RUNNER BEANS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 January 1941, Page 9

RUNNER BEANS

A QUESTION OF SPACING. In all probability the runner beans, when sown, were spaced at eight or nine inches apart possibly even a foot, and if growth is as vigorous as it should be. the foot distance is all to the advantage of the crop. But. in any case, it is seldom that the growth of a row of beans is so uniform that the stakes on the whole row will be equally covered with growth.

Whenever two or three vines are twining round one stake and the next is scantily clothed, carefully unwind one trail, stretch it from a point near the ground to the next stake, guide it round and loosely tie it in its new position. When overcrowding extends to two or three successive stakes, it pays to cut one or two short, unravelling and discarding the severed portions. This gives tho remainder breathing space and induces the cut-back plant to produce lateral growths, which may be trained and tied horizontally along the lower parts of a few stakes which would otherwise have been bare below, although overcrowded at the top. Many growers of runner beans in Masterton have not bothered much about spacing out the plants and have obtained excellent results, allowing only two or three inches between plants.