Our runner beans are surrounded by hoverflies, and their larvae will eat & so control the blackfly on the runner beans.
hoverfly
The hoverflies mimick wasps by having the same colouring, so they are left alone and avoided by other animals!
The following photo shows a hoverfly on a runner bean flower – it is on the top left of the photo.
hoverfly-&-blackfly
Unfortunately it is much easier to see the blackflyon the runner bean plants!
There is always a time lag whilst the controlling insects build up their numbers, & the pest increases. Hopefully the hoverflies will soon have the blackfly on the runner beans under control!
Gloria Bonde grows beautiful scarlet runner beans every year in a window box with a curved trellis rustically made of dogwood twigs that curves over the window box window.
Gloria says “They are so easy to grow. They have a beautiful red bloom.”
runner-beans-in-flower
Beans are so attractive and both flowers & beans come in many shapes & sizes . The new midwinter broad bean has beautiful flowers in shades of pink & red and seeds that are red, or that turn purple at maturity.
Comments Off
Bean flowers are beautiful and so variable. These photos show french bean, broad bean and scarlet runner bean flowers.
french-bean-flower
broad-bean-flowers
runner-bean-flowers
Comments Off
It is easy to raise new strawberry plants from runners. Strawberry runners must originate from a healthy mother plant.
* select a healthy plantlet on a runner, in June or July
strawberry-plantlets
* cut off the runner beyond the plantlet
trim-strawberry-runner
* fill a pot with compost. This pot can be buried in the ground, close to the plantlet. If the strawberries are grown under plastic, the pot will have to be kept above ground.
* peg the plantlet to the compost, but leave it attached to the mother plant.
In a few weeks, new plants will be big enough to be planted out as shown in the link.
Most varieties of strawberries produce runners (long stems) which produce plantlets along their length.
select-strawberry-runner
* These runners will sap the energy from the mother plant, and are usually cut off as soon as they are seen.
* But some growers allow them to grow and root between the plants, so that a continuous mat of strawberry plants is formed.
* The runners may be used to propagate new strawberry plants.
Now strawberries are coming to the end of their fruiting season, a few of the new strawberry runners can be allowed to develop. These can be used to plant a new bed. Click the links below for more information:
planting out new strawberry plants from runners
New strawberry plants from runners
Comments Off
strawberry-runner-in-pot
When the roots of the strawberry runner are growing out of the base of it’s
pot, cut it away from the parent plant.
Grow the young plants on, allowing them to become well rooted, and plant
them out in the autumn.
* Plant them quite shallow, with the base of the crown at soil
level, so that they do not rot.
* Start a new bed with the new runners.
* Strawberries should only be grown in the same place for 4 years
and then moved on. This is because viruses and pests build up in
the soil which reduce the crop.
Comments Off
The plantlets on strawberry runners which were potted up four weeks ago , have grown into strong young strawberry plants.
strawberry-roots
New roots have grown down and out of the bottom of the pot, as shown in the picture of the bottom of the pot above..
strawberry-linked
The runner, connecting the new plant in the pot with the mother plant, can
be cut & the peg can be removed.
cut-strawberry-cord
The new, young strawberry plant is now independent and able to feed itself. The
plant must be watered regularly whilst it is in the pot, to keep it damp.
strawberry-plants
