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Beans, Peas & Legumes

Enough sun for Scarlet Runners?

16 years ago

We have only two windows in our apartment and they are west-facing. We also have a heat and privacy issue as the building is single story and there is a sidewalk only 10 feet away from our windows(it is only the other tenants and their visitors using the walk). I was hoping to plant some SRB's in a container with twine running up to the eaves in front of the(smaller)bedroom window. This side of the building gets shade until about 12:30, then gets scorching hot sun for about 4 to 5 hours. Is this enough sun for SRB's to bloom? Other annuals like Petunias and Marigolds do fairly well in this spot. Any advice is appreciated.

Comments (8)

ruthieg__tx
16 years ago
I'd say if your petunias and marigolds do well to just go ahead and try it....It sounds workable to me and you never know till you try something..
noinwi
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for responding. It'll be a while before it's warm enough to try it, but I'll post my results.
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Well, I'm picking up this subject realizing that the last entry was in 2008! I come from England and have always had great success with scarlet runners there. Here in N California, that is not so! For 2 years running, I have had hardly any pods forming, dammit! After much theorizing about the negative effects of high summer temp's here (E.g., ave. temp in July is around 93) - which I don't find convincing, as the original runner bean did I believe come from sub-tropical S America; and noting that all my other fruits and veg's are doing amazingly well in my deep and/or raised beds, including bush beans - MY theory is: humming birds! We have many of thse beautiful but, as far as the runner beans go, PESKY critters in our yard, and I observe that they have a distinct preference for the scarlet, and scarlet & white, flowers. I think they're using their long tongues to take the nectar, which they don't enter the flowers to do - unlike the beneficial bees, who effect the cross-pollination by actually entering the flower and getting pollen on their bodies, transferring it to the next flower, and so on ... SO, when the humming bird's been a-calling, there's no nectar left for the bees, who seem to know that ... I see them hovering at the lip of the flower momentarily, then going on their busy/buzzy way! Solution!?: I'm experimenting with netting, which has mesh just wide enough to admit bees, but not birds - even the diminutive humming ones! I know bees are getting through the mesh, because I put a couple of rows of bush beans between the rows of beansticks, and they are producing like Billy-O, as we say in Britain. I'm now waiting to see if I get any pods forming on the runners ... five days, and no sign of any yet. Hmph! The other thing that's happening is that the bean-tendrils have started to climb through the mesh, so I now have protected bean flowers inside the mesh, and an increasing number of unprotected ones outside it, reaching for the sky! Regardng all of the above, the best case scenario is: I will get lots of beans forming inside the mesh, and the beautiful humming birds will still get to nosh on runner bean nectar from the ones 'beyond the pale'! Watch this space ...
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jimster
16 years ago
I agree with Ruthieg.

Jim
jwr6404
16 years ago
noinwi
Read the thread on Insuks Wang Kong(Runner Bean) on this forum. I'm sure they will grow for you. If interested PM me and I'll send you some seed.
Jim
noinwi
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the offer Jim, and the link. The IWK's sound interesting, but for this application, they'd be wasted on me.
The only other time I've grown SRB's, was in the mid-80's in the Puget Sound area. It was my first garden and I planted them along a fence in full sun and bad soil, yet they were very productive. I picked them young for 'green beans' and put lots of them in the freezer.
This time I'm just wanting some privacy and less afternoon heat on the window...oh, and the chance for our indoor only kitties to watch any hummingbirds that might show up. I picked up a cheapo seed pack at Walmart(Ferry Morse). If those do ok, then maybe next year I'll be looking for something a little more exciting. Thanks again.
jwr6404
16 years ago
noinwi
I live in the Puget Sound area,University Place,between Tacoma and Steilavoom.I use the plants around my screened in Back porch to block the Sun. They grow very profusely as Zeedman's photos in the IWK reflect.
Jim
flora_uk
16 years ago
Pick the beans if you want them to keep producing flowers. Otherwise they will think they have produced their descendents and stop bothering to bloom. Also you might want to think about whther the eaves cause a rain shadow. Runners need plenty of moisture at the roots and good rich soil. But they are very happy to grow up strings so go ahead and try them. By the way, you can sow them indoors and plant out as soon as any frost risk is past. They transplant fine and you can save a couple of weeks.
noinwi
Original Author
16 years ago
Here's the window in question(including cat). The eaves aren't very deep and during T-storms the plants below get pounded with rain(basically the only rain we get comes in storm form). I plan on moving the current planter box(which houses my mints)and putting a larger box in its place for the beans. I do plan on starting them inside, but since there's still snow in the forecast, it will be a while. Our nighttime temps are still in the 20's(sigh). Thanks for the soil and picking tips.

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