runner beans flowering but no fruit

Posted by Dave Brooker on February 4, 2011 at 12:14am

I hope someone can help - I have runner bean plants that are healthy, with lots of flowering, but have had no fruit at all. They are grown out of the wind, regualr watering but from seeds that I had from last year (which also did not fruit, but did not flower either as the plant was in a windy location, I think the flowers got blown away).

 

Could it be bad seeds, or not enough bees around?

 

any ideas? Much appreciated,

 

Dave

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Replies

  • Kali February 4, 2011 at 4:09am
    I had flowers and  a first flush of beans and then there was severe wind, all the leaves were whipped to pieces, no more  beans have formed since and no more flowers have come, a dissapointing season.
    • Sue Story > Kali April 7, 2011 at 2:55am
      Apparently it helps to water the flowers of scarlet runners as that helps pollination. Need lots of water on flowering. Our best scarlett runner year was when we had a very wet November and the crop was stunning.This year was good except in Jan/February when it was very dry.Scarlett runners like a cooler climate it appears. Our dwarf beans were super this year and we are still pick heaps from a late planting. 
  • Dave Brooker February 4, 2011 at 12:57am

    I have read a bit more about runners, apparently the flowers have both male and female organs and the two parts rub together caused by bees sitting on the flowers or the wind.

    I will try polinating the flowers myself with a small brush (a bit of agri-gynocology lol). Here is a link that might be useful: scarlet runenrs

     

     

    Good luck, will let you knwo how it goes,

    Dave

    • Charmaine > Dave Brooker February 4, 2011 at 1:47am
      thanks for that, I have been having the same problem too! very windy here so thought that would help with pollinating but does not seem to.
  • Ketana Saxon February 4, 2011 at 12:46am

    Hi Dave

     

    Am very interested in this question as I have had similar...although in the beginning we did get some beans but not as per usual yeild....later in the season usually there are always more flowers and more beans however this year lots of flowers and no more beans....plenty of bees around. This is our first year in a different garden amd we had put the problem down to more bugs as we've not yet achieved the balance we had in previous garden where we eventually had no bug problems. We've got white fly and sheild bugs so assumed this is the cause...be most intersted to hear what others have to say.....

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