Deformed beans

My climbing French beans are becoming more and more twisted as the season draws to a close. Does anybody know what causes it? - They are still picked and eaten.

The only time I had anything like that - they were more the V-shape than the curly ones - I was told it was a pollination problem. I don't know how true it was.

It always happens to me - or to my FBs to be more accurate!  It's as if, as the plants age, they are less able to maintain the straight form.  And I believe that the problem is more to do with the very young beans having new bean shoots curling around them and causing them to become twisted.  Makes no difference to the taste - but you wouldn't see them on the shelf at Tesbury's!!!

Happens to my runners too - but they still taste just as good 

Actually, the one on the top left of the pic looks like . . .  a Turkey Twizzler - the thing of infamy highlighted by Jamie Oliver as the nadir or school lunches!  Now, if they could get all the beans to grow like that, we might be able to get the little darlings to eat their greens

Nothing to worry about, as you know they taste normal and that is all that matters.  A touch of cold to make them grow quicker on one side than the other, a tiny knoock or bit in their extreme youth and this happens - the supermarkets make the growers throw these out as the little ignorant darlings, kept that way by the companies,  who buy them might not like the look of them - I won't say the words I think about that, this is an open site!!

I positively relish the quirky and the mis-shaped veg.  It reminds me of my youth (OMG - you just wouldn't want to know how long ago that was ) when the local market had all sorts of veg and fruit in huge piles, and no-one cared about the shape or the dirt on the spuds etc.  We ate loads of seasonal stuff (none of these beans from Kenya and the like, let alone "mini sweetcorn" which, in my eyes, is unformed, under-ripe and flavourless!).  The worst time of year was late spring.  Green = cabbage.  And more cabbage.  And more . . .   well, you get the picture.  Boring doesn't come into it.  But it meant that the first peas and new potatoes tasted wonderful!

Aaaah! nostalgia - it ain't wot it used ter be

I have just cleared the Runner and French Bean supports - and had the final pickings for veg tonight.  Now I know that autumn/winter is on its way.  Sprouts soon!

If we get a dry day at the weekend I was going to reap a final harvest. I sowed some late veg in July hoping August and September would produce some sun and late crops but it wasn't to be. Caterpillars have feasted on my chad, spinach and sprouts

And slugs must have teeth because something has even started eating a late sowing of kohl rabi.  

After the long, stinking hot summer that made growing anything just about impossible, I'm harvesting about a kilo of delicious Cobra F1s a day. Stuffing ourselves with them fresh, freezing what we can't manage. A freezer full of beans for the winter. Yum.

My french beans ended up the same i thought it was down to watering as this year they either had too much then there wasnt enough. Runners were brilliant and if i eat any more will end up in the marathon next year. Ha Ha

Runner and french beans have been one of the few plants which haven't been attacked by pests here. They've produced an excellent crop and still going strong I've just got fed up with eating beans and as the freezer is full have all but stopped picking them. They still look quite lush growing over the path on arches but I was thinking of letting them die off to save some beans to sow next year.

Just in last few weeks, I've had lots of black fly on my french and runner beans. Might be coincidence but this has been when the beans started to go funny shapes too...