Grow Your Own Magazine

I have never grown runner beans before, but despite a huge number of blossoms none seem to be developing into pods. The flowers bloom, they stick around for some time before they fade away. Then they fall off the plant, with no hit of a pod to start. Are they not being fertilized? They are growing in widow boxed trained up vertically on supports, fresh compost and plenty of water. Only one plant is in blossom at the moment, do they require another plant to cross pollinate with? I have plenty of other blossoms in near-by plants to attract insects and bees, and the pea plants right next to them have had no trouble in producing pods. Any suggestions as to what might be happening?

I wouldn't have thought runner beans were a suitable crop for a window box. They grow to around 7 feet tall (unless you grow the dwarf variety (hestia I think). If the flowers are falling off they obviously haven't been pollinated or set, but they may have been pollinated and failed to set properly because of lack of water at the roots (growing in container)

Do you think it would upset them too much to transfer them into a bucket on the patio rather than window box?
If you know any sheep farmers, they get through a fabulous amount of large buckets for sheep feed, good deep ones, we use them for everything, as they also come with lids! (you need to drill holes in them for drainage when planting in them)

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http://clairescraftandgarden.blogspot.com/

Thank you for the suggestions. I've planted the runner beans every few weeks, so I have a variety of heights from several inches to seven feet. I suppose even if they don't produce beans, they're worth growing for the blossoms alone. The plants look healthy and happy, but I understand they aren't in ideal growing conditions. I'm unsure of the type of runner bean, because they were sent to me via the swap without packaging. Maybe next year I'll try a dwarf variety with better luck.

I don't bother growing runners, much prefer the taste and texture of french beans. However, I always found the first flowers iffy about setting. Once the weather is a bit better abnd the season further on, you'll get beans setting. They do set better if the plant is well watered though. I think they'll struggle in a window box. They are also said to set better if you mist them with water but I can't vouch for that personally.

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)