I planted my Runner bean seeds in a different area this year and it was a big mistake.
They started off well, until they got the dreaded black fly invasion. I used the washing up liquid and water mix plus some black fly spray l had. Coupled with the hot weather, they just didn’t stand a chance.
I have probably had four tiny beans in total! They still look critically ill and l think it might be best if l just pull them up and put them in a place of rest.
I did grow some others in pots when l realised the others were going to be a disaster. They have loads of flowers but they aren’t setting… probably due to the hot weather?
Did you plant any Runner beans this year? What have they been like?
Not done beans this year, nor indeed much else for a variety of reasons. Think some years are just a bit weird with regular plants becoming sparse, and random historic failures becoming bumper.
You are supposed to rotate where you grow them because they take the nitrogen out of the soil
But I’ve always done my grandads trick of digging a trench in the autumn, putting horse manure in the bottom, cover with soil, and throughout the winter, keep adding a layers of newspaper, horse manure and veg peelings as you get them, covering it up with a layer of soil everytime to keep animals and pests off. Think of it as making a garden lasagne!
By the time winters done, it will all have composted down and you’ll have a lovely nutrient rich bean trench!
Have you got an ant problem? They farm black fly and protect them from predators
French marigolds are supposed to repel black fly
And plants like calendula, sweet alyssum and marigolds, oregano, dill, and mint attract ladybirds and hover flies and the plan is, once you’ve invited them in, they’ll eat your black fly for you!
Maree, l did put lots of old chicken manure and newspapers and good soil in the trench. Marigolds are in abundance around them.
My soil is sandy so lots of ants about there.
I think l planted them too near to the trees and the roots of the trees were probably drawing out the water from the soil.
Never mind, next year, l will go back to where l used to plant them, or put them in huge pots.
Not sure Art, but I believe you are not supposed to grow beans in the same place every year because of disease build up. Crop rotation and all that.
Ah, here you go, just looked it up why beans don’t form. Seems it is mostly because they haven’t had enough water.
The main causes of failure to set pods are:
Lack of moisture at the roots
Poor soil or growing conditions, such as acid soils below
Lack of pollinating insects, perhaps because of cold, wet or windy weather
Very hot weather, especially at night, which inhibits the germination of pollen grains, interrupting the pollination and fruit-
Nectar-robbing bumblebees. Some bumblebee species don’t have long enough tongues to reach the nectaries. They can rob the sweet nectar from the runner bean flowers by biting a hole at their base, without entering the mouth of the flower and coming into contact with the pollen-producing parts. There are usually plenty of pollinating insects that enter the flower in the normal way that this has a very limited effect on pollination and cropping
Birds, especially house sparrows, which peck at the flowers, making them harder for insects to pollinate
Infrequent harvesting: it is important to pick beans every two or three days, otherwise the pods will start to swell and set seed, which inhibits further pod production
