Carried away

[jayb]

I saw a stip of tilled earth and while I really wasn't planning to and I'm not sure why I did, other than it seems my impulse switch is playing up, which leads me to planting too many darn seeds!!!

Dwarf French sown this year (and I really do prefer climbing ones) There might be a couple of half runner types in there. All direct sown and overall germination has been good. A few seeds have been taken by something and a few seedlings tweaked out of the ground, I suspect blackbirds as they have been trying pluck out some recently planted sweet corn too. Varying amounts sown, one variety, Maria Zeller, just the 3 seeds I had, others like Norberg, Red Swan and Trofero quite a few more.


Aramis
Beefy Resilient Grex
Blue Bloom
Cannelino Rosso
Early China
Ernie’s Big Eye
Littlefield’s Special
Maria Zeller
Mayacoba Limon
Norberg *
Reade Krobbe
Red Swan *
Robert’s Royalty
Shirokostruczkovnia
Stephenson’s Blue Eye
Trofero*
Yin Yang*

* marks the varieties I've grown before, lots of new to me ones, Hoping to find a new favourite

I have a bad case of shiny bean syndrome!

[Galina]

No, not y o u r impulse ...................... it's the beans themselves! They say 'Plant me! Plant me, please! Plant me now! .................................................. .. How do I know? ......................lol

It's all good Jayb - really!

[jayb]

Scary, I'm being taken over by the shiny beans!

[Galina]

At last a bit of rain here again, that will do the beans and potatoes a world of good. How is this patch doing for you now?

[jayb]

It was doing ok, although a bit slow to get going and still a little way off flowering. Black birds have been horrid this year digging up seedlings and seeds, so I had resown some. Norberg's are looking strong but after yesterday the top end of the dwarf bean row is probably ok but where the dog had a digging session down the bottom and I'm not sure what can be salvaged. I don't think I'm going to even look today. Red Swan will be ok which is good

[templeton]

Red Swan didn't do much good for me when i grew it last year. Still getting my head around differences in bean cultivation. Blackbirds are a real menace here, too. Dug up my green mountain bulbs yesterday. I either net or place plastic crates over things til they get established. Here bakeries deliver to shops using big flat trays about 600 X 900, perfect for keeping birds off

[templeton]

[jayb]

Shame about Red Swan, it's a tasty bean, might be worth trying again. I wonder perhaps if it slightly more suited to cooler wetter climes and might do better for you grown slightly earlier or later?

That crate looks ideal, much better shape than the ones we get over here. The ones I have, have an open front so not much use for keeping things out, although quite handy for carrying stuff about. Wow the size on those potato onions are fab Really hope mine can do as well.