Normally by the beginning of February we've harvested heaps and heaps of runner beans, we've eaten plenty and frozen plenty.This year we have harvested two beans, one last week and one yesterday.Some of the beans didn't come up this year, and we had intended to put a few more in but even the ones that did come up haven't been very vigorous and haven't had many flowers.Is it possible they haven't had enough water!Lack of manure!Any ideas please!
lythande1,
Feb 3, 12:48pm
Lack of rain, lack of watering. We've harvested heaps, have enough now, I'm giving them away. But we have watered the s*** out of the garden in the last 2 months.high water (wastewater) bills.
Look at rain, that's how they like it.
gkgirl,
Feb 3, 4:01pm
I read somewhere that runner beans only last in the ground for 5 years. I'm trying to put 2 new ones in every year and I've probably had 70 beans off one plant so far. I also added heaps of worm compost (N) before they got going. The ones I just put in this year haven't made any beans yet but hopefully next year.
samanya,
Feb 3, 5:40pm
Epic failure here, too. Beans all came up, heaps of flowers & no beans setting. I've noticed heaps of bumble bees but not many honey bees & I recall reading once a long time ago, (so my recall might be hazy) that bumble bees pierce & bu**ger up the beans from forming . I have stalks where the beans should have been. Thankfully I popped in some White Lady climbers & they are a great climbing bean, tender, stringless & will definitely grow them again, but I still love the flavour of Scarlet Runners , but they are into the realms of 'treat' this year.
oh_hunnihunni,
Feb 3, 5:55pm
I read here they need a night time low under 16 degrees. Might explain a lot. I'm putting mine on hold, maybe they'll flower again in autumn - last years did and it was lovely harvesting beans so late.
marlin9,
Feb 3, 6:05pm
Got more beans than we can eat - giving them away
lythande1,
Feb 3, 7:03pm
No they don't need cool night temps. They like it hot actually. Bumblebees are fine, that's what was on mine. Water.get the hose out if you haven't had any rain. Give them a good soak.
poppysinger2,
Feb 3, 7:47pm
Having a great crop on my 5 year old perennialscarlet runners pollinated by (mostly) big fattypants bumblebees here in South Brighton . Much better than last year and earlier too.
kuaka,
Feb 3, 8:43pm
Thanks for your replies.I suspect then that it's lack of water, as we have had stuff all rain here, and I've been so busy painting the house that I haven't bothered much with the garden, so it's been mainly left to its own devices, and now I'm paying for it, as none of my favourite vegetable.I see on the packet it's not too late to put more in to make up for the ones that didn't grow, and now we've got light rain, so that might help.
Interesting ."However, you may find flowers that have been bitten at the base. This is done by bumble bees, which have learnt that the quickest way to the nectar in the flower is to bite straight through. Often, honey bees then use these holes to get at nectar the quick way. This means that the bee does not pass over the stamen and stigma, so no pollination takes place, and no bean forms." Mine look as if they have been nipped off.
dibble35,
Feb 3, 11:05pm
Well I had a poor year with my beans, both dwarf and purple king climbers, watered them the same as last year to.
floss34,
Feb 3, 11:28pm
Im totally over flowing with beans, last years plants, only just watered last week. nothing special here. im in auck
helianthus,
Feb 4, 12:21am
I'm in the Wairarapa and we are having the best bean year we ever had!
kuaka,
Feb 4, 12:36am
Awwww, I'd really rather not know about all you people with beans coming out your ears, I love my beans, but am sadly missing them this season.
liggy2,
Feb 4, 1:16am
You can pollinate the flowers by squirting them with high pressure garden hose as they have a trigger in the flower. Bumble bees actually bite a small hole in the flower at the base and are the main pollimators.Honey bees don't do the job.
breness,
Feb 4, 1:35am
I only have a few plants growing in a teepee type structure. I am pickinga handful of beans a day. I always make sure I water my bean plants over the top. They seem to flourish with a good sprinking every day.
samanya,
Feb 4, 6:09pm
Neat little garden.nice.
geofharm,
Feb 10, 9:44pm
Have a look for the green stinky shield bug, just one full grown beatle can take care of so many potential beans, the real young ones are black, up to ten in a hatching, do not muck around, squash them between your fingers, the smell will wash off, I have killed some fifty of the little buggers. Four generations in a season, so the more you kill, the less next year, you can use spray. They are strong on the wing, SQUASH THEM.
tehenga288,
Feb 11, 12:11am
I read somewhere at the beginning of the season that unlike most other summer plants beans like overhead watering. Said it helps pollinate them.
helianthus,
Feb 11, 1:41am
I heard this too (some years ago). Someone told me it was an old wives tale - but we do it and always have enormous bean crops - more than enough to freeze for a whole years supply and lots to give away!
brightlights60,
Feb 11, 4:36am
We have loads, but perhaps not as many as last year. Its been so hot here in Christchurch we are putting the irrigation in the big raised vege beds on twice a day for a half hour. We halved the amount of plants (beans) this year as we had far too many last year, had to freeze tons so we were eating them till this Summer! Nice over winter though. Just a tip, my wife who is the gardener, plants marigolds in amongst the veges to ward off the nasties, and the flowers attract the bees. Works for us.Looks good too.
cantabman1,
Feb 11, 8:56pm
To OP: As some earlier posts have said; you need constant water for beans as they really love it and this will help in the production of flowers, also a little sulphate of potash helps create more flowers, and yes as well as polination, the bumble bee is guilty of destroying many of the flowers before the bean has set. But the no 1 problem is a general lack of honey bees which are being killed off with varoa mite and garden insecticides. I have three very seperate ereas in the garden with runner beans, and although i have heaps of flowers, im still not getting many to pick.
mwood,
Feb 11, 9:00pm
Late start with Butter Beans here then they do the overnight miracle - a fresh crop every day !
kuaka,
Feb 12, 1:12am
Well it looks like we have doubled our crop.Last week I harvested one bean, and the week before one bean, but this week I have two beans almost ready to pick.I sliced the first one up and added it to stir-fries, and he complained that there was no way of knowing if we got half each!
seniorbones,
Feb 12, 2:45am
haha, I only water at ground level! and the beans have been prolific, if I didnt have so much meat in my freezers I would try freezing them but I dont much like them frozen Im giving bags away and cooking a pot of them each night, just as well they are my favourite vege :-0
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