Hello,

I'm trying to grow dwarf french beans in a pot. It's flowering quite a bit, and I've put a pot of dwarf sweet peas by it to encourage pollinators. The leaves are looking a bit sad though, and I'm wondering how long before I can tell if the flowers are actually going to go to seed.

There are a few of a certain kind of bug hanging out on the plant, and I'm wondering if they're helping by predating on pests or if they are themselves pests..I'd be grateful if you could look at the photos below

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_-51uY2z0IlY/TD.../s720/bean.jpg

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_-51uY2z0IlY/TD...jk9nBs/bug.jpg

I would assume that those are goodies. As a rule of thumb, slow moving things are often pests, fast moving things are predators. Also pests tend to rely on producing offspring rapidly and in bulk, so you get tend to get dozens of them on each leaf.

You shouldn't have too much problem with dwarf french beans in a pot. You can tell whether the flowers are going to seed when the flowers wither and fall off - either they'll be a minute bean waiting to grow, or there won't. You could try spraying the flowers with water - there's a suggestion in another thread that runner bean set better if misted daily.

Have you considered growing climbing french beans instead? Much more bean for your pot. I have a big slug problem, so I grow my french beans in pots in the greenhouse, where they clamber all over the roof supports. They're a lot better at setting than runners.

On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 13:29:13 +0000, Mitulove
wrote:


Hello,

I'm trying to grow dwarf french beans in a pot. It's flowering quite a
bit, and I've put a pot of dwarf sweet peas by it to encourage
pollinators. The leaves are looking a bit sad though, and I'm wondering
how long before I can tell if the flowers are actually going to go to
seed.

There are a few of a certain kind of bug hanging out on the plant, and
I'm wondering if they're helping by predating on pests or if they are
themselves pests..I'd be grateful if you could look at the photos below


http://tinyurl.com/35qdl9l

http://tinyurl.com/23lbt3t

Globiceps cruciatus
Common on oak trees May -July ,it feeds on the young leaves and
catkins and also attacks small inscts and their eggs.