A bit surprised

[Dorsetmike]

Just sliced a pack of runner beans from Tesco and actually found they were all useable, none had been left on the plant until they were so big and tough they would be able to qualify for use as seeds, nor had they been picked so long ago as to be soft and limp. I usually reckon I'm lucky if I can use 60-70%, trouble with prepacked you can't see all that's in the pack and "loose" ones rarely appear. I can see their reason, the big tough ones weigh more so the longer they leave them on the plant the bigger the yield = more profit, never mind us poor b*****s that try and eat them.

At one time I grew my own, but now I don't have the space, nor am I able to do much at all in the way of gardening! There used to be a Pick yer own a couple of miles away, but that no longer operates, and it's a while since I saw any advertised in this area.

I do recall frozen runner beans being on sale for a couple of years back in the '80s but now only the dwarf or french or green beans (same things under diferent names?) which don't taste anywhere near as good.

Not sure what you call them over the pond, string beans or stick beans maybe, this is what they look like

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=r...AauwIGYCA&sqi=2&ved=0CC8QsAQ&biw=1689&bih=802

 

[wljmrbill]

I call them stringbeans my self or just snap or green beans..Mighty good with new potatoes, onion and alittle bacon.. My Garden has been a problem this year as we have had way to much rain and little Sun.. so hard to get my tomatoes, okra,squash to ripen,but the banana peppers are doing better.You are right fresh grown taste much better for some reason.. Maybe MIke use pots or container garden.. much easier to care for I find.. I have 20 plants in assorted size pots( up to 5 gal pots ) even my 2 patio blueberry bushes are in large containers and few others in the ground.. btw I have a clay soil too.

 

[teddy]

This seems to be a bean year. We were late planting both ground and runners, but they have both shot up and are producing good tasty beans. This is also a great year for cherries as it has been for local strwberries and a excellent year for apples seems to be on the cards.

teddy

 

[JHC]

Viva Mr Bean! We used to grow runner and broad beans in fact I think I will have a go again this year

 

[teddy]

There is nothing like home grown with no chemicals/fertiliser etc. We always plant two or three tomatoes including a cherry and they always taste so sweet.

teddy

 

[JHC]

We have a few Cherry trees they come from bird poo but taste sweet.

 

[Dorsetmike]

I remember one place we lived, not so much soil as grey sand and gravel, so I paid a visit to a sewage works and collected a free load of well treated and dried muck, spread it around, never saw so many tomato plants as came up.

 

[teddy]

Tomato pips pass through the boy unharmed. The local sewerage works in Canterbury was home to hundreds of tomato plants.Somehow they never appealed to me.

teddy

 

[JHC]

Seeds taken from an Egyptian Mummies tiny tummy were still fertile and grew the fruit as if time had stood still.

 

[teddy]

Its amazing what mummies can do.

teddy

 

[JHC]

Its amazing what mummies can do.

teddy

The immortal tomato seed must take the credit not the Mummies tiny tummy.