I looked at the FAQ, tried to access "Garden Beans", but was unable to
access the web site...

I am growing runner beans for the first time for quite a few years, have
plenty of flowers, but up to now only one tiny bean has "set".
The atrocious weather this week has slowed growth anyway.

Some of the flowers appear to have been neatly nipped off, or else
dropped off for some reason, and I remember having this frustrating
problem on previous crops, i.e. - losing the first few pods at least.

The leaves have also been eaten away to some extent, but I was only able
to find a tiny black caterpillar on one, and I do use slug pellets when
the weather is damp.
I'm sure there is a well known cause of this...
;-)
--
Gordon H

Gordon H wrote:
I looked at the FAQ, tried to access "Garden Beans", but was unable to
access the web site...

I am growing runner beans for the first time for quite a few years, have
plenty of flowers, but up to now only one tiny bean has "set".
The atrocious weather this week has slowed growth anyway.

Some of the flowers appear to have been neatly nipped off, or else
dropped off for some reason, and I remember having this frustrating
problem on previous crops, i.e. - losing the first few pods at least.

The leaves have also been eaten away to some extent, but I was only able
to find a tiny black caterpillar on one, and I do use slug pellets when
the weather is damp.
I'm sure there is a well known cause of this...
;-)

Birds my man, good ole common or garden birds. Trained I believe by
Alfred Hitchcock....I think.;-)

Bobbie

"Bobbie" wrote in message
Gordon H wrote:

Some of the flowers appear to have been neatly nipped off, or else
dropped off for some reason, and I remember having this frustrating
problem on previous crops, i.e. - losing the first few pods at least.


Birds my man, good ole common or garden birds. Trained I believe by Alfred
Hitchcock....I think.;-)

Bobbie

Sparrows are the worse culpits. The answer next year, if you have the space,
is to grow at least 2 rows and try and bore them to death.

Bertie

In message , Bertie Doe
writes
"Bobbie" wrote in message
Gordon H wrote:

Some of the flowers appear to have been neatly nipped off, or else
dropped off for some reason, and I remember having this frustrating
problem on previous crops, i.e. - losing the first few pods at least.

Birds my man, good ole common or garden birds. Trained I believe by Alfred
Hitchcock....I think.;-)
Bobbie

Sparrows are the worse culpits. The answer next year, if you have the space,
is to grow at least 2 rows and try and bore them to death.
Bertie

GRONE
My garden is littered with sparrows, I have even stopped filling the
feeders because they have mobbed away the brightly painted birds
(goldfinches). Yet birdwatchers everywhere say they are in
decline...
Had some nice greenfinches on the nut feeder today though...
Oh well, I suppose I'd better dig out some netting, if I still have some
in my garage.
--
Gordon H

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...
In message , Bertie Doe
writes
"Bobbie" wrote in message
Gordon H wrote:

Some of the flowers appear to have been neatly nipped off, or else
dropped off for some reason, and I remember having this frustrating
problem on previous crops, i.e. - losing the first few pods at least.

Birds my man, good ole common or garden birds. Trained I believe by
Alfred
Hitchcock....I think.;-)
Bobbie

Sparrows are the worse culpits. The answer next year, if you have the
space,
is to grow at least 2 rows and try and bore them to death.
Bertie

GRONE
My garden is littered with sparrows, I have even stopped filling the
feeders because they have mobbed away the brightly painted birds
(goldfinches). Yet birdwatchers everywhere say they are in
decline...
Had some nice greenfinches on the nut feeder today though...
Oh well, I suppose I'd better dig out some netting, if I still have some
in my garage.


Don't be in too much hurry to blame the sparrows. I am sure I read that
some bees will do this when they cannot get into the flower. If only I
could remember where.

In message , Christina Websell
writes

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...
In message , Bertie Doe
writes
"Bobbie" wrote in message
Gordon H wrote:

Some of the flowers appear to have been neatly nipped off, or else
dropped off for some reason, and I remember having this frustrating
problem on previous crops, i.e. - losing the first few pods at least.

Birds my man, good ole common or garden birds. Trained I believe by
Alfred
Hitchcock....I think.;-)
Bobbie

Sparrows are the worse culpits. The answer next year, if you have the
space,
is to grow at least 2 rows and try and bore them to death.
Bertie

GRONE
My garden is littered with sparrows, I have even stopped filling the
feeders because they have mobbed away the brightly painted birds
(goldfinches). Yet birdwatchers everywhere say they are in
decline...
Had some nice greenfinches on the nut feeder today though...
Oh well, I suppose I'd better dig out some netting, if I still have some
in my garage.

Don't be in too much hurry to blame the sparrows. I am sure I read that
some bees will do this when they cannot get into the flower. If only I
could remember where.

I did think it might have been an insect, something with pincers, but .
.. .
--
Gordon H

Bertie Doe wrote:

"Bobbie" wrote in message
Gordon H wrote:

Some of the flowers appear to have been neatly nipped off, or else
dropped off for some reason, and I remember having this frustrating
problem on previous crops, i.e. - losing the first few pods at least.


Birds my man, good ole common or garden birds. Trained I believe by Alfred
Hitchcock....I think.;-)

Bobbie

Sparrows are the worse culpits. The answer next year, if you have the space,
is to grow at least 2 rows and try and bore them to death.

Bertie

We see many sparrows in our garden, and I have 3 feeders out for them.
Never once have I seen them on the runner beans. Maybe Cornish sparrows
have different tastes. Cream teas and pasties perhaps.
--
He spoke with a certain what-is-it in his voice, and I
could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far
from being gruntled.
P.G. Wodehouse 1881 -1975

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...



Don't be in too much hurry to blame the sparrows. I am sure I read that
some bees will do this when they cannot get into the flower. If only I
could remember where.

Bumble bees will make a hole in the corolla from the outside to get at the
nectar, it doesn't usually prevent pollination though and I've never seen
them nip off the flkower.

Nor anything else, come to that - but I don't spend all my time watching
runner beans :-)

Mary

In message , Mary Fisher
writes

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

Don't be in too much hurry to blame the sparrows. I am sure I read that
some bees will do this when they cannot get into the flower. If only I
could remember where.

Bumble bees will make a hole in the corolla from the outside to get at the
nectar, it doesn't usually prevent pollination though and I've never seen
them nip off the flkower.

Nor anything else, come to that - but I don't spend all my time watching
runner beans :-)

Mary

Neither do I, they don't move much in the five minutes or so I devote to
them every morning.
Unlike the wood pigeon which walked round and round the squirrel proof
feeding table the whole time I was eating breakfast this morning.
The upturned hanging basket cage defeats them all, but bears the scars
of squirrel teeth.
--
Gordon H

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...
I looked at the FAQ, tried to access "Garden Beans", but was unable to
access the web site...

I am growing runner beans for the first time for quite a few years, have
plenty of flowers, but up to now only one tiny bean has "set".
The atrocious weather this week has slowed growth anyway.

Some of the flowers appear to have been neatly nipped off, or else dropped
off for some reason, and I remember having this frustrating problem on
previous crops, i.e. - losing the first few pods at least.

The leaves have also been eaten away to some extent, but I was only able
to find a tiny black caterpillar on one, and I do use slug pellets when
the weather is damp.
I'm sure there is a well known cause of this...
;-)
--
Gordon H

t could be the flowers have failed to pollinate and have simply dropped of,
or the weather has been too cold, depends where you live , here in the
midlands we have had some nights well below 10 degrees centigrade this will
cause flower drop.
regards
Cineman

cineman wrote:

I am growing runner beans for the first time for quite a few years, have
plenty of flowers, but up to now only one tiny bean has "set".
The atrocious weather this week has slowed growth anyway.

Some of the flowers appear to have been neatly nipped off, or else dropped
off for some reason, and I remember having this frustrating problem on
previous crops, i.e. - losing the first few pods at least.

As cineman said, the simplest explanation is that they dropped off of
their own accord - too cold, not pollinated etc. In which case don't
worry - they'll soon start setting and no doubt you'll have more runner
beans than you know what to do with before you know it!

The leaves have also been eaten away to some extent, but I was only able
to find a tiny black caterpillar on one, and I do use slug pellets when
the weather is damp.

Most likely that will be slugs or snails. I don't find they're a major
problem on runner beans once they get established. The beans should
grow away and the slugs seem to concentrate on the lower leaves and
other plants within easier reach.

If the eaten leaves are higher up, have a close look on the supports
they're growing on - sometimes snails with a head for heights stay up
there in the daytime and eat the newer softer leaves at night. But
picking them off and chucking them away seems to deal with the problem.

Peter

Peter Robinson writes
cineman wrote:

I am growing runner beans for the first time for quite a few years, have
plenty of flowers, but up to now only one tiny bean has "set".
The atrocious weather this week has slowed growth anyway.

Some of the flowers appear to have been neatly nipped off, or else dropped
off for some reason, and I remember having this frustrating problem on
previous crops, i.e. - losing the first few pods at least.

As cineman said, the simplest explanation is that they dropped off of
their own accord - too cold, not pollinated etc. In which case don't
worry - they'll soon start setting and no doubt you'll have more runner
beans than you know what to do with before you know it!

The leaves have also been eaten away to some extent, but I was only able
to find a tiny black caterpillar on one, and I do use slug pellets when
the weather is damp.

Most likely that will be slugs or snails. I don't find they're a major
problem on runner beans once they get established. The beans should
grow away and the slugs seem to concentrate on the lower leaves and
other plants within easier reach.

If the eaten leaves are higher up, have a close look on the supports
they're growing on - sometimes snails with a head for heights stay up
there in the daytime and eat the newer softer leaves at night. But
picking them off and chucking them away seems to deal with the problem.

My experience with beans is that slugs and snails go for the stems in
preference to the leaves, felling the entire plant just above the
ground.

--
Kay

In message , cineman
writes
"Gordon H" wrote in message
...
I looked at the FAQ, tried to access "Garden Beans", but was unable to
access the web site...

I am growing runner beans for the first time for quite a few years, have
plenty of flowers, but up to now only one tiny bean has "set".
The atrocious weather this week has slowed growth anyway.

Some of the flowers appear to have been neatly nipped off, or else dropped
off for some reason, and I remember having this frustrating problem on
previous crops, i.e. - losing the first few pods at least.

t could be the flowers have failed to pollinate and have simply dropped of,
or the weather has been too cold, depends where you live , here in the
midlands we have had some nights well below 10 degrees centigrade this will
cause flower drop.
regards
Cineman

Not quite that cold here, it has stayed in double figures overnight, but
the good new is that a number of other beans have now set, so I will get
a crop. I would never be self-sufficient in veg with our short
growing season though...
--
Gordon H

In message , Peter Robinson
writes
cineman wrote:

I am growing runner beans for the first time for quite a few years, have
plenty of flowers, but up to now only one tiny bean has "set".
The atrocious weather this week has slowed growth anyway.

Some of the flowers appear to have been neatly nipped off, or else dropped
off for some reason, and I remember having this frustrating problem on
previous crops, i.e. - losing the first few pods at least.

As cineman said, the simplest explanation is that they dropped off of
their own accord - too cold, not pollinated etc. In which case don't
worry - they'll soon start setting and no doubt you'll have more runner
beans than you know what to do with before you know it!

The leaves have also been eaten away to some extent, but I was only able
to find a tiny black caterpillar on one, and I do use slug pellets when
the weather is damp.

Most likely that will be slugs or snails. I don't find they're a major
problem on runner beans once they get established. The beans should
grow away and the slugs seem to concentrate on the lower leaves and
other plants within easier reach.

If the eaten leaves are higher up, have a close look on the supports
they're growing on - sometimes snails with a head for heights stay up
there in the daytime and eat the newer softer leaves at night. But
picking them off and chucking them away seems to deal with the problem.

Peter

Thanks. I am reluctant to snip in this post, but I think your first
paragraph was correct, I have others setting now!

The leaves on one plant have been eaten up to about 4ft from the ground,
but this is close to an untidy rhubarb clump with another broad leaf
plant[1]* adjacent, probably giving the snails a lift!

I have removed snails from bedroom window sills...

I will remember its name when I put down my pen. :-)
--
Gordon H

"K" wrote in message
...
Peter Robinson writes
cineman wrote:


My experience with beans is that slugs and snails go for the stems in
preference to the leaves, felling the entire plant just above the ground.

They've just done that with one of my sunflowers :-(

Mary

--
Kay