runner beans

[kentwo]

I grew my beans in grow tubes and they have grown very well 6 feet plus and look very strong, but very small amount of flower HELP

ken

[rustylady]

Not sure what you mean by growtubes.

Are your beans in a greenhouse, or outside on a vegetable plot.

A picture or two might help.

[Florence Fennel]

Me neither about the growtubes RL. You get lots of green growth heralding the flowers, so there's time yet Ken. Having said that, last year I got lots of green but not many bean

[Polytastic]

if you mean polytunnel or that kind of thing it may be that there has been no pollination. mine are outside and one row is over 7 foot. They took a while to fill out but are racing along now with flowers on every tier. It might be better to grow this crop out of doors and harden them off. It's quite mild here at the minute and the bees are going crazy around them after a slow start they have picked up and are enjoying the sunshine.

[Bren In Pots]

I think grow tubes are shop bought loo rolls not sure though, anyway my runners are at the top of their canes and since pinched out the tops they seem to be producing more flowers every day.

[Two_Sheds]

Yep, mine have just got going after a very, very slow start. Flowers coming on most of the canes now

[vikkib]

We had a slow start for the runners on our site too but they are getting there now! As mentioned above, if they are in a poly tunnel the problem may be polination.

If they are outside is there a chance the flowers are forming then dropping off? This could be a sign that they need more water.

[WPG]

I grew some of my runners in grow tubes too Kentwo - haven't noticed any problems with them flowering. However the runners I started in modules have done just as well, so the grow tubes were a bit of an unnecessary expense (yes, as Bren as said, grow tubes are more or less shop bought loo rolls, though a bit longer and meant to disintegrate soon after planting out).

The only thing I'm going to sow again in grow tubes next year are parsnips. This year I tried some sown direct, some in loo rolls, and some in grow tubes. The parsnips in the grow tubes have been 100% successful compared to patchy results with the other methods.

[vikkib]

I grew some of my runners in grow tubes too Kentwo - haven't noticed any problems with them flowering. However the runners I started in modules have done just as well, so the grow tubes were a bit of an unnecessary expense (yes, as Bren as said, grow tubes are more or less shop bought loo rolls, though a bit longer and meant to disintegrate soon after planting out).

The only thing I'm going to sow again in grow tubes next year are parsnips. This year I tried some sown direct, some in loo rolls, and some in grow tubes. The parsnips in the grow tubes have been 100% successful compared to patchy results with the other methods.

Good to know what Grow Tubes are, thanks, WPG.

I've started off all my broad beans, climbing beans and sweetcorn in loo rolls again this year and I find it makes it so much easier.

I just plant the loo rolls out into the ground and make sure the tops of the cardboard rolls are below the soil or tear the top off so they don't act as a wick.