Took a look at my runner beans this morning, a mass of flower but many
an insect on them, well there were 2 bumble bees on the white flowered
ones and nothing on the red.
a lot of bare stalks where the flowers are aborting. but the peas which
are planted with them are podding up well, there are also sweet peas at
each end of the row (65ft long).
On the dahlias I saw another 3 bumble bees, no hoverefly or other insects.
I don't know if they were still sheltering from the rain we have had; 2
inches from midday Sunday to Midday yesterday, in all since the rain
started 8 days ago we had had 5.2 inches. and at last the cracks have
gone, but despite yesterdays downpour I could walk over the field this
morning, almost all of the rain has soaked in.
Not everyone liked it
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...psbcd2ea91.jpg
David @ a sunny Swansea Bay.

In article ,
David Hill wrote:

Took a look at my runner beans this morning, a mass of flower but many
an insect on them, well there were 2 bumble bees on the white flowered
ones and nothing on the red.
a lot of bare stalks where the flowers are aborting. but the peas which
are planted with them are podding up well, there are also sweet peas at
each end of the row (65ft long).

My runners are setting very badly, too, but my climbing French beans
are setting without problem (and they are adjacent). Odd.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , says...

In article ,
David Hill wrote:

Took a look at my runner beans this morning, a mass of flower but many
an insect on them, well there were 2 bumble bees on the white flowered
ones and nothing on the red.
a lot of bare stalks where the flowers are aborting. but the peas which
are planted with them are podding up well, there are also sweet peas at
each end of the row (65ft long).

My runners are setting very badly, too,

Mine too. I might get a very small picking in about a week :-(
Peas have been great.


Janet

but my climbing French beans
are setting without problem (and they are adjacent). Odd.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Our Runner Beans have been a great success, had about 4 or 5 meals off about
a dozen plants.

The secret?

Line the trench with newspaper to retain the water. Fill the trench with our
own superb compost. Plant Marigolds and Lavender at the end of the rows to
attract the Bees and pollinating insects.

Mike



"Janet" wrote in message
t...

In article , says...

In article ,
David Hill wrote:

Took a look at my runner beans this morning, a mass of flower but many
an insect on them, well there were 2 bumble bees on the white flowered
ones and nothing on the red.
a lot of bare stalks where the flowers are aborting. but the peas which
are planted with them are podding up well, there are also sweet peas at
each end of the row (65ft long).

My runners are setting very badly, too,

Mine too. I might get a very small picking in about a week :-(
Peas have been great.


Janet

but my climbing French beans
are setting without problem (and they are adjacent). Odd.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Tue, 06 Aug 2013 18:54:37 +0100, David Hill
wrote:

Took a look at my runner beans this morning, a mass of flower but many
an insect on them, well there were 2 bumble bees on the white flowered
ones and nothing on the red.pruned

Here, earlier in the year, there was a real abundance of hoverflies,
co-inciding with the hawthorn flowering on the waste ground next door.
But despite lots of insect-attracting plants from the early flowerers
through to those now in flower, I have seen few bees so far this year.
Only cabbage white butterflies. One ladybird (but no green/black/white
fly).Very few froghoppers. For the first time in many years, and
despite growing about 200 lilies of various types, I haven't had to
resort to the Provado spray as the lily beetle numbers have been low
and easy to pick and squish.

I have yet to see a wasp.

Slugs and snails have been few though my use of nematode treatments
from early in the year may have reduced the slug population further
than the weather seems to have done.

As in previous years, the thrush population disappeared in late
spring. This year the hedgehogs did likewise. At the beginning of the
rainy season last week, there was an exodus of frogs from the pond
which hopped in a line across the lawn to their winter stomping ground
at the back of the shrubbery (where leaves are left to pile up).

OTOH, fruit production (apart from a glut of strawberries and
raspberries, still ongoing) is:
1 pear tree - natch (after 5 years, this goes!)
1 plum tree - natch (on probation; if no fruit next year it goes)
7 apple trees - so far a total of 8 fruits are developing (again none
on the Braeburn so it's going)
1 cherry tree - 4 cherries
3 blackcurrant bushes - 4 blackcurrants looked like developing but I
"forgot" to net them.

Meanwhile the house has been inundated with those little compost
flies. I wouldn't mind other than the last compost in the house was in
May! I've now got those yellow sticky traps hanging from the light
fittings in the middle of every room!!!!



--
Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Wilting just a little at the east end of Swansea Bay.

French always set more easily than runners. I grow both in pots in the greenhouse to keep away from the abundant slugs in my damp and shaded garden, but whereas I have a good crop from the climbing french, I have to move the runners outside once they've started flowering.

Bumblebees were late arriving this year, but now we have lots of them. Having been on a bumblebee course last year, I've been busily identifying them - 8 species so far, the so-called "big six" plus the tree bumblebee and a cuckoo bumblebee.

But hoverfly abundance has been well down.

"David Hill" wrote ...

Took a look at my runner beans this morning, a mass of flower but many an
insect on them, well there were 2 bumble bees on the white flowered ones
and nothing on the red.
a lot of bare stalks where the flowers are aborting. but the peas which are
planted with them are podding up well, there are also sweet peas at each
end of the row (65ft long).
On the dahlias I saw another 3 bumble bees, no hoverefly or other insects.
I don't know if they were still sheltering from the rain we have had; 2
inches from midday Sunday to Midday yesterday, in all since the rain
started 8 days ago we had had 5.2 inches. and at last the cracks have gone,
but despite yesterdays downpour I could walk over the field this morning,
almost all of the rain has soaked in.
Not everyone liked it
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...psbcd2ea91.jpg


Our runners, all white flowered varieties, are doing extremely well. We only
planted half we usually do but have been unable to keep up with the picking.
Lots have ended up back on the compost heap because we have no-one to give
them to. It appears runner beans are considered too difficult to deal with
by some modern housewives or simply not liked by those of ethnic background.
Will the runner bean survive into the future?
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

Our runners, all white flowered varieties, are doing extremely well. We
only planted half we usually do but have been unable to keep up with the
picking. Lots have ended up back on the compost heap because we have
no-one to give them to. It appears runner beans are considered too
difficult to deal with by some modern housewives or simply not liked by
those of ethnic background.
Will the runner bean survive into the future?

Talking of runner beans, How do you slice yours?
I've always used a bean slicer
http://www.dennyandsons.co.uk/tradit...cer-p1851.html
I found that if you don't want fine slices of beans then by removing
alternate blades you have a thicker slice. I was lucky one of my slicers
opened easily.
I also run a potato peeler along the sides to de string older beans.
David @ a sunny Swansea Bay

In article ,
David Hill wrote:

Talking of runner beans, How do you slice yours?
I've always used a bean slicer

I don't let them get that old and rank. We eat them whole, or break
them into lengths.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

David Hill wrote in news:b6egt5Ff8e4U1
@mid.individual.net:

Our runners, all white flowered varieties, are doing extremely well. We
only planted half we usually do but have been unable to keep up with the
picking. Lots have ended up back on the compost heap because we have
no-one to give them to. It appears runner beans are considered too
difficult to deal with by some modern housewives or simply not liked by
those of ethnic background.
Will the runner bean survive into the future?

Talking of runner beans, How do you slice yours?

I just use a sharp knife and cut them into a diamond shape. Just like my
mother used to do. Supposed to miss cutting the bean inside. Reikha cuts
hers into squares, missing the bean.
Reykha, my daughter just uses scissors and cuts them intointo 20mm sections
regardless where the beans are.
Results are the same after boiling. Which is very nice indeed.
I don't think that there is a right and wrong way.

The things are just
I've always used a bean slicer
http://www.dennyandsons.co.uk/tradit...cer-p1851.html
I found that if you don't want fine slices of beans then by removing
alternate blades you have a thicker slice. I was lucky one of my slicers
opened easily.
I also run a potato peeler along the sides to de string older beans.
David @ a sunny Swansea Bay

Baz

On Tue, 06 Aug 2013 21:32:38 +0100, Jake wrote:

On Tue, 06 Aug 2013 18:54:37 +0100, David Hill
wrote:

Took a look at my runner beans this morning, a mass of flower but many
an insect on them, well there were 2 bumble bees on the white flowered
ones and nothing on the red.pruned

Here, earlier in the year, there was a real abundance of hoverflies,
co-inciding with the hawthorn flowering on the waste ground next door.
But despite lots of insect-attracting plants from the early flowerers
through to those now in flower, I have seen few bees so far this year.
Only cabbage white butterflies. One ladybird (but no green/black/white
fly).Very few froghoppers. For the first time in many years, and
despite growing about 200 lilies of various types, I haven't had to
resort to the Provado spray as the lily beetle numbers have been low
and easy to pick and squish.

I have yet to see a wasp.

Slugs and snails have been few though my use of nematode treatments
from early in the year may have reduced the slug population further
than the weather seems to have done.

As in previous years, the thrush population disappeared in late
spring. This year the hedgehogs did likewise. At the beginning of the
rainy season last week, there was an exodus of frogs from the pond
which hopped in a line across the lawn to their winter stomping ground
at the back of the shrubbery (where leaves are left to pile up).

OTOH, fruit production (apart from a glut of strawberries and
raspberries, still ongoing) is:
1 pear tree - natch (after 5 years, this goes!)
1 plum tree - natch (on probation; if no fruit next year it goes)
7 apple trees - so far a total of 8 fruits are developing (again none
on the Braeburn so it's going)
1 cherry tree - 4 cherries
3 blackcurrant bushes - 4 blackcurrants looked like developing but I
"forgot" to net them.

Meanwhile the house has been inundated with those little compost
flies. I wouldn't mind other than the last compost in the house was in
May! I've now got those yellow sticky traps hanging from the light
fittings in the middle of every room!!!!

In Sheffield we have had plenty of butterflies. The most for years - since those series of
very early springs, followed by terrible cold wet weather in March & April, which seemed
to wipe out most of them, especially small tortoiseshell.

Still none of those but commas, peacocks, whites, coppers... and lots os bumble bees. In
fact I got stung by one for the very first time ever and BOY did it hurt. I could not
believe the pain. It came in waves.

Not many moths though.

Kath

In Sheffield we have had plenty of butterflies. The most for years - since those series of
very early springs, followed by terrible cold wet weather in March & April, which seemed
to wipe out most of them, especially small tortoiseshell.

Still none of those but commas, peacocks, whites, coppers... and lots os bumble bees. In
fact I got stung by one for the very first time ever and BOY did it hurt. I could not
believe the pain. It came in waves.

Not many moths though.

Kath


That's because Sacha (Queen moth er) has them all.
I should have asked where all the pollinating insects are.
Cutting the grass this afternoon I noticed that something has been
having a good chomp on the Jostaberry leaves, (Never before) also a
pussy willow has been almost stripped by something
David @a warm side of Swansea Bay

"David Hill" wrote ...

Our runners, all white flowered varieties, are doing extremely well. We
only planted half we usually do but have been unable to keep up with the
picking. Lots have ended up back on the compost heap because we have
no-one to give them to. It appears runner beans are considered too
difficult to deal with by some modern housewives or simply not liked by
those of ethnic background.
Will the runner bean survive into the future?

Talking of runner beans, How do you slice yours?
I've always used a bean slicer
http://www.dennyandsons.co.uk/tradit...cer-p1851.html
I found that if you don't want fine slices of beans then by removing
alternate blades you have a thicker slice. I was lucky one of my slicers
opened easily.
I also run a potato peeler along the sides to de string older beans.


We use one of these....

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/3410/Krisk...FY7LtAodOgsAhA

On our second one now as the first wore out after many years. We actually
bought one two years ago for someone who now says runners are too difficult
to deal with!

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 2013-08-07 19:56:06 +0100, David Hill said:


In Sheffield we have had plenty of butterflies. The most for years -
since those series of
very early springs, followed by terrible cold wet weather in March &
April, which seemed
to wipe out most of them, especially small tortoiseshell.

Still none of those but commas, peacocks, whites, coppers... and lots
os bumble bees. In
fact I got stung by one for the very first time ever and BOY did it
hurt. I could not
believe the pain. It came in waves.

Not many moths though.

Kath


That's because Sacha (Queen moth er) has them all.
I should have asked where all the pollinating insects are.
Cutting the grass this afternoon I noticed that something has been
having a good chomp on the Jostaberry leaves, (Never before) also a
pussy willow has been almost stripped by something
David @a warm side of Swansea Bay

Splutter! Absolutely! We've cornered the market in 'good' insects!
Loads of moths flying about tonight while I waited for Oscar Underfoot
to come in. It's very warm and dry and so good to think they're getting
a chance to recover from last year's disastrous season.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

After years of using a runner bean slicer (little rectangular frame with lots of knife blades), I've gone for the easy approach, and grow stringless runners and just cut them into chunks.