Your comments and tips

15 Jul 21, VJ Pertzel (Australia - tropical climate)

Are there any beanfly resistant beans? It is so disappointing to keep losing our bean crops!

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21 Jul 21, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I only grow them in the spring time - no bugs then.

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18 Jun 21, Barker (USA - Zone 8b climate)

I’m in zone 8b and my pole beans grow like mad so I’ve never had problems with my soil and it’s mostly cow pasture about 30 years ago in other words there’s nothing in it only what I put in it. I started some raised garden beds with rich top soil and I planted small amount of seeds basically what I planted in the big garden except for a few. My pole beans were over 7 years old along with some of the other seeds but I used them to. Before you plant your beans check them out if you see a tiny little hole in it they will not grow. I soak my beans for 20 minutes before hand planting

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23 Jun 21, Anonymous (USA - Zone 10a climate)

Soak over night - up to 12 hours then plant.

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16 Feb 21, Tom ( Queensland - sub tropical climate ) (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I have been told that SCARLET RUNNER beans, will usually fail to flower and fruit in my sub-tropical Brisbane location, presumably owing to temperatures and humidity. If this is correct for usual planting times, so should I try growing them in our Autumn and Winter period ?

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17 Feb 21, Anonymous (Australia - temperate climate)

There are times of the year to plant a crop and times when not to. I don't plant beans in the autumn/winter - why because the bean fly kills them. Late summer autumn is usually a wet time with rain - rain is the giver of life to most things, plants insects disease. So now I grow my beans from late winter - no bean fly no problems. In sub tropical don't expect to grow much over summer - weather extremes are too hazardous for most plants. I live near Bundy.

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17 Feb 21, Steve (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I have given up on Scarlet Runners, had no success in Brisbane, some success in Southern NSW and good crop in Canberra. That should indicate the weather they like :-) I now grow dwarf beans only, fewer pests, bigger crops, no need for frames or teepees.

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09 Feb 21, McDaniel (USA - Zone 10a climate)

Can you start pole beans inside instead of outside. My ground not ready yet

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15 Feb 21, Anonymous (USA - Zone 5a climate)

You have to be very careful growing seedlings indoors. New seedlings chase the sunlight and become very long (leggy) and thin stalked and therefore weak. Easy to snap the stalk. I germinate seed under shade cloth part day in sun, part day in shade. Two days after germination I take the shade cloth off. I move the table to vary the hours of sunlight and shade depending on how small/big seedlings are and what the temperature is.

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25 Oct 20, Kenneth Daunt (Australia - temperate climate)

I have some Purple King, first time with these, and they are climbing up the frame very well. I had a suggestion to pinch of the top to encourage them to spread sideways. Is this a good idea? If they keep going, now over 2 m high, I will have to train the leaders dideways or down as they will have run out of support. Cheers.

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