Grow Your Own Magazine

I've grown Lady DI runner beans this year. I had hight hopes for them.....

"Superb long, slim, fleshy completely stringless 12 inch pods with a very slow seed development resulting in heavy crops of tender delicious dark green pods over a long season."

I sowed them exactly how/when I should, so I was later than most the other people on the plots but it said they liked to mature later.
What I've ended up with is the most awful beans I've ever tasted. They grew quite quick and if they're not really young then they are unedible, the outer skin is so tough that you just can't bear to eat them and a few people have tried them to their horror. I've hardly had any, chucked most away when I was looking forward to a bumper crop where I could save some for the winter by freezing as well.
The leaves also developed brown spotting on them which I've not had in the past, mind you it's only the second year I've had the plot.

Any ideas what went wrong so I can correct it for next season?

I have so many answers to this, but Scarey55 keeps saying things about ontopic, moderators, thrashings and things ...

KK

Hi Nicky - how disappointing for you! Can I suggest that you shell the runners and eat the beans as beans instead?

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Sat 15/11/2008......there's gold in them thar...compost bins!......

Hmmm, I would treat them like a dried bean now and keep them for stews, as Hazel says, shell them and then use them.

It could be a variety that has a narrow window of harvesting for taste before they go over. It could be the soil too, what was there before?

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

Could it be the good old weather? Wet as a wet thing and then a warm spell. Maybe they just shot their bolt at the sight of a bit of sun.

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 17th - The Big Dig

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Jan A novice gardener - first year of growing

Nicky, this is my third year of growing the variety Polestar. I have saved seeds from each year to grow on and as the pollination has been good this year I've had my best crop ever. And they are the most delicious, tasting beans. Not stringy - no need to trim the edges and take about 2/3 mins to cook. And I only started them off in late April.

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~
Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.
~ Mary Kay Ash

I grew Best of All this year, and they've been fantastic. In spite of the dry weather they've cropped well, only a few too tough to eat and that was my fault for leaving them too long. Never tried Lady Di. I do like to try new varieties but if I am going to do so I usually just do a few plants, along with a trusted variety - that way you can compare results. Never trust the seed catalogues completely - they're a bit like Estate Agents.

Call me mr unadventurous but i grew scarlet emperor again! started off in may as usual this year and arrived 3 weeks later than last year and have had a bumper crop so far. I always pick them when there around 6-7", no strings at all, just top & tail and steam till ready. yum yum

KC