Techniques

Instead of watering daily, soak the soil thoroughly every few days. It forces plant roots to grow deeper, helping them become stronger.

You also should be watering either in the early morning or at sunset in the evening, as the sun will make the water evaporate and the plants will not be able to absorb the water properly. We recommend watering only if it is warm and clear, as wind will increase evaporation.

This should be obvious, but make sure you water them directly at the base of the plant. Watering straight onto the plant leaves will spread it unevenly and will waste water.

An easy way to check if your plant needs watering is by putting your finger in the soil. If the top 2 inches are dry, only then you should water it. Overwatering can cause rot in the roots.

Soil Quality

Heavy soil retains too much water, while finer soil drains too fast. You should add compost, peat, or a rotted manure to balance texture and water retention.

A great thing to do is spread 2-3 inches of mulch like bark or straw around your plants, as this will hold moisture in, will keep soil temperature more stable, and helps to prevent weeds from taking the nutrients.

Effective Changes

A hose with a nozzle is the quickest manual way to water your plants, but automatic equipment like a soaker hose or a drip irrigation system will make it quicker and easier, but should only be required in a big garden.

If you group plants which need the most water together, and keep drought resistant plants separate, it will make watering them more efficient.

Potted plants dry out faster due to being smaller in volume, and keeping them in the hot sun only makes it worse. The best way to combat this is to use large pots with a good soil, and keep them out of intense sun.

Put holes into the bottom of your plant pots (if they don’t have holes already) with something like a drill, and put them in containers. Any water that leaks out could be reused, and this will also help prevent overwatering.

For the best watering, you could install a smart irrigation timer. These systems automate watering based on attributes like weather, soil moisture, and time.

Copper Tape

This is a common method to deter slugs, as the trail causes a reaction and will put them off of coming any closer. This is a good and harmless way to keep them away from your lawn or plants. Simply stick down as a border around plant pots or your lawn and it will act as an invisible wall for snails.

Beer Trap

Slugs love the scent of beer, which is why beer traps are a great way to get rid of them. Simply any cheap beer poured into a small container will lure them into climbing in and drowning. Place the trap near to a spot where you commonly see them hang out at, and check daily to see how effective it has been. Dispose of dead creatures in compost, or leave them out for the wildlife to eat.

If you do not have access to beer, or want to save money, you can mix yeast, flour, sugar and water together and they will like it just as much.

Crushed Eggshells

These can be used as a barrier as the sharp texture will draw snails away. Dry in the oven and crush in a blender, and place around what you want to protect, and slugs should avoid passing it. Make sure you prepare the shells properly, as egg residue could draw even worse pests, like rodents, to visit.

Hand picking

This is the most simple way to keep snails and slugs away, as moving them off of your lawn will slow them down. We recommend avoiding this if you can, as they will likely come back.

Luring Predators

Luring predators like birds can be effective, as slugs are prey and will get eaten. The best way is to offer them food in bird feeders (seeds, berries, worms), or you could plant things that birds are attracted to, especially berries. This is not the quickest way, but may pair well with beer traps.

Slug Pellets

If you are not having any luck, you can use slug pellets. They are the most effective, killing them quickly, but they are dangerous to wildlife and should only be used in a dedicated growing room where children and pets do not have access.

Choose the best type

There are many different types, make sure you pick the best one for your needs, or grow a few different types to have a variety of runner beans in your garden. Some might prefer cold temperatures, while others will thrive in the heat.

How to grow at home

You will need a sunny spot in your garden, healthy soil and something to support them, like bamboo. You should plant the seeds in small pots around April, to plant out around May. You could also directly sow the seeds in the ground in May/June. Sowing indoors will give you better germination and earlier beans, plus the young plants will be protected from snails and other pests. When the seedlings are developed, they will be able to be planted out around June. Keep them well watered, and make sure the pots are large to prevent drying out fast.

Care for your crops

Runner beans need strong support. You should use at least 4 long canes, push each one lightly into the soil in a circle shape, spacing them properly. Connect all of the tops together, then plant one runner bean at the bottom of each cane. As they grow, tie new shoots to the canes to help them hold on. When the runner beans reach the top, pinch out the growing tip of each one to encourage wider growth. Beans do need a good amount of water, so make sure to regularly give them enough water.

Pest issues

Young plants are vulnerable to slugs, so it is ideal to grow more than you will need, then plant them out when they are big. Use some slug pellets, place copper rings around the stems or cover the soil with crushed eggshell, as this will prevent slugs and snails from going near the young plants.

Harvesting the beans

Runner beans should be ready to pick 3-4 months after sowing. They will be the best at 14-19cm long, they might be worse at longer lengths. Picking regularly will encourage them to make more flowers, meaning more young beans. Leaving old beans on the plants will stop flowering.

Luckily, with the climate we have here in England, insect damage is usually limited to sporadic, occasional problems. Some of the damage symptoms that insects and pests can cause to the lawn are very similar to those caused by diseases, so it is very important to diagnose the problem correctly before treatment. The best and most simple method to determine the cause is careful observation. In most cases where the lawn has been damaged enough to be noticeable, the organism can be easily seen on or near the surface. We will go over a few types of pest and the symptoms, and how to control those problems.

The grubs of some insect species survive just under the surface of the leaves and feed on roots, stems and crowns of grass. Worst case, the grass attacked by these grubs can be extensive, causing the death of large areas of turf.

Leatherjackets are the grubs of the crane-fly (or known as long-legged spiders). They are perhaps the most common lawn pest.

Symptoms – The grey/brown larvae grow up to 5cm long, live in the soil below the surface and feed on grass roots, stems and sometimes leaves. Most damage occurs on young plants in spring, but they may also develop in autumn. The affected grass plants usually turn yellow, wilt and then die. High population in lawns cause yellow patches during dry weather and affected areas may also develop more damage from birds tearing the soil to catch the leatherjackets.

Chafer grubs, also known as white grubs, can live in the soil. Both larvae and adults can attack grass.

Symptoms – C-shaped, soft and white larvae up to 40mm long with a brown head and six legs on the upper part of the body, feed on the roots, stems and sometimes leaves of the grass. The grass may appear yellow or brown before wilting and dying. During dry weather, brown withered turf can be spotted and the grub can be found if the turf is lifted. The symptoms are similar to those found with leatherjackets.

Frit fly are not a common pest of turf grasses but it can become a problem. The frit fly larvae are 3-4mm long, yellow or brown in colour with black, curved mouth hooks.

Symptoms – The larvae are grubs that can affect the growth of the grass plant. Under severe attacks the plant will die. Where the lawn is regularly mown, attack will be limited because the larvae prefer grass plants that are developed fully.

As many of the insecticides used to control grub problems have been banned from use for being too polluting and dangerous, there is very little you can do to control insect grubs. It is advised that you contact your local garden center for advice on what is currently on the market and available to control the problems, or look online for results. We mainly recommend hiring a local professional to advise and assist with the problem.