Other Years

Scarlet Runner

2011
May 31: I bought a package of 14 seeds, from the Burpee company. I planted 9 of them in the peat pots that the nasturtiums wouldn't start in, and water them with No Damp.
June 10: I planted 6 seeds around a pole, and set 8 pots out also.
23: Two beans are up by the pole. The plants in the pots are doing well.
 
2009
July 4: I put some seeds in water to sprout, but only one sprouted. That one is in the semi-circular bed and is coming along fine.
August 18: Flowering.
 
2008
June 18: I planted 5 beans in the small semicircular bed.
26: One sprout.
October 8: There were 3 sprouts and eventually about 2 flowers.
 

Scarlet Runner Bean, 2003

2007
May 16: I started 6 beans in cups indoors. The seeds were from last year’s crop.
27: 5 beans sprouted and Ben set them out today.
June 16: They have grown and some of them are twisting their way up the tripods.
24: Flowering.
 
2006
May 22:  I started seeds in styrofoam cups. I put 2 seeds in each cup, one from the 2002 package, one from the 2003 crop.
28:  One sprout.
29:  I set out 4 seedlings.
31: And 2 more.
August 1: Doing fine, climbing the tripods.
 
2003

Bean tripods, August, 2003

Bean tripods, Spring, 2003

May 8:  I built 2 linked tripods for the beans to climb.
19:  I planted 24 beans, 12 collected last year and 12 from the package, in 24 cups.
24:  Nine sprouts from the purchased seeds, none from the others.   I saw today that Bodi's Garden Centre sells treated bean seeds in bulk.
25:  Now eleven sprouts from the purchased seeds, ten from the others.   I set 18 sprouts out around the bean poles.
27:  Now all beans have sprouted.
28:  A cutworm got one.   I found it in the soil in the morning; it won't get any more.
June 22:  One flower bud is showing red.
July 2:  The many scarlet flowers are making a gay display!
29:  Still true.   Still no beans, but that's ok.
August 26:  There are 3 beans, and the flowers have stopped.
October 19:  I got a few more flowers and found a few more beans.
 
2002
February 27:  I ordered a package of beans, Scarlet Runner, 698, $2.50, from Stokes, but I don't know where I will grow them!
May 28:  I erected 3 bean poles at the northwest edge of the garden using old cove moulding.
June 9:  I planted 15 seeds.
19:  Breaking through.
25:  All the leaves on the plants around one pole were eaten since yesterday.   Probably a rabbit.   I made a slurry of garlic and water and put it on the remaining leaves and around them.
July 24:  One bean pole snapped off.   The plants are doing well, climbing the remaining 2 poles.   There are a few flowers.
September 8:  They flowered beautifully and abundantly, but there are no beans at all!   All 3 poles are broken now; I guess moulding isn't pliable enough.
October:  There are beans now!   I guess the flowers were not being fertilized on the poles, but were while lying on the ground.
 
2002 was the first year I tried them.