Author Topic: Making sense of growing* (Read 2515 times)

Calm Gardens · « **on:** May 08, 2014, 09:50:22 pm »

French beans - quick question & an educated guess.
My first sowings of french bean (cobra) in a clients' plot appear to be growing at a much less substantial rate than the ones kept in my greenhouse. Obviously the varying temperatures outside will be affecting those that aren't cosy under glass and wood. I've noticed alot of dried mud from dripping rain on the underside of the bottom leaves. I understand the process of water transpiration and gas exchange through the stomata on the underside of a leaf, so would this muddyness on the leaves be physically affecting their rate of growth?? Anyone help?

Greenerlife · « **Reply #1 on:** May 08, 2014, 10:15:15 pm »

Doubt that mud would stop them - just settling in I would say, and getting splattered from below. The greenhouse ones always get leggy and the outside ones are always stouter and squatter because they have to be hardier and protect themselves. Well - that's my guess anyway. Patience is required, that's all! Sure they'll be yummy

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #2 on:** May 08, 2014, 10:18:54 pm »

The different growing medium could make a difference as well. Even if you are growing yours in soil as well, its composition is unlikely to be identical to your client's. A friend once gave me a load of broccoli plants as she's sown too many. She put hers in ordinary soil. Mine went in soil that I had dug out from under the hen house. Mine were double the size of hers in no time. You could practically see them growing.

HesterF · « **Reply #3 on:** May 10, 2014, 10:16:26 pm »

My first sowing of French beans this year (dwarf - Valdor from memory) is looking pathetic (sowed early April). I think the same happened last year. When they do go well, they go really fast so I'm going to sow again tomorrow. I've never started them off inside - normally not a problem directly outside if the conditions are right. I think it was really dry for a couple of weeks after they first went in this year and now it's colder and wetter again. Last year was just rubbish anyway until May (but beans were great in the end).

Calm Gardens · « **Reply #4 on:** May 13, 2014, 10:49:51 am »

thanks everyone for your replies, i look forward to posting in the future and appreciate the sharing of knowledge and experience. This is my first year growing in Scotland so you never stop learning

Treud na Mara · « **Reply #5 on:** May 13, 2014, 02:39:40 pm »

Where are you in Scotland ? The growing conditions vary hugely. I live in Caithness, but spend two weeks in six in East Lothian and the journey between the two (300 miles or so) could be between different counties at times. Up north at the moment the potatoes are only just in the ground and most other things still in seed trays inside, but down south the potato field get greener every day and grain crops are about 6 inches high and the rapeseed is in full flower. Things will change up north shortly though as it already has about half an hour extra daylight every day and things will soon romp away.