Planting out runner beans

[giley69]

Afternoon all

The runners are going mad by the day and we were hoping to get down the allotment tonight and put them in. The only thing that was worrying me was not being able to harden off the plants - is this essential? If so, could I take the plants down there, leave on the plot covered in fleece (in case of any frost), then plants them on Sunday, when we are next available?

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

We also have some dwarf french beans - do these need hardening off and also a support when they have been planted out?

Thanks

[tootles]

Giley,
I know you said that you have already potted on your beans, but for the future, the magnificent thing about peat pots is that you din't have to remove the plant from the pot. Just pot into a larger pot or the ground intact. Give a good soaking and the pot will gradually break down and become a built in fertiliser. The roots will just carry on growing through the pot until the pot gives up - no root disturbance!!
Many grapes here are very anti peat pots (they come from an unsustainable source - but so does petrol, gas and most of the UK's electricity!!!!!) I think they are great though..
Good luck with the runners.
Tx

[giley69]

Giley,
I know you said that you have already potted on your beans, but for the future, the magnificent thing about peat pots is that you din't have to remove the plant from the pot. Just pot into a larger pot or the ground intact. Give a good soaking and the pot will gradually break down and become a built in fertiliser. The roots will just carry on growing through the pot until the pot gives up - no root disturbance!!
Many grapes here are very anti peat pots (they come from an unsustainable source - but so does petrol, gas and most of the UK's electricity!!!!!) I think they are great though..
Good luck with the runners.
Tx

Thanks for you reply... the reason why we have had to take the runners out from the peat pots is because they had really grown out of the pots and needed more space!

Anyway, we cannot plant out until Sunday as we are going away but I have taken them up to the allotment & covered them with the fleece. I thought that this would be the only way to harden them off as we are unable to bring them in at night.

Thanks again