Courgettes and runner beans-hardening off

[kittyk]

I've not been able to raise a courgette plant once I've got it outside yet! This will be my third year trying and I've been hardening them off with my runner beans for nine days but the strong wind has bent all the stalks badly. Any ideas if they will survive this once I plant them out?

The runner beans are very tall/long but have bent almost to snapping near the base. Shall I plant them deeper to take the bend into consideration?

The leaves on the courgettes are brown round the edges on some but this may be because they got caught in sme showers too! they are also bent at the stalks quite low down.

I manage to grow a lot of things successfully....except courgettes! And my beans haven't been great.

Shall I plant them out yet or will that finish them off?

Any advice?

[womble]

Sounds like you could do with a cold frame to protect your seedlings from the wind. Maybe you sowed everything a bit early as well, although being in London you should be OK. I don't like beans to be too tall before I put them out, can you protect the courgettes against the wind with a cloche or something?

[Flummery]

A chap on the allotment site I was on before we moved here used to plant his courgettes out in boxes. He used a carboard box with a hole in the bottom. He planted the courgette then slotted the box over it, weighted it down with a couple of half bricks and the sides kept the wind off. Got a bit soggy some years but it did the trick till the things were well established. Then he took it off and added it to his compost!

[abby]

Maybe you could find something like this I have my courgettes in these at the moment and they look fine. Hope you have luck..

[kittyk]

Sounds like you could do with a cold frame to protect your seedlings from the wind. Maybe you sowed everything a bit early as well, although being in London you should be OK. I don't like beans to be too tall before I put them out, can you protect the courgettes against the wind with a cloche or something?

I could definitely do with a cold frame and will get/make one for next year!

I perhaps did start these a bit early. The beans are too tall but I will still need to give them a go. I can protect the courgettes with some home made cloches.

In London, the frost seems to be over. Touch wood!

[kittyk]

A chap on the allotment site I was on before we moved here used to plant his courgettes out in boxes. He used a carboard box with a hole in the bottom. He planted the courgette then slotted the box over it, weighted it down with a couple of half bricks and the sides kept the wind off. Got a bit soggy some years but it did the trick till the things were well established. Then he took it off and added it to his compost!

I might give this a try!

[kittyk]

Maybe you could find something like this I have my courgettes in these at the moment and they look fine. Hope you have luck..

I usually make mini cloches from smaller bottles for other things so might try larger ones as you suggest. Have you planted yours out in pots already?

[sallym]

I have planted my courgettes in the ground and then put a car tyre over each one. Protects them from the very high winds around here and the black tyre absorbs the heat from the sun and seems to keep them warm at night. My first year trying this, so far seems to be working well.

[gemlady]

A couple of years ago when something kept eating my runner beans I fastened some fleece around them. Fastened on 1st pole, went to end of line, then round and up other side and fastened off. Would give them some protection agains wind I would have thought.

[jackie j]

My runner beans are a bit leggy cos they were indoors hardened off gradually, I just planted them deeper they will be fine.