- Joined
- Jul 23, 2009
- Messages
- 36,168
- Reaction score
- 16,753
- Location
- Ceredigion
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- 6
Are those kiwi fruit, fian?
Anyone else having similar trouble to us with runner beans this year? A couple of weeks ago they were literally covered with open flowers, however almost everyone fell off unfertilised. The same thing has just happened again. The upper parts of the plants were covered in flowers and after the deluges we’ve had in the last few days there are no flowers left. It’s not been like this in 25 years. I have never seen so few bees (honey or bumble) in our garden. Does anyone else think that bee numbers might be much lower this year?
Carol
In the first photo in the background towards me there is tomato, red beet, eggplant and lettuce.Are those kiwi fruit, fian?
Strangely my beans got off to a great start and the plants are strong and healthy, whereas usually by this stage I’m having to water nearly every night, but they would be setting some fruit. The dwarf beans have produced a small first picking. By comparison potato and chard harvest have been massive so far - so much bigger than usual.ine haven't even got as far as flowering yet
I've been growing vegetables for about 25 years and this is the worst year I can remember. Some things are still doing well, but an awful lot aren't.
Apples and sugar on the stove - stewing. After apples get mushy - add some walnuts and cinnamon. Crusty part I would have to ask my mother which one. This one is old recipe, I am better in eating itLooks delicious. Would you be prepared to share the recipe, please![]()
That’s how we store ours. In the buckets they grew in, moved into the polytunnelThat looks like a fabulous crop James. We had some whoppas too when we lifted ours last weekend.
We had a happy accident storing early potatoes last year (charlottes and one other variety possibly Kestrel). Due to a number of non-growing issues, we didn’t lift some of them until late summer/autumn. They were grown in very large pots (1m dia). The shores died back and we left the compost to get really dry. They lasted and lasted without problems. We still had some at Christmas. I guess it’s akin to supermarkets selling new pots out of season that have been dug at the right time, but stored in almost dry compost.
I grow Charlottes - but I find they are best eaten soon after they are lifted - I've not had a lot of luck storing them for any length of time - 2/3 weeks I find before they start to deteriorate. Either you have a secret or you are going to be eating a lot of potatoes !
SWMBO and I had a pleasant wooden toilet seat experience in Botswana about 15 years ago. Meant to be a small-group safari but there were only four guests. We moved camp every couple of days. The 'boys' would pitch our tent which included an attached screened en-suite area open to the sky. Within that they dug a hole upon which they placed a genuine Armitage Shanks porcelain toilet bowl complete with wooden seat. Maybe the seat was made by your Dad? SWMBO was mighty pleased....My late Dad owned a factory in 1952 in Dublin which made beautiful mahogany lavatory seats. Unfortunately it was just at the point in history when the world moved to making plastic seats and as they were so cheap the business had to close. Dad then made his living turning wooden bowls which ended up for sale in a large department store in Dublin, He often described the lavatory seat period as the bottom dropping out of the market!
Have got loads of flowers on the runner beans but few bumble bees which are one of the stronger insects able to access the flowers and allow fertilisation. I have seen a few more on the lavender so fingers crossed. Like JameZ it has been a strange year in the garden. I think that early flowering fruit has not been up to scratch. My pear crop will be weell down.Anyone else having similar trouble to us with runner beans this year? A couple of weeks ago they were literally covered with open flowers, however almost everyone fell off unfertilised. The same thing has just happened again. The upper parts of the plants were covered in flowers and after the deluges we’ve had in the last few days there are no flowers left. It’s not been like this in 25 years. I have never seen so few bees (honey or bumble) in our garden. Does anyone else think that bee numbers might be much lower this year?
Carol
Up the allotment this PM and there were many Bumbles working the runner beans.Have got loads of flowers on the runner beans but few bumble bees which are one of the stronger insects able to access the flowers and allow fertilisation. I have seen a few more on the lavender so fingers crossed. Like JameZ it has been a strange year in the garden. I think that early flowering fruit has not been up to scratch. My pear crop will be weell down.
I'm picking french beans and runners almost daily ... turn your back on them and there are more ready !Up the allotment this PM and there were many Bumbles working the runner beans.
My runners wont be ready for picking for at least 2/3 weeks. My allotment is (approx) 330 Mtrs above sea level... My cropping time is approx 2 weeks later than Porth at the junction of the two Rhondda valleys.I'm picking french beans and runners almost daily ... turn your back on them and there are more ready !
Sometimes you could cry, every single beetroot has had the top eaten out by mice. Sometimes you just feel you can't win! Luckily just enough time to try and get a winter crop
Enter your email address to join: