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Home > Archive > UK gardening > July 2007 > Runner bean trimming?
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Runner bean trimming?
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| Broadback 2007-07-17, 9:25 am |
| To maximise crop is it best to pinch out runner beans when they reach
the top of their poles, or leave them to sort themselves out?
| |
| Nick Maclaren 2007-07-17, 9:25 am |
|
In article <5g3itiF3fbargU1@mid.individual.net>,
Broadback <wen@towill.plus.com> writes:
|>
|> To maximise crop is it best to pinch out runner beans when they reach
|> the top of their poles, or leave them to sort themselves out?
Pinch them out. They will produce new shoots from lower down.
I grow mine on a 'cage' and drape them across the top of it, so
don't pinch.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
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| Mary Fisher 2007-07-17, 9:25 am |
|
"Nick Maclaren" <nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:f7i59t$1r4$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...
>
> In article <5g3itiF3fbargU1@mid.individual.net>,
> Broadback <wen@towill.plus.com> writes:
> |>
> |> To maximise crop is it best to pinch out runner beans when they reach
> |> the top of their poles, or leave them to sort themselves out?
>
> Pinch them out. They will produce new shoots from lower down.
And you have to look at them daily, those tips grow at an astonishing rate!
Think Jack and the Beanstalk.
Mary
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| David \(Normandy\) 2007-07-17, 9:25 am |
|
"Mary Fisher" <mary.fisher@zetnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:469cb68f$0$1449$4c56ba96@master.news.zetnet.net...
>
> "Nick Maclaren" <nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
> news:f7i59t$1r4$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...
>
>
> And you have to look at them daily, those tips grow at an astonishing
> rate! Think Jack and the Beanstalk.
>
> Mary
>
Is it really necessary to pinch them out? I've grown runner beans for years
up an elongated wigwam of bamboo canes and never pinched them out. We always
get far too many beans and end up giving lots away to visitors. It was only
last week we finished eating the remains of last years frozen ones.
The important thing I was told, is never to allow beans to grow too big or
the plants stop flowering. Where I find the odd one that "has got away" I
pull it off and compost it. Similarly if there are too many beans on the
plants and the freezer is full and everyone including visitors are sick of
the sight of them, I just pull them off and compost them rather than let
them "age".
It is only towards Autumn that we let some pods grow to maturity to provide
seeds for anther year.
Why do supermarkets typically sell pods that are long, stringy and dry
rather than the smaller juicy ones?
David.
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| Broadback 2007-07-17, 9:25 am |
| David (Normandy) wrote:
> "Mary Fisher" <mary.fisher@zetnet.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:469cb68f$0$1449$4c56ba96@master.news.zetnet.net...
>
> Is it really necessary to pinch them out? I've grown runner beans for years
> up an elongated wigwam of bamboo canes and never pinched them out. We always
> get far too many beans and end up giving lots away to visitors. It was only
> last week we finished eating the remains of last years frozen ones.
>
> The important thing I was told, is never to allow beans to grow too big or
> the plants stop flowering. Where I find the odd one that "has got away" I
> pull it off and compost it. Similarly if there are too many beans on the
> plants and the freezer is full and everyone including visitors are sick of
> the sight of them, I just pull them off and compost them rather than let
> them "age".
>
> It is only towards Autumn that we let some pods grow to maturity to provide
> seeds for anther year.
>
> Why do supermarkets typically sell pods that are long, stringy and dry
> rather than the smaller juicy ones?
>
> David.
>
>
I guess David because they are sold by the pound, whoops wash my mouth
out, kilo, therefore it maximises the profit.
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| Nick Maclaren 2007-07-17, 9:25 am |
|
In article <469cbbcc$0$25916$ba4acef3@news.orange.fr>,
"David \(Normandy\)" <DavidNormandy@spamme.not> writes:
|>
|> Is it really necessary to pinch them out? I've grown runner beans for years
|> up an elongated wigwam of bamboo canes and never pinched them out. We always
|> get far too many beans and end up giving lots away to visitors. It was only
|> last week we finished eating the remains of last years frozen ones.
No, but you end up with a complete tangle and can't find the beans,
which makes it hard to prevent some of them growing too big. But, as
I said, on a sufficiently large structure (my cage or a large wigwam),
there is no need to do that.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
| |
| David \(Normandy\) 2007-07-17, 9:25 am |
|
"Nick Maclaren" <nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:f7ighk$q93$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...
>
> In article <469cbbcc$0$25916$ba4acef3@news.orange.fr>,
> "David \(Normandy\)" <DavidNormandy@spamme.not> writes:
> |>
> |> Is it really necessary to pinch them out? I've grown runner beans for
> years
> |> up an elongated wigwam of bamboo canes and never pinched them out. We
> always
> |> get far too many beans and end up giving lots away to visitors. It was
> only
> |> last week we finished eating the remains of last years frozen ones.
>
> No, but you end up with a complete tangle and can't find the beans,
> which makes it hard to prevent some of them growing too big. But, as
> I said, on a sufficiently large structure (my cage or a large wigwam),
> there is no need to do that.
But that is part of the fun :-) peering into the tangle looking for beans.
The ones that elude me are usually those right at the bottom dragging on the
ground.
David.
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| David \(Normandy\) 2007-07-17, 9:25 am |
|
"Broadback" <wen@towill.plus.com> wrote in message
news:5g3te1F3datqeU1@mid.individual.net...
> David (Normandy) wrote:
> I guess David because they are sold by the pound, whoops wash my mouth
> out, kilo, therefore it maximises the profit.
I've seen some really awful ones for sale in such places. Supermarket runner
beans and home grown are like two entirely different vegetables. If they
sold them small and fresh I'm sure they'd sell more.
David.
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| Malcolm 2007-07-17, 1:25 pm |
|
In article <f7i59t$1r4$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk>, Nick Maclaren
<nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk> writes
>
>In article <5g3itiF3fbargU1@mid.individual.net>,
>Broadback <wen@towill.plus.com> writes:
>|>
>|> To maximise crop is it best to pinch out runner beans when they reach
>|> the top of their poles, or leave them to sort themselves out?
>
>Pinch them out. They will produce new shoots from lower down.
>I grow mine on a 'cage' and drape them across the top of it, so
>don't pinch.
>
I've tried both methods and it doesn't seem to make much difference to
the crop, so I take the easy line of letting them do what they want,
which is usually to work their way along the horizontal poles which join
the wigwam ones.
--
Malcolm
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| Alan Holmes 2007-07-17, 1:25 pm |
|
"Broadback" <wen@towill.plus.com> wrote in message
news:5g3itiF3fbargU1@mid.individual.net...
> To maximise crop is it best to pinch out runner beans when they reach the
> top of their poles, or leave them to sort themselves out?
I always pinch them out at about eye height, they will carry on growing for
about another three feet!
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| Mary Fisher 2007-07-17, 5:25 pm |
|
"David (Normandy)" <DavidNormandy@spamme.not> wrote in message
news:469cbbcc$0$25916$ba4acef3@news.orange.fr...
>
> "Mary Fisher" <mary.fisher@zetnet.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:469cb68f$0$1449$4c56ba96@master.news.zetnet.net...
>
> Is it really necessary to pinch them out? I've grown runner beans for
> years up an elongated wigwam of bamboo canes and never pinched them out.
> We always get far too many beans and end up giving lots away to visitors.
> It was only last week we finished eating the remains of last years frozen
> ones.
It's not necessary but if you're stumpy like me you can't reach the high-up
ones. And if they drape down it's messy, they get tangles with lower ones.
>
Mary>
| |
| Broadback 2007-07-19, 3:25 am |
| Alan Holmes wrote:
> "Broadback" <wen@towill.plus.com> wrote in message
> news:5g3itiF3fbargU1@mid.individual.net...
>
> I always pinch them out at about eye height, they will carry on growing for
> about another three feet!
>
>
Sigh, now you tell me! LOL Never mind there is always next year, if I
remember.
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| Alan Holmes 2007-07-19, 5:25 pm |
|
"Broadback" <wen@towill.plus.com> wrote in message
news:5g8jfcF3fp1jvU1@mid.individual.net...
> Alan Holmes wrote:
> Sigh, now you tell me! LOL Never mind there is always next year, if I
> remember.
We obviously have something in common, I always have trouble remembering
things!
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| Mary Fisher 2007-07-20, 9:25 am |
|
"Alan Holmes" <alan_holmes@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:eOQni.537$aU3.3@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...
>
> "Broadback" <wen@towill.plus.com> wrote in message
> news:5g8jfcF3fp1jvU1@mid.individual.net...
>
> We obviously have something in common, I always have trouble remembering
> things!
Nothing wrong with your memory, Alan, it's as good as mine.
The retrieval system, however, sometimes fails.
Mary
>
>
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| Alan Holmes 2007-07-23, 8:25 pm |
|
"Mary Fisher" <mary.fisher@zetnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:46a0744d$1$31110$4c56ba96@master.news.zetnet.net...
>
> "Alan Holmes" <alan_holmes@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:eOQni.537$aU3.3@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...
>
> Nothing wrong with your memory, Alan, it's as good as mine.
>
> The retrieval system, however, sometimes fails.
I have, for some time, been pestering the doctor for a memory transplant but
he has not been forthcoming!
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