pinching out runner bean tip?

[ckfe]

it says in the hessayan veg and herb book to pinch out the runner bean growing tip when it reaches the top of the wigwam.. does anyone else do this? wanted to ask before i took the tip off and killed it

[Snadger]

Yep........it forces the plant to put out sideshoots as well as keeping it tidy!

[ckfe]

Yep........it forces the plant to put out sideshoots as well as keeping it tidy!

what do i do, just nip the top bit off? and shall i wait till it gets to the top of the wigwam or do it now? (it's got another 6 inches or so to go)

[Bren In Pots]

I've found if I leave the runners until the reach the tops of the canes they carry on growing about another 6 inch, so now I pinch them out when they're a few inches from the top.

[Hazel at the Hill]

I'm experimenting by pinching out all my beans at about 2', and then I'll do so again at about 4'.

[Paulottie]

Yes , I agree nip em off now. as Snadger says...they get bushier. I used to make the mistake of being too soft! then end up with the whole lot dangling down like hanging gardens of babylon ....can't find the beans etc.

[craiglockley]

I agree, pinch the tips to stop them growing so they put more effort into making flowers

[ckfe]

I agree, pinch the tips to stop them growing so they put more effort into making flowers

i pinched the top off one last night and would you believe i got up this morning and lovely red flowers have started to appear

the others have got 2 or 3 feet to grow till they're as tall as the first one so i'll pinch their tips off when they get a bit bigger

[hamsterqueen]

I never used to do this, figuring that if they grew more I would get more beans. last year I did pinch the tops out and was amazed how many side shoots they produced,I had far more beans than I have had before,

[coreopsis]

Mine ones just outgrew me(I'm 5'6'')and noticed they have side shoots that are already climbing up following the top.Although it's my 1st year with runners and I don't know much about them I'm going to leave the top for a wee while longer(side shoots growing anyway).

[Florence Fennel]

My lesson has been learned well when I didn't pinch out the top of the peas! Beans nipped already and hoping for a bumper crop.

[ckfe]

well.. i pinched out the tips and they're still bloody growing! they've grown about a foot in 2 days

also they haven't got any side shoots coming out of them.. in fact where are the side shoots supposed to come out of? (and don't say the sides )

i've got lots of lovely flowers coming out of the elbows though

[Madasafish]

I pinched mine out - as I always do - and they keep on growing - asthey always do - and I have lots of runners.. as usual.

I dug 2 separate loads of compost into the runner bean bed: one lot in autumn and another in winter.. to ensure it holds water. Judging from the rain we have had.. and then the heat - and the rapid growth - it appears to work.. Lots of flowers...

[coreopsis]

Ckfe,side shoots come from the base of the leaf

[Florence Fennel]

well.. i pinched out the tips and they're still bloody growing! they've grown about a foot in 2 days

also they haven't got any side shoots coming out of them.. in fact where are the side shoots supposed to come out of? (and don't say the sides )

i've got lots of lovely flowers coming out of the elbows though

Nudge, nudge.