My runner bean doesn't seem to be setting fruit after flowering the
flowers are just dropping off.

Is this to do with the heat and watering ?

In article .com,
"Gardening_Convert" writes:
| My runner bean doesn't seem to be setting fruit after flowering the
| flowers are just dropping off.
|
| Is this to do with the heat and watering ?

Yes. Better luck next week.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Gardening_Convert wrote:
My runner bean doesn't seem to be setting fruit after flowering the
flowers are just dropping off.

Is this to do with the heat and watering ?

Not sure about the heat but consider the problem is lack of water.

Gardening_Convert wrote:
My runner bean doesn't seem to be setting fruit after flowering the
flowers are just dropping off.

Like the others say, lack of water.
Runner beans can fruit quite late, so it might not be impossible to
rescue something for this year if you can convince it it's younger than
it is. Water it quite heavily and remove all trace of failed flowers
and it might try again: you've nothing to loose but a bit of effort.
Bit of a long shot, mind.

Try spraying them with the hose pipe (if you don't have a ban) this seems to help. I grow mine in containers and have to water each morning so I spray them as well. So far I've had 10 feasts from them since early July

Gardening_Convert wrote:
My runner bean doesn't seem to be setting fruit after flowering the
flowers are just dropping off.

Is this to do with the heat and watering ?

Actually I watched an old Gardener's World last night on satillite with
the late great Geoff Hamilton. He had the same problem and his
explaination was the runner beans are cold weather beans and in hot
weather your should grow French beans that are hot weather beans. So
if Geoff was getting the same problem then I don't feel so bad myself

In article .com,
"Gardening_Convert" writes:
|
| Actually I watched an old Gardener's World last night on satillite with
| the late great Geoff Hamilton. He had the same problem and his
| explaination was the runner beans are cold weather beans and in hot
| weather your should grow French beans that are hot weather beans. ...

Well, he should know better than THAT! Runner beans actually require
slightly higher temperatures than French ones.

The difference is that runner beans are humid climate beans and French
beans are dry climate ones. The former do very badly in dry conditions.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Gardening_Convert writes

Gardening_Convert wrote:
My runner bean doesn't seem to be setting fruit after flowering the
flowers are just dropping off.

Is this to do with the heat and watering ?

Actually I watched an old Gardener's World last night on satillite with
the late great Geoff Hamilton. He had the same problem and his
explaination was the runner beans are cold weather beans and in hot
weather your should grow French beans that are hot weather beans. So
if Geoff was getting the same problem then I don't feel so bad myself

I can't see that runner beans are 'cold weather' beans since you can't
plant them out till after last frost. But I found gardening in a dry
garden in Sussex that French beans coped with dryness a lot better,
--
Kay

I can't see that runner beans are 'cold weather' beans since you can't
plant them out till after last frost. But I found gardening in a dry
garden in Sussex that French beans coped with dryness a lot better,
--
Kay

We've moved even further South (Normandy) where the sun has been relentless
with very little rain. The runner beans seem to love it here. The freezer is
already full and we are eating them every day. We are already sick of the
sight of them!

David.

"David (avisoft.co.uk)" wrote in message
...
I can't see that runner beans are 'cold weather' beans since you can't
plant them out till after last frost. But I found gardening in a dry
garden in Sussex that French beans coped with dryness a lot better,

We've moved even further South (Normandy) where the sun has been
relentless with very little rain. The runner beans seem to love it here.
The freezer is already full and we are eating them every day. We are
already sick of the sight of them!

How do you freeze them, I tried last year and it was a waste of time, and
freezer space?

Alan

"Granity" wrote in message
...

Wrote:
Gardening_Convert wrote:
My runner bean doesn't seem to be setting fruit after flowering the
flowers are just dropping off.


Try spraying them with the hose pipe (if you don't have a ban) this
seems to help. I grow mine in containers and have to water each morning
so I spray them as well. So far I've had 10 feasts from them since early
July

Or a hand opperated spray, either pump up or the sort which has a pump
action, can't remember the name of it, looks a bit like a bicycle pump.

Alan

How do you freeze them, I tried last year and it was a waste of time, and
freezer space?

Alan

My other half handles this task. She says - Slice and rinse them first, then
blanch in boiling water for three minutes. Then plunge into cold water and
drain. Place in fridge until they are chilled then bag them up and freeze
them on fast-freeze. It is important not to have too many in the pan
blanching in one go or it takes too long for them to get back to the boil,
which spoils the beans. Works for us!

Many years ago, before freezers were very popular, my mother used to dry
them fairly successfully. She used to slice them thin and dry them on sheets
of newspaper placed in the airing cupboard. When bone dry (all shrivelled up
and hard) she stored them in Kilner jars. They kept surprisingly well and
retained more flavour than you'd expect. She used to soak them for an hour
or two before using them, but they never quite expanded back to their
original size. They were quite nice though.
--
David
.... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk
.... Blog at http://dlts-french-adventures.blogspot.com/