Pollination in a poly tunnel

[Barry at Bristol]

Hi I recently purchased a large poly tunnel in conjunction with my farther-in Law (back end of 2006),
We have a great show of broad beans and peas but not a pod in site?
I have only just recently put in two 6 foot vents at either end but seems to no avail. is it/was it too early for the pollinaters? (if thats a word?)
anyone got any answers

[rustylady]

If plants are pollinated by insects, you need to let the insects have access to where the plants are growing - obviously this lets in the pests too. Are the flowers still on your beans and peas - if so all is not lost.

[nick the grief]

All isn't lost any way, you can dig them in and use them as a green manure crop .

Congrats on the tunnel any way.

If you can, get hold of a copy of Gardening under Plastic by Bernard Salt you'll find it invaluable

[JennieAtkinson]

I sow late for the plytunnel up here due to the weather, but also to enable some pollinaters to get access to the polytunnel. If I sow too early, there are no bees, etc. around! The days are good enough now to have both doors open all day, and apart from runner beans, which I have to pollinate myself, I've not had a problem.

Would ditto Nick - Bernard Salt's book is great.

[Caithness Gardener]

I have still to get then out of the seedling trays! That said we are pretty far north.

[vertangie]

we're inundated by bees and have been since late march. I think this is down to 2 things, a large rosemary bush that seems to start coming into flower around late march that the bees love and the dry stone wall that surrounds the garden, I think they overwinter in there, we've got at least 5 different bee types so I'd suggest planting some early flowering herbs next year near the tunnels.

But then I'm a newbie gardener so listening to me might not be a good idea.

Angie

[Barry at Bristol]

Thanks for all the useful ideas, I never relised there were so many helpful gardeners out there, broad beans grew again and podded up nicely after installation of the vents should be good for a picking this weekend also the peas have podded well and are due for picking, Ealry potatoes from tunnel are all out now stated digging them approx 2 months ago, I will let all know how it all works out and if the tunnels survives the winter months, we have a bloomin mole in the tunnel now uhh.

[nick the grief]

Well done Barry. There aren't many helpfull gardeners out there ..... we're all on here

As to the mole, you must have good soil as they ar after all the worms etc.

[milkmaid]

could i ask do you just use a brush to pollenate the runner beans ,
i hoped somebody on here ,would have an answer to my runner bean problem ,we live on the western isles ,and seem to have a lack of bees at the moment
suz

[Hazel at the Hill]

Hello, MM, welcome to the Vine!

I'm sure Jennie will be back to answer your q in due course (and anyone else who wants to put their oar in like me ) - I wouldn't know how to go about it - I'm hoping not to have to do any of that hand pollinating stuff - thankfully even my solitairy Prize Pumpkin seems to have sorted itself out!

What else are you growing?

[milkmaid]

well at the moment mainly livestock ,our croft is 100% peat,it's been a steep learning curve
but there is hardly any veg here and when we where in portsmouth we grew most of our own on 3 allotments and we really miss it ,we also keep goats ,sheep ,ducks ,hens and turkeys.the livestock is ticking over and it's time to tackle the lack of veg
in the polytunnels we have runner beans ,haven't had real ones for 4 years
peas ,lettice ,radishes ,squashes ,french beans and tomatoes ,any advice would be really gratefully received
suz

[Hazel at the Hill]

Good grief - Portsmouth to the Western Isles? You don't mess about when you move house, do you MM?

I'm sure that there will be more knowledgeable grapes along in due course who can help with polytunnel growing - theres quite a few grapes as far or further north than you are, so there's sure to be relevant advice for you here!

[milkmaid]

thanks ,i've been out with a paint brush,it's lovely here

[JennieAtkinson]

Hello Milkmaid and welcome to the Vine. Island living is just something else isn't it!

I must admit to not having much luck with runner beans in the plytunnel, but then they won't grow outside at all. I do water them with a light spray and have tried the brush method. But I normally do get bees in the tunnel, althogh this year they do seem to be absent.

I just love runner beans so I do keep growing them even if I get a few. I am trying dwarf ones this year as well, so hoping they might be more prolific.

Good luck!

[Phreddy]

Peas

I am probably a bit late with this but peas are self polinating-don't need the bees at all. Don't remember about beans but the brush won't hurt.

Read 'daughterofthesoil' Rebsi someone, use google to find her blog, she is brilliant.

Phreddy