Stringy runners

[Deltawhiskey]

I grew Moonlight runners this year. In the previous two years they have been brilliant. However, this year, anthing longer than eight inches and they are stringy. Suggestions for next year will be gratefully received.
David

[ameno]

Are you growing from shop-bought or self-saved seed?
Moonlight are a French/runner cross, and the lack of strings comes from the French bean parentage, so if you are growing self-saved seed then the they may well be being diluted by other runner beans nearby and deviating from type.

If you are growing shop-bought then I'd probably chalk it up to hot, dry weather.

[lottie dolly]

it's down to the weather pattern,my moonlight are the same,am just letting them grow for the beans themselves to freeze,the cosse violette are not behaving the same either,they grow so far,the start to get the going to seed look,ans tougher skins at aprox 7ins,so am picking the whilst small,they are producing loads of beans and am happy with the amount,i think the secret is,to pick em at that size,and be happy to get something out the plants,so all is not lost,the more you pick,the more you will get,good luck,a lot off produce is affected so far.

[Jungle Jane]

I picked my first lots when they were five or six inches long,they were on the plants so long during the heatwave & stopped growing then carried on growing so they needed picking to get going. Now the weathers more British they’re getting longer quicker & a more normal production. They’ll probably improve soon if you keep picking etc.

[Deltawhiskey]

Shop bought seed.

[Penellype]

I would also blame the weather. My Stardust (also a french-runner cross) produced loads of flowers but almost no beans during the hot weather, and those that did appear went yellow and wrinkly at about 4 inches long. Now that things have cooled down there are loads of beans coming along and the few that I have picked so far (I always pick them young) have not been stringy.