What nuggets have we learnt this year?

[wssla00]

nectar doesn't cause beans, pollen does. Runner beans are bee pollinated, so the hoverflies may will be AIDING pollination by their buzzing (which triggers pollination)

Pods not forming is more likely caused by heat or drought

But... from what I have gathered they suck up the nectar from the flowers, and make the pollen not attractive to the bumble bees because of water or liquid or something but that may have been a rumour....

[binley100]

I have also learnt about taking cuttings for overwintering tomatoes and all about leek grass .

[Two_Sheds]

But... from what I have gathered they suck up the nectar from the flowers, and make the pollen not attractive to the bumble bees

I can't find anything on the Net supporting that theory.

tbh, I wouldn't have thought hoverflies could take nectar from runners: they tend to feed from flat, open flowers like calendula. I don't think their mouth parts are capable of getting into a runner bean flower

It's true that bumbles can rob the nectar though, by biting a hole at the base of the runner, without entering the mouth of the flower and coming into contact with the pollen-producing parts. Nectar-robbing makes flowers unattractive to pollinating bees and insects

Whether the hovers are guilty or not, they should definitely be encouraged in the garden. If you see hovers on runner bean plants, they may well be laying eggs, because their larvae eat the blackfly.

Runners have several reasons not to set pods: Runner beans: failure to set pods / RHS Gardening Advice

[Buleste]

No matter how few Runner beans you plant, they all arrive at the same time and you get a glut and soon become pretty sick of them and even though you have filled the freezer with the things you still end up giving away most of them. This year I halved the number of plants I had last year and seem to have ended up with more beans???

[Shadylane]

*Crowding sprouts with PSB is not going to get you decent sized sprouts anytime soon.

*Trust in the ladybirds - they WILL rid your runner beans of the plague of blackfly

*Coriander that was sown last year by itself in a bed that was manured, forked and turned over will happily germinate and grow, however coriander that you sowed yourself and watered will just simply refuse.

*Just because all the parsnips you sowed last year germinated and gave you a ridiculous supply of parsnips that just would not go, doesn't mean that this years will do the same.

*mulching your cheapo poly with straw will simply give the worlds popuation of snails and slugs an open invite to scoff your tomatoes.

*I will never find wacking a potato to empty out the huge poplulation of tiny worm like creatures that look supsiciously like baby centipedes enjoyable.

*Alliums are awesome and growing onions from seed is not a waste of time

[Two_Sheds]

*I will never find wacking a potato to empty out the huge poplulation of tiny worm like creatures that look supsiciously like baby centipedes enjoyable.

Millipedes? I had loads last year in spuds, strawbs, everything, this year not so bad

[Brengirl]

Blessed is he who expectance nothing...

[CaroltheCarrot]

That there is no point trying to grow melons in sunny Scotland (but I will do it again just for the h*ll of it)

[Shadylane]

Millipedes? I had loads last year in spuds, strawbs, everything, this year not so bad

Possibly. Not had loads of damage but the ones that did have holes in were horrendous. Loads of the little blighters.

[Jelliebabe]

1- Things left in the hot conservatoire will go frispy and die (juse like they did last year)
2 - You really can get proper tomato plants which fruit from sideshoots! BONUS free plants!
3 - Dont order loads of stuff from T&M and be really sad when they are late, broken, not what you wanted as they have run out.
4 - Dont expect T&M to answer your emails - ever!
5 - Home grown plants from seed are better as you control when they are sown, hardened off and planted out depending on YOUR weather!
6 - The Vine is THE BEST! and so are the GRAPES

[missalaska]

Not to believe people when they say they are setting up a seed exchange in Cape Town!

[blue411]

That even a small pond can virtually stop slugs attacking everything (unlike last year), and that i have a new enemy........caterpillars

[maytreefrannie]

That I don't seem to learn from experience -
Again, I'm trying the potatoes-for-Christmas thingy, two bins currently planted.

Even though over the last 3 or 4 years I've got nothing from my endeavours, here I go once more.

Ah, the triumph of hope over experience.

[susieq100]

Tomatoes in hanging baskets are amazingly prolific and seem not to get blighted.
Carrot fly resistant carrots are a myth.
Home grown cucumbers are fantastic.
I need everyone I know to save me jars starting NOW!

[Davyburns]

That carrot flies cannot fly above 30", but we'll have to wait till next year to find out!