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I've been growing some runner beans in a container for a couple of weeks which I started off indoors in loo rolls from seed but they are looking pathetic! The slugs have attacked a bit but I can't blame it on them.

What can I do to beef them up? They look absolutely pathetic!

my best guess if youve had them out a 'few weeks' is they went out too early, whereabouts are you? they just do not like cold and my dad always said 1st week june is plenty early enough to be putting them out and ive found this to be true, maybe try giving them a boost of something or if all else fails bungs some more in they'll soon catch up

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The love of gardening is a seed once sown never dies ...

Actually I planted them out on the 1st of June and I'm in London so it is not too frosty.

Until this year I've been growing my beans in loo rolls before planting them out. The last couple of years they've done pretty disastrously, and I've heard somewhere that they add lots of chemicals to the cardboard these days to make it super strong and practically rot proof. This year I've gone back to pots and so far they're doing fine, and are one of the few things the slugs haven't attacked
I'd try feeding them and doing a nightly slug patrol, and maybe planting a few extra as back up in case the slugs do their worst.

Mine have been outside nearly a week now in pots all 16 plants are doing fine apart from one that's died off from the root up.

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Bren

I think they may have shot up too quickly on my windowsill so they are all gangly with few leaves. The slugs have got a couple but I have been doing the dailyslug patrol and haven't found many. They are mostly on my pots and radishes so I am removing them elsewhere.

The beans look like they need a blooming good pick-me-up-I don't think they will do much as they are.

Did you harden them off before putting them out? Sometimes the shock of going from a warm windowsill to outdoors can stunt them a bit, so sticking them in a cold frame or even just taking them outside during the day and bringing them in again at night for a few days can help. I was a bit daft last year because I was going away and had some courgettes and sweetcorn that desperately needed planting out, but hadn't been hardened off. The result was that they ended up looking wimpish and miserable and I was castigated by my other half for being lazy I have learnt from my hastiness this year!!

I just stuck mine outside with some fleece over them for a week or so, then planted them out. They're doing well, some nibbles from slugs and snails, and one Frenchie bean had it's head eaten off. I was upset to say the least.

Jennifer

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Whilst typing the above reply, I was probably supposed to be doing homework. My excuse: I'm hooked!

I thought I had hardened them off for about a week but somebody on here suggested I plant them out as they were spurting up and were a bit fragile for constantly moving in and out, (breaking off etc.)

I have nurtured them so much that it is such a shame if i have blown it by planting them out too soon-mibd you, they were becoming unmanageable indoors as they were growing too fast!

I sowed mine at the begining of may, in toilet rolls, outside by the wall of the house. That gave them enough protection, and i'm now planting them out down the allotment. They all look reasonably healthy and the roots are pushing through the cardboard nicely. They never needed hardening off this time. So all is good.

I sowed mine in pots in the greenhouse on 13th April and planted them out 10th May. They now are almost to the top of the canes, and I have colour showing in the flowers. I don't know where you are but I would think you may be able to plant some more, straight into the ground or in pots just until they get their first leaves if you have slugs, then if your ones don't make it, you already have some more coming on. The crop might be a bit later, but not by much. Runners grow very quickly.
Ann

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One problem could be the fact that you are growing in containers. Remember beans like cool, moist feet. Try putting a good mulch on the pots to keep cool and moist.

Ian

Well, all my runner beans have been in flower for two weeks now! But I'm not happy. The plants went into shock when attacked by a load of slugs and snails in one night. So only 4 foot high, lots of red flowers, but look really poorly. It's so annoying because, whatever else I fail in, I've always had a good harvest of beans.

Nothing is happening! They still look pathetic-a few chewed leaves and nothing else as if they have regressed since I planted them out. I've put vaseline round the top of the container and I haven't seen any slugs since. I've watered and put some tomorite but I need a big tonic boost or something.....don't think there is much hope though.

Shall I start again? Much as it pained me, I picked up another pack of seeds yesterday. Could I just push another seed in at the bottom of each cane without removing the poorly plants and see what happens or pull the others out and start again-I don't really want to do that and equally I don't really want to go and find another big container and buy yet more compost!

As a point of interest, is the compost peat based?

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If it ain't broke, don't fix it and if you ain't going to eat it, don't kill it

It is the stuff from the recycling depot so quite rich but also rough and ready!

a couple of mine were a bit gangley so i just buried them a little deeper seem to be doing ok for now just the slugs eating me frenchies thats annoying me the most :@

The only reason I asked was having remembered a test done a couple of years ago on various composts. Peat based compost came out on top and coi compost was described as having all the nutrient value of a house brick. Recycled should be great, even if it is a bit rough.
It's possible that they're still developing a new rooting system, so I'd have a bit more patience

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If it ain't broke, don't fix it and if you ain't going to eat it, don't kill it