It has been very hot and dry here lately. The weather forecasts keep talking about rain and indeed great, slate-coloured clouds roll-up, covering the entire sky from horizon to horizon and then pass over without dropping so much as a teardrop of rain. All this aridness meant that I had to lug water for a number of plants--both in the flower garden as well as the veggie plots. Strawberry plants need moisture now. They have produced their fruit, but I need for them to send out runners with little plantlets on them for next years' beds. If I do not want the onions, Swiss chard, spinach, caulis and calabrese to shoot, then they need it too. My Lathyrus really like to get water regularly as well as some of the small bushes and plants are beginning to show the stress of having too little water. Well I give my runners water every other day but the French climbers are just the opposite--they do not like to be molly-coddled and be watered at all. In fact they like it hot, sunny and dry. Ok then, so I never give them water or food....generally speaking; however, there can come a time when giving French beans water is a necessity, strange as it may sound. The sure sign is when the lower leaves of the bean plants begin to yellow. The longer one waits...the higher up the vine you will find leaf yellowing. In my head, proximal leaf yellowing is a sign that I have already waited too long. With this degree of dryness, the bean plant can "get the message" that the season is over and it can stop producing and die (prematurely). Another sign that the plant is dehydrated is the nobby look of the beans in the pod. When dehydrated, the pod sort of "draws-in", like something hermetically sealed in plastic, making the beans more pronounced. The beans inside the pod can quickly become mealy when this occurs. This is a normal process when the bean has finished growing and has gotten to it's normal long and thick size at the end of the summer. You can see what I mean by the plant getting the incorrect signal as a result of the arid conditions. So, when I realize that internal changes have begun, I have to take steps (albeit too late). I got down on my knees in the heat and itchy leaves and watered each plant slowly and thoroughly. It took ages to do because I had to get up and go refill the watering can each time. --Enter Mr. Murphy-- This morning when I got up, as I was boiling water for tea....it began raining...heavily. :-? Another thing about beans is that they prefer hot and sunny days and warm nights. It's the "hot and sunny" thing that I now want to mention. This preference is just built-into the genetic constitution of the French bean...most beans, actually. On an allotment, there is little possibility for planting beans in any other condition than an exposed, full-sun place. However I have a different type of allotment and folks who garden at home may also have trees and shrubs here and there which can cast shadow or create a dappled light scenario. Here you see a few bean plants at the western end of the row which are barely 12 inches tall. Their neighbours (to the left) are of a normal height. Here are the neighbouring plants growing well above my head. What cast the shadow was a Clematis plant which has filled the arch just to the right of these plants. Unfortunately, it casts a shadow for most of the day. While this wasn't a test, it sort of reminded me of the relationship between shade and beans. That Clematis is about three times larger than it was last year--that was unexpected. The stubby plants do produce the odd flower and bean, but not to an acceptable degree. I am wondering if there is something about the combination of heat and sunlight at certain levels that somehow induce the plant to produce flowers...if there is not some physiologic "switch" that get flipped or not flipped. I wish that I knew more about bean physiology on a more esoteric level. It is one thing to be short and stubby and another to not form the usual amount of flowers, and thus bean fruit. The "shady beans" exhibit both negative traits. It is interesting to note that, there are bean sorts that are "low" types whose character it is to produce ample flowers and fruit. It's in their genes to do that however, so they are not exhibiting any abnormal behaviour. I am concluding that without the presence of ALL the factors which this type of bean requires, it's function will be impaired...not necessarily to the degree that it dies, but certainly to the point that it puts only a half-hearted effort into reproducing itself. That is, after all, what we are actually talking about here--self propagation. The plants do not even "stretch" toward the light like other plants will do and become leggy on the windowsill in the spring. The shade then is having a severe impact on the bean plant. The plants seem to lack the will to do what they need to in order to function properly and survive. This "lacking of the will" to grow upwards where they could perhaps get the sunlight they need has a severe retarding effect. So, because of the situation where light is restricted, not only do they not make many flowers and thus not many beans...but they also do not grow upwards.-- Jack would be disappointed. Other than the few plants in the shade of the wandering Clemats, I am harvesting French beans like mad...one trug-full after the other. Fresh beans....I have already frozen more than five kilos! ...But the best thing is --eating them fresh. You can see that you don't need to trade your only cow for some "magic beans", to be successful--just plant regular beans out of the shade!...No golden eggs; but ach, there is something to be said for eating your own freshly grown beans, right.
That's an interesting post, Sjoerd. I learned something about beans from my garden spot this year too. The limas were too shaded from some cucumbers so they didn't get big and bushy or produce many beans either. Oh well, live and learn. Hooray for Farm Stands at this point. Your harvested beans sure do look yummy. Ya gonna cook 'em long and slow with ham and potatoes? Mmm mmm good. Also, parboiled, then sauted in a pan with olive oil, a bit of butter, bacon and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar... Or, how about boiled with a dressing of citrus... I must be hungry.
You have sure made me hungry.I use to have many beans growing.They stop making early here in Texas because its way to hot for them.I'm so glad you got rain .I hope it wasn't to late for your beans.
Fresh beans are great and your's are sure looking good enough to pick right off the screen here. We may get some rain today. Everyone is looking forward to it. Lugging water for dogs is sure enough for me. dooley
Thanks for all the information about beans...Everything I ever wanted to know about beans but was afraid to ask Looks like you are have a good crop of beans despite the conditions. Even though Murphy's law prevailed ...Anything worth doing is well worth over-doing.
Thanks DAISY--Thanks for reading the posting. Sorry that you had a bit of bad luck with your beans this year, next year will be better, eh? When I read your questions about how I would eat them, I had to keep dobbing my lips to keep the drool at bay. Actually I iz gonna eat dem beans da rite way, da rong way and any ways I kin. Thanks GLENDA--Sorry to hear that it gets so darned hot there. I hope the beans will survive and go on to produce even more. I havce about half of what I need now. Thanks to you,DOOLEY-- There really isn't anything like fresh beans, that's true. Don't you wear yourself out lugging that water for the dog. I have something to thank you for as well..... hahaha....DROOPY-- Too bad you can't come and harvest. There will be an over-abundance if all make it to maturity.
Gail--our postings crossed. Oh well, thanks for reading. Yeah....about that bean info sorry. Sometimes once I get going I sorta go OTT. I just sort of started writing as I thought. Not very orderly, I know...but it was good for me to think about them. I like your philosophy on over-doing. chuckle.
Your harvested beans look great Sjoerd. I also picked some today and was glad to see that there were plenty of flowers. I am even tempted to sow a short row now to try and get a late crop in the autumn.
Thanks much,EJ--I've never heard of planting beans this late...but the season has been so crazy lately that you might just succeed. I would like to say, "If you will, I will", but our weather here is different than yours and I don't think that it woud work here(we are too cool and wet). Gosh, I'd like to though. I shall ponder this.
