Garden And Gossip Forums

I don't net the beans. I have 3 poles one each end of a 20' row and one in the middle with canes in between to support a net.The net has 4" holes so not for protection. I use the same netting for sweet peas.
When I made a fruit cage, I ordered 100m of 2m width bird netting from easynets don't know if it is cheaper elsewhere but they are still selling it for the price I paid in 2014. It has got a few holes in now but they were made by rats or mice. I had to but 2ft of wire mesh round the bottom to keep the blackbirds out as they would go through the holes made by the rats but were not able to get out. There are still some places birds can get under at the bottom but I've only had robins and meadow pipits since but do need to block them sometime.

[attachment=686]Back to the beans. I've grown Borlotti on an unglazed GH frame. They grew up the sides, up one side of the roof and over to the other side. They didn't want to climb back down to the ground. The beans dangled from the roof and were easy to pick.

On the subject of CFB. I grow Hunter on VCs suggestion (along with others). I really like Hunter. Does anyone save the seed of this variety? Is it just a case of letting some pods dry off at the end of season?

I've just picked a load of Hunter beans this morning and tried to remember whether I had enough beans to grow it again next year. Must check!
I "think" the idea is that you leave a couple of plants unpicked and let them dry on the plant. Maybe I should follow my own advice.

I've left a couple of my broad beans plants on said advice

Agreed, I've left a few plants of BB masterpiece longpod to ripen for next year's seed. I assume I'll do the same for Hunter. Not yet though, they're still producing like mad.