Why thin Runner beans?
Instructions say sow two seeds and thin to one.
What if you don't thin?
Fewer beans?
Slower growth?
Or what?
--
Chris

On Sat, 28 Jul 2012 Chris wrote:

Why thin Runner beans?
Instructions say sow two seeds and thin to one.
What if you don't thin?
Fewer beans?
Slower growth?
Or what?

I sow four to a station. Sometimes all four germinate, sometimes fewer,
but I never thin. Crops are always plentiful.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk

In article ,
David Rance wrote:
On Sat, 28 Jul 2012 Chris wrote:

Why thin Runner beans?
Instructions say sow two seeds and thin to one.
What if you don't thin?
Fewer beans?
Slower growth?
Or what?

I sow four to a station. Sometimes all four germinate, sometimes fewer,
but I never thin. Crops are always plentiful.

Because beans suffer badly from rotting in my soil (probably some
fungus or whatever), I germinate them on paper, plant them in
paper pots and put them out when they are 6"-1' high. But, if
I have a surplus, I plant them close. I agree that it isn't
a problem if you aren't aiming for exhibition beans.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Chris ] wrote in ]:

Why thin Runner beans?
Instructions say sow two seeds and thin to one.
What if you don't thin?
Fewer beans?
Slower growth?
Or what?

I have always during my 5 years of growing them, grossly overplanted.
I always germinate them indoors and then plant some of them out when I
think the last frost has gone. Then in June I plant the rest when it is
safe and free from frost.
Apart from this year, I have always had a great harvest from them.

Same with broad beans, but I sow them directly into the garden 1" or so
apart in a 2" deep drill after 24hours soaking in water. You can afford to
do this if you save your own seed.
Same with peas, grossly oversow them, almost touching each other.
Save plenty of seed is my advice.

IMO the seed companies like you to think that you have a long row of their
product by spacing it out too far apart. They would look silly, the
runners, in a row of 4' in a packet of 50 seeds? Much better for them to
say a 6 metre row spacing 9" apart.

Wishing you well.
Baz

"Baz" wrote in message
...
Chris ] wrote in ]:

Why thin Runner beans?
Instructions say sow two seeds and thin to one.
What if you don't thin?
Fewer beans?
Slower growth?
Or what?

I have always during my 5 years of growing them, grossly overplanted.
I always germinate them indoors and then plant some of them out when I
think the last frost has gone. Then in June I plant the rest when it is
safe and free from frost.
Apart from this year, I have always had a great harvest from them.

Same with broad beans, but I sow them directly into the garden 1" or so
apart in a 2" deep drill after 24hours soaking in water. You can afford to
do this if you save your own seed.
Same with peas, grossly oversow them, almost touching each other.
Save plenty of seed is my advice.

IMO the seed companies like you to think that you have a long row of their
product by spacing it out too far apart. They would look silly, the
runners, in a row of 4' in a packet of 50 seeds? Much better for them to
say a 6 metre row spacing 9" apart.

I'll get back to you, Baz when I am in a position to do that
--
--

http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Janet wrote:
More likely overcrowding. IME, such rampageous growth that the flowers
get lost in the foliage and tangle, beans get bent instead of hanging
loose, and you don't notice them until they are huge and tough.

I've found the best way to avoid that is to grow purple, yellow or pink beans.
:-) A lot harder (although not impossible) to lose.
Having said that, I quite enjoy the hide and seek aspect. Not as much as I do
with the red and white currants, which still give me a thrill when I lift a
leaf and find a little treasure trove ... ahh.
(Got a similar but not-quite-as-good thrill when I noticed the raspberries have
suddenly come out early today! Huge ones, too - did some seriously heavy
weeding this spring, which hasn't got rid of all of the weeds despite my best
efforts, but it seems to have seriously improved the crop, which were all small
and a bit squishy last year)

If you want a heavy set of nice straight beans you can see to pick at
the optimum size, then one plant per cane is plenty.

Nick has experimented with his bean frame this year, s othat the beans
should hang down on the outside instead of on the inside, in the hope that
it will help with shape and picking. It was a nice idea, but since none of
the damned beans will grow cos of the slugging ...

On 28/07/2012 19:45, wrote:
Janet wrote:
More likely overcrowding. IME, such rampageous growth that the flowers
get lost in the foliage and tangle, beans get bent instead of hanging
loose, and you don't notice them until they are huge and tough.

I've found the best way to avoid that is to grow purple, yellow or pink beans.
:-) A lot harder (although not impossible) to lose.
Having said that, I quite enjoy the hide and seek aspect. Not as much as I do
with the red and white currants, which still give me a thrill when I lift a
leaf and find a little treasure trove ... ahh.
(Got a similar but not-quite-as-good thrill when I noticed the raspberries have
suddenly come out early today! Huge ones, too - did some seriously heavy
weeding this spring, which hasn't got rid of all of the weeds despite my best
efforts, but it seems to have seriously improved the crop, which were all small
and a bit squishy last year)

If you want a heavy set of nice straight beans you can see to pick at
the optimum size, then one plant per cane is plenty.

Nick has experimented with his bean frame this year, s othat the beans
should hang down on the outside instead of on the inside, in the hope that
it will help with shape and picking. It was a nice idea, but since none of
the damned beans will grow cos of the slugging ...


I switched to netting several years ago, so no problems with 2 plants
sharing a came, or bean pole.
I save my own seed so to prevent any mix up I spray the ones I want to
keep with Blue Oasis Flower colour that way you don't find you have
picked beans you wanted to save.
Simples

"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
Why thin Runner beans?
Instructions say sow two seeds and thin to one.
What if you don't thin?
Fewer beans?
Slower growth?
Or what?
--
Chris

when I saw the title I thought you meant "why are my runner beans thin?" !
I grow them here and put them out two to a cane down the lottie.
My brothers beans got the advantage of the deep trench that dug with
chicken muck in and newspaper and they are doing really well. They have
small beans on already.

I planted mine just in the ground and it's no contest.
they are smaller and paler in the leaf and just not so good.