to grow
straight etc?

Also, when do I pick the toms? On a couple of the bunches (?) one or
two are orange / red but the rest are still very green?

Lastly, weeding. I started off ok, pulling the weeds out from between
the canes but of late (and as they have got bigger) have sorta not
bothered. Will this be a probem and if so how please? I can imagine
the weeds taking some of the energy out of the ground but at the same
time do they cut down on some of the evaporation (I generally give
them a quick water at the roots each morning when I remember and the
ground never really looks 'dry', even in this weather)?

Oh, one cute bit is the little tomato plant that seems to have
appeared all on it's on in a litte bit of unused ground ... ;-)

All the best and thanks for your time in any case ..

T i m (Nth London)

p.s. 'She' is ok with *our* runners (sweet/ not stringy) but her
favourite veg is probably brocolli followed by dark cabbage. Would I
have the same sorta luck with those next year or will the snails /
slugs eat them before we can?

Whatabout some spuds?

On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 12:51:30 GMT, T i m wrote:

Hi All,

A gardening mate of mine gave me a 'runner bean starter kit' re 18
greenhouse plants (about 10" tall) and 3 tomato plants (about the same
height) and a couple of packets of canes. ;-)

Our back garden is mostly concrete but our neighbours is pretty unused
and mostly running wild so I asked him if I could borrow what was the
flower bed (then 3' high grass') for some produce. He said 'do what
you like' (don'tcha just love nice neighbours) ;-)

So I ran the bushcutter over the lot (grass / garden) and turned over
the N/S running ex flower bed strip beside the fence with a fork and
planted the beans and toms (sticks in tripod shapes with a bar across
the top for the beans and straight sticks for the 3 toms).

Most of the bean plants were up to the top of the poles very quicky
and I 'nipped out the tops' as they all got to the top of the poles.

I think I missunderstood the instructions re the toms and broke some
important lumps off (green stalks with those flt green bits on the
end) and I thought I'd killed them but there seems to be a fair few
bunches of green toms on each at the moment! ;-)

So, we have now probably had 10 handfull bunches of beans (what we
aren't ready for, friends / family seem happy to take!) but I think I
have let them get a bit out of control and there looks like loads of
flowers / growth happening at the top (good job I'm 6'2" g).

So, what are the consequences of letting these things go 'au naturale'
other than having to unpick the odd bean to give it space to grow
straight etc?

Also, when do I pick the toms? On a couple of the bunches (?) one or
two are orange / red but the rest are still very green?

Lastly, weeding. I started off ok, pulling the weeds out from between
the canes but of late (and as they have got bigger) have sorta not
bothered. Will this be a probem and if so how please? I can imagine
the weeds taking some of the energy out of the ground but at the same
time do they cut down on some of the evaporation (I generally give
them a quick water at the roots each morning when I remember and the
ground never really looks 'dry', even in this weather)?

Oh, one cute bit is the little tomato plant that seems to have
appeared all on it's on in a litte bit of unused ground ... ;-)

All the best and thanks for your time in any case ..

T i m (Nth London)

p.s. 'She' is ok with *our* runners (sweet/ not stringy) but her
favourite veg is probably brocolli followed by dark cabbage. Would I
have the same sorta luck with those next year or will the snails /
slugs eat them before we can?

Whatabout some spuds?

The 2 most important things now are to water well, which you seem to
be doing anyway, and to pick when ready, both toms and beans.
Until the weather turns cold, leave the toms on the plants and just
pick the ripe ones. It's probably best to take off any tomato flowers
now as they are unlikely to make fruit before the frosts. Take out any
side shoots, and take off some of the lower leaves so the plants can
put their energy into the fruit which have set.
Keep picking the beans as long as they appear. ( I don't like stringy
beans either!)
It would be best to get some of the weeds out if you can without
damaging your plants, otherwise let them do what they can for you.
Next year use longer canes for your beans!

Potatoes would be good next year. You have to dig over the soil to
plant, and then dig again to harvest them, so it helps clear weedy
ground.
If you grow any brassicas (cabbage family) you will have to be very
vigilant against the slugs, snails and caterpillars; maybe pigeons
too.
Well done that friend who gave you such a useful present. Are you
going to dig up your concrete and cultivate your own plot also?



Pam in Bristol

On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 13:32:22 GMT, Pam Moore
wrote:



p.s. 'She' is ok with *our* runners (sweet/ not stringy) but her
favourite veg is probably brocolli followed by dark cabbage. Would I
have the same sorta luck with those next year or will the snails /
slugs eat them before we can?

Whatabout some spuds?

The 2 most important things now are to water well, which you seem to
be doing anyway,

Well, I'm watering them but only a gardener would know if that was
'well' (unless the proof is in the beaning)? Do I take it that runner
beans are the easierst things to grow (besides nettles that is) ;-)

and to pick when ready, both toms and beans.

Ok .. I really wish *I* enjoyed fruit / veg more sigh. I Just went
to make myself a sarnie and fancied cheese and tomato .. but we han't
got any toms in the fridge. So, I'm eating one of the two red ones
from my own vines as we speak silly grin !

Until the weather turns cold, leave the toms on the plants and just
pick the ripe ones. It's probably best to take off any tomato flowers
now as they are unlikely to make fruit before the frosts. Take out any
side shoots, and take off some of the lower leaves so the plants can
put their energy into the fruit which have set.

Ah, that was the bit I got wrong at the beginning Pam, pulling off
energy collecting leaves etc. I think my mate tried to suggest I
nipped out any shoots that appear in the 'V' of an existing branch?

Keep picking the beans as long as they appear. ( I don't like stringy
beans either!)

My regular bean growing brother in law leaves his beans to go too big
(apparently), allowing them to get stringy / tough. He also suggested
the reason my stuff was doing so well was because the ground hadn't
been worked for a few years?

It's quite something to pick, rinse and have produce on the plate
within 30 mins (via the steamer) ;-) I've resisted applying chemicals
or doing anything much that would run up the costs as that sorta
defeats the object. The BIL

It would be best to get some of the weeds out if you can without
damaging your plants, otherwise let them do what they can for you.

It's mainly grass now plus the odd taller thing. Had I been more
ardent I probably would have pulled the baby tomato plant out with the
weeds!

Next year use longer canes for your beans!

These things must be 9' long as it is!

Potatoes would be good next year.

Instead or as well as Pam? This may be a silly question but could I
have a single vertical row of beans at the back near the fence with
spuds at the front (maybe .5m between them?). I layed out these cane
'tripods' so that each plant had the most free space but the rearmost
ones don't seem to have fared so well .. lack of light I suppose (oh
well, you live and learn) ;-)

You have to dig over the soil to
plant, and then dig again to harvest them, so it helps clear weedy
ground.

Ok .. the most prolific weed is that running ivy stuff .. tries to
climb up my runners .. 'oh no you don't' ! You start pulling the stuff
out and you see a bush move 3 gardens away!

If you grow any brassicas (cabbage family) you will have to be very
vigilant against the slugs, snails and caterpillars; maybe pigeons
too.

I would have asked if I could grow such in raised boxes but as I have
removed snails from the bean plants 8' from the floor I can't see that
helping? ;-(

Well done that friend who gave you such a useful present.

Indeed .. he even gave me the 32cc strimmer / bushcutter ... a very
good friend indeed ;-) Mind you, I have spent quite a bit of time
sorting his PC .. he loves to download and try stuff sigh

Are you
going to dig up your concrete and cultivate your own plot also?

I don't think so Pam. Given the choice we need the concrete for my
electric car and our motorbikes more than we need (at the moment) home
grown produce (especially with it so cheap at the market at the top of
the road twice a week)?

Pam in Bristol

All the best Pam and thanks for your help / advice ;-)

T i m.

p.s. I've read that if I let a few beans go to seed I could dry and
use those beens for next year? So, do I reserve a few beans now, or
uses one of the ones at the end?

"T i m" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

A gardening mate of mine gave me a 'runner bean starter kit' re 18
greenhouse plants (about 10" tall) and 3 tomato plants (about the same
height) and a couple of packets of canes. ;-)

Our back garden is mostly concrete but our neighbours is pretty unused
and mostly running wild so I asked him if I could borrow what was the
flower bed (then 3' high grass') for some produce. He said 'do what
you like' (don'tcha just love nice neighbours) ;-)

So I ran the bushcutter over the lot (grass / garden) and turned over
the N/S running ex flower bed strip beside the fence with a fork and
planted the beans and toms (sticks in tripod shapes with a bar across
the top for the beans and straight sticks for the 3 toms).

Most of the bean plants were up to the top of the poles very quicky
and I 'nipped out the tops' as they all got to the top of the poles.

I think I missunderstood the instructions re the toms and broke some
important lumps off (green stalks with those flt green bits on the
end) and I thought I'd killed them but there seems to be a fair few
bunches of green toms on each at the moment! ;-)

So, we have now probably had 10 handfull bunches of beans (what we
aren't ready for, friends / family seem happy to take!) but I think I
have let them get a bit out of control and there looks like loads of
flowers / growth happening at the top (good job I'm 6'2" g).

So, what are the consequences of letting these things go 'au naturale'
other than having to unpick the odd bean to give it space to grow
straight etc?

Also, when do I pick the toms? On a couple of the bunches (?) one or
two are orange / red but the rest are still very green?

Lastly, weeding. I started off ok, pulling the weeds out from between
the canes but of late (and as they have got bigger) have sorta not
bothered. Will this be a probem and if so how please? I can imagine
the weeds taking some of the energy out of the ground but at the same
time do they cut down on some of the evaporation (I generally give
them a quick water at the roots each morning when I remember and the
ground never really looks 'dry', even in this weather)?

Oh, one cute bit is the little tomato plant that seems to have
appeared all on it's on in a litte bit of unused ground ... ;-)

All the best and thanks for your time in any case ..

T i m (Nth London)

p.s. 'She' is ok with *our* runners (sweet/ not stringy) but her
favourite veg is probably brocolli followed by dark cabbage. Would I
have the same sorta luck with those next year or will the snails /
slugs eat them before we can?

Whatabout some spuds?


Why not start yourself a container garden in your own garden. In theory
there is nothing you cannot grow in containers, including spuds. You can
also grow beans. I find french beans more rewarding as you get a huge crop
off each plant in a 6 inch pot. Grow the green ones and the yellow ones,
sometimes called wax beans. At least in your own garden there will be no
weeding in pots on concrete.

On Fri, 2 Sep 2005 19:08:05 +0100, "pammyT" fenlandfowl
@talktalk.net wrote:



p.s. 'She' is ok with *our* runners (sweet/ not stringy) but her
favourite veg is probably brocolli followed by dark cabbage. Would I
have the same sorta luck with those next year or will the snails /
slugs eat them before we can?

Whatabout some spuds?


Why not start yourself a container garden in your own garden.

Hi Pammy .. erm I suppose we could but our back garden is full of
stuff and our neighbours is empty, unused and mostly wild pasture ;-)

In theory
there is nothing you cannot grow in containers, including spuds.

I wouldn't have thought that possible .. ;-)

You can
also grow beans.

Ok ..

I find french beans more rewarding as you get a huge crop
off each plant in a 6 inch pot.

Sri to be a pleb but what are they like? I generally like all beans
(broad, butter, kidney, baked g) whislt my missus does not (she'll
eat them but would prefer broccoli, cabbage etc).

Grow the green ones and the yellow ones,
sometimes called wax beans. At least in your own garden there will be no
weeding in pots on concrete.

Ah, I like the last bit ;-)

If I was to do this again I might tidy up his garden further. His
'lawn' is now big clumps of wild grass amongst dead bald patches. He
would be happy for me to do anything with it as long as it wasn't
permenant (and especially if it made it tidyier). So, I was thinking
of making more growing space and removing the remaining grass,
replacing it with black membrane and bark or slate chippings?

All the best and thanks for the thoughts ..

T i m

"T i m" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 2 Sep 2005 19:08:05 +0100, "pammyT" fenlandfowl
@talktalk.net wrote:



p.s. 'She' is ok with *our* runners (sweet/ not stringy) but her
favourite veg is probably brocolli followed by dark cabbage. Would I
have the same sorta luck with those next year or will the snails /
slugs eat them before we can?

Whatabout some spuds?


Why not start yourself a container garden in your own garden.

Hi Pammy .. erm I suppose we could but our back garden is full of
stuff and our neighbours is empty, unused and mostly wild pasture ;-)

In theory
there is nothing you cannot grow in containers, including spuds.

I wouldn't have thought that possible .. ;-)

Much better than diging and earthing up. You get some old car tyres, place
one on the ground, fill with compost, place 5 spuds, as the tops grow put
another tyre on top, fill with compost etc until it is about 6 high. When
you come to harvest, you have spuds right from the top all the way down to
the bottom saving your back and saving space.

You can
also grow beans.

Ok ..

I find french beans more rewarding as you get a huge crop
off each plant in a 6 inch pot.

Sri to be a pleb but what are they like? I generally like all beans
(broad, butter, kidney, baked g) whislt my missus does not (she'll
eat them but would prefer broccoli, cabbage etc).
I too am a bean-a-holic. I eat beans every day. Live them. French beans
are crisp, smooth, never stringy and with a lovely flavour. Generally the
packets of whole frozen beans you can buy in the supermarket are french
beans. They do not need to be pollinated to crop either. Plant some and make
room in your freezer. They freeze verey well too.

Grow the green ones and the yellow ones,
sometimes called wax beans. At least in your own garden there will be no
weeding in pots on concrete.

Ah, I like the last bit ;-)
Me too cos I love growing my own food but am a lazy cow :0)
Better slug control on pots too. Strip some wire so you end up with the
copper inner, tie around the pot and twist to keep in place. Hey presto, no
slugs. They don't like to cross it cos it hurts their little sluggy tummies.


If I was to do this again I might tidy up his garden further. His
'lawn' is now big clumps of wild grass amongst dead bald patches. He
would be happy for me to do anything with it as long as it wasn't
permenant (and especially if it made it tidyier). So, I was thinking
of making more growing space and removing the remaining grass,
replacing it with black membrane and bark or slate chippings?

That would be fine. Why don't you tidy up your own though and do the same?
:0)

All the best and thanks for the thoughts ..
There are some great books on container gardeing about if you are
interested. In theory any vegetable can be grown in a container and you
don't have to buy pretty pots. Use anything, let your imagination run wild,
old copper water tanks, toilet custerns, washing machine drums, stacks of
old tyres, which you can usually get for free from tyre fitting places. Even
bin bags can be filled with compost and used to grow things in. Howabout a
strawberry tower if you like them (I don't). Screw 4 3 foot legths of old
floorboard together, make holes in the sides with a hole cutter, fill with
compost and push a plant through each hole as you build the level of compost
up. You could do the same with a legth of drainpipe.
Container gardening is great fun and a huge part of that fun is coming
across something you can use, for free, in skips and the like. I grow my
lollo rosso lettuce in old aluminium ice cream boxes as used in ice cream
vans. It looks very pretty, never goes to seed, and I simply pull off the
leaves I need and they regrow. Not once had a slug on it either so I think
they dislike aluminium too.

On Sat, 3 Sep 2005 14:20:28 +0100, "pammyT" fenlandfowl
@talktalk.net wrote:


In theory
there is nothing you cannot grow in containers, including spuds.

I wouldn't have thought that possible .. ;-)

Much better than diging and earthing up. You get some old car tyres, place
one on the ground, fill with compost, place 5 spuds, as the tops grow put
another tyre on top, fill with compost etc until it is about 6 high. When
you come to harvest, you have spuds right from the top all the way down to
the bottom saving your back and saving space.

Kewl .. *and* you could race go-karts round yer vegeatables! ;-)
Funnily enough I was helping my gardener mate this arvo (new mp3
player gadget) and he offered another 'easy way' of growing spuds.
Clear the dirt (he tells me off when I call it that .. "earth you
mean" g) and plant some spuds in a row, 18" apart. Cover with black
polythene and held down along the edges cut slits when they want to
poke through. The spuds will grow on the surface and are easy to
harvest as / when you wan't some ;-)

I find french beans more rewarding as you get a huge crop
off each plant in a 6 inch pot.

Sri to be a pleb but what are they like? I generally like all beans
(broad, butter, kidney, baked g) whislt my missus does not (she'll
eat them but would prefer broccoli, cabbage etc).

I too am a bean-a-holic.

"Too" .. I'll re-phrase that .. "If I'm supposed to eat grean things
beans are what I choose" ;-)

I eat beans every day. Live them.

Don't they say 'you are what you eat' ducks "old bean" weg?

French beans
are crisp, smooth, never stringy and with a lovely flavour. Generally the
packets of whole frozen beans you can buy in the supermarket are french
beans. They do not need to be pollinated to crop either. Plant some and make
room in your freezer. They freeze verey well too.

Ok, sounds like worth a go then. I mentioned 'french beans' to my mate
and he isn a fan .. each to his / her own though eh?

Grow the green ones and the yellow ones,
sometimes called wax beans. At least in your own garden there will be no
weeding in pots on concrete.

Ah, I like the last bit ;-)

Me too cos I love growing my own food but am a lazy cow :0)

Not sure about that .. a 'lazy cow' would get Tesburies to deliver
them to her door ;-)

Better slug control on pots too. Strip some wire so you end up with the
copper inner, tie around the pot and twist to keep in place. Hey presto, no
slugs. They don't like to cross it cos it hurts their little sluggy tummies.

Electo / chemicall reaction then maybe?


If I was to do this again I might tidy up his garden further. His
'lawn' is now big clumps of wild grass amongst dead bald patches. He
would be happy for me to do anything with it as long as it wasn't
permenant (and especially if it made it tidyier). So, I was thinking
of making more growing space and removing the remaining grass,
replacing it with black membrane and bark or slate chippings?

That would be fine. Why don't you tidy up your own though and do the same?
:0)

sigh Because my 'garden' is more productive to me as a (small) slab
of contrete. I have never serviced motorbikes nor built a kitcar in
the middle of an alotment but I don't imagine it's as easy as a nice
flat / hard / slugfree surface! Also, concrete is about as
maintainence free as you can get! ;-)

There are some great books on container gardeing about if you are
interested.

Well, I'm interested in an 'in passing and handy if I can eat it'
kinda way but not as a main hobby. I can't see it having the same
excitement levels as flying a 5 sq m 'power kite' not as family
orientaed / exercise as cycle camping? ;-)

In theory any vegetable can be grown in a container and you
don't have to buy pretty pots. snip
Container gardening is great fun and a huge part of that fun is coming
across something you can use, for free, in skips and the like.

I like the idea of all that .. but for the moment my neighbours plot
is already there .. ;-)

I grow my
lollo rosso lettuce in old aluminium ice cream boxes as used in ice cream
vans. It looks very pretty, never goes to seed, and I simply pull off the
leaves I need and they regrow.

Everlasting lettuce! ;-)

Not once had a slug on it either so I think
they dislike aluminium too.

Well that's another handy discovery .. although I thought we were
supposed to be keeping food away from alloy cooking utensils these
days (wondered if any of the alloy chemicals could get into the plant
via the roots etc) .. ;-(

All the best and thanks again for the advice / ideas etc Pammy ;-)

T i m

p.s. Today my mate showed me his cheapish Hoselock auto-watering
system? Being a bloke I like gadgets and thought it might ensue my
beans (+ whatever I grow next) got their regular morning water?

Whatdyathink?