I greatly appreciate your efforts to gather data for us to learn. Thank you. 👍🏻

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks. Glad you get some value out of my efforts and approach to these videos!

Pole beans certainly outperform bush type beans. Gardening is such a satisfying chore.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, they seem to be so much more productive, and I do like picking them, but I regularly don't find time to do it often enough.

@yallowhill

2 жыл бұрын

Yes. I often wonder why I persist in growing "bush" beans. I reckon the yield is much less than half of the taller types

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

@@yallowhill I think they do have a place in the polytunnel, in my context at least, as they can be grown in the side beds up against the plastic, where the climbing beans would be problematic. And I am starting to explore growing them outside, where they can be more sheltered from the wind.

@rahinichandra7801

2 жыл бұрын

Hi I'm from Singapore. I love to watch your farm.😊

*_SMART GARDENING STYLE, WOOOOOWW!!!!,RED GARDENS , You are teaching me to be patient with plants,we will not get tired of watching this video, please don't stop gardening, continue like this, GO GO GO GOOOOOOOOOO!!!_*

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome, thanks!! I have no plans to stop!

@happyg8059

2 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens *Yes, you're in the right way, It was a pleasure to watch your video, and especially to be the first to leave a LIKE & a COMMENT*

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

@@happyg8059 :)

I love that your videos have so much science, math and data.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

🙂

I love how technical all your videos are! All the graphs and charts are great! Once again, your videos and all around scientific approach is top knotch! The best channel going!

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you like them!

It might be worth growing the vines diagonally. I found this gave them more space to keep growing. It also made the pods easier to see when they were hanging down. I had good harvests from Cobra variety. Excellent video as usual. Thanks!

@jimallen9442

2 жыл бұрын

Interesting thought.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

That would be interesting to try, especially having the pods hang down. What angle do you grow them at, as I wonder how steep it could be before the vines abandon the twine and search up instead.

@eggcluck

2 жыл бұрын

Bean X frames are pretty common. People also used leaning frames as they can plant shade crop like lettuce in the ground under the leaning beans.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

@@eggcluck It would be interesting to grow in a climate where that kind of shade is beneficial. Here in Ireland most of the plants benefit form all the sun that is usually available, apart from those occasional periods of heat that we can get.

Really cool. I’ve loved your videos from day 1, but I must say that the second wave of videos has been even better than the first. Cheers my friend.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Haha, thanks so much!

Bit south of you in maritime Co. Kerry, best year for Climbing French Beans in the tunnel ever for us, sowed a bit later than usual, missing the cooler early summer and then with the unusual heat and less humid weather we had two good waves that we're still picking and eating!

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Interesting to know you had similar success. When editing the video I was wondering what impact the really warm weather in July had on the ability of the plants to produce so much more in August and September. Hadn't thought about that when writing/filming.

@jukeseyable

2 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens brilliant yr for all beans this yr in mid wales, harvest quantity seemed closely related to the increased sunshine and warmth

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

@@jukeseyable yeah, it does seem to be related to the increased warmth and sunshine.

Thank you for taking the time to share your discovery's, amazing work!

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

:)

Wow. It always amazes me how productive your gardens are. Well done.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

This year I'm interspacing my climbing beans with cucurbits growing vertically to see if they can help each other to grow better than monocultures. I tried growing climbing beans with sweetcorn last year, but the timings just weren't right in my climate so my beans grew up before the corn did! I'm in the Westcountry of England, so although a little warmer than you, our climates are quite similar.

Very interesting. I've had an awful year with beans. I had planned to plant 240 clusters of 4 plants of beans for drying, Borlotto and Cannoni both bush variety up at a small field we have were we keep bees where I've prepared an area under black plastic. The idea was that as these would be a long time in the ground and they don't need much attention. Unfortunately out of the three attempts at sowing (3X240) I only managed 24 plants, I can only put this down to the insane high temperatures that we witnessed late winter and early spring, or maybe the bought compost didn't work. Next year we will have another go. Thanks for the instructive videos helping us in the garden and weather the Covid restrictions BIG THUMBS UP.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

That is a tough experience with crop failure. Hard to know what was the issue, but it could be poor seed quality or old seed. I have had that kind of failure before (on much smaller scale) and when I tested the seed germination in closer to ideal conditions very little germinated. But as you say it could have also have been the unusual weather.

I was looking to you for the answer to my poly-tunnel beans near Ottawa.... Seems we are at the same question period on how to do it next year. As always, your videos are way above board and lead me to think harder about every aspect of my potential growing footprint. Can't wait for you to go down the fruit shrubs/trees "rabbit hole"

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks. I like the term 'growing footprint'! I would love to slide down the habit hole of shrubs and trees, need a lot more time and experience for that one.

Very thorough discussion. Thanks!

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

:)

Thanks

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

:)

I got Bean Rust for the first time in eleven years. Still ate a lot of beans before they gave out.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

I think I had that years ago, but thankfully haven't had any rust on the crop for the past few years.

@VanderlyndenJengold

2 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens They say it can come from a bad seed and one of my plants always looked sickly and quickly got blackfly. I didn't realise what it was until too late.

Very good harvest bruce, your skills are becoming more and more remarkable. I hope one day I can reach that level, thanks for sharing the experience with us. Greetings.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! It has been a long journey to get to this point, and more to go, but I hope my videos can help others speed along the path of experience.

I've sent a donation to help cover your costs. Thanks for all your research.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

I received that donation, thank you so much! It really does help!

I grew dwarf french beans outdoors this year in four batches to extend the cropping time. Worked well, except for the first batch which suffered from atypical poor weather. Three of the batches were second crops of the season.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a useful and resilient strategy. How many days/weeks were between the sowings?

@KPKENNEDY

2 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens Unfortunately I was not scientific enough to record the timings, I wish I had. I just when on a gut feeling by how much the previous crop had grown and that dwarf beans seem to produce everything over a few weeks. I did have and still have a continuous harvest of the beans, which we eat and freeze.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

@@KPKENNEDY I think the 'gut' approach is better, as it accounts for the different growth rates of different seasons. I have wanted to develop an approach of planting the next crop, when the previous plants reach a certain stage, rather than thinking in terms of days or weeks.

That was a pretty fantastic yield, and I so agree about maybe having a look how others compare. I'm just over the water near cardigan bay, but inland a bit, and we had a late start so I bought some dwarf french beans out of desperation. I was amazed how much these little plants produced. Beans are such sustainable givers, easy to store dried and frozen, full of vitamins too. I'm growing far more varieties in 2022. Thanks for the great video.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks. I also grew a number of different varieties of dwarf French beans in my other polytunnel for the first time this year. I was quite surprised how productive they were even though I didn't look after them very well.

@Pixieworksstudio

2 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens I will definitely grow them again, and I want to give the noodle bean a go too. My broad beans are already in. At this rate I'll only grow beans and squash :)

I think I say it every time I comment on one of your videos, but I just must say how much I appreciate your thoroughness in thinking about all (or as many as you can ponder) of different factors that may be effecting different yield results. When you were talking about the weights if your yields, and your total growing space for the beans and compared it to the yields that your other types of crops provide, I was impressed, but then you talked about how the height of the beans and how their shade might impact it’d neighboring crops…. and I just started grinning 🙂. Of course that would pop into your head. I think in much the same way. I can’t just pat myself on the back and figure the better results are from one thing I changed or did better. When multiple variables are present, I have to try and think of as many of them as I can to try and see a more complete picture of things. Been then I also realize that I’ll probably miss a whole slew of factors just from not knowing what to look for and having ever present gaps in knowledge. Thanks for all your efforts. I really appreciate your insights.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for that supportive comment. It is great to know that people appreciate the approach I take to these videos. It does take a while to be able to identify the diverse possible reasons why things happen. I have found that these videos have helped with that process. I have found that talking things through with people, especially with Kris who has been workmen with me in the gardens, the explanations I offer and the questions she asks tend to offer deeper insights into what might be going on. And I find a similar thing with writing the scripts for these videos, which is essentially a similar process of trying to explain something to someone else. And the comments people make often introduce other ideas that I can bring forward into the next videos. I think a lot of it comes down to the idea that you only really understand something by teaching others.

You could try to angle the climbing string, so that it doesn't go directly upwards. The long beans don't stay hidden under the leaves and in front of the stem

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

That would be an interesting option. I use that method for some of the runner bean plants outside, and I like how the beans hang down under the leaves, so might give it a try with these beans.

@kgarden8960

2 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens I run my "strings" up at 45-degress-ish, towards the path. I persuade myself that the beans hang free more than vertical training, but I'm not sure how much difference it makes and for sure some still hide. I think a frame where the beans grow vertical for, say, 3' and then almost horizontally for, say, 6' is best, but not compatible with 4' wide greenhouse beds / crop rotation. (Google might find some designs under "Munty frame" who I think first tried that out)

I really enjoy your work Bruce, the information you provide is very insightful. I'd like to trade your knowledge for some of mine. I've noticed that your eyes are underlit in this video, so here are two tips from a professional filmmaker (and amateur gardener) to fix that. Firstly, it's worthwhile to invest in a reflector, a.k.a. a bounce board. You could DIY one, but they're not that expensive. Get a 50cm one with dual/triple colours: white is mandatory and always useful, silver is used when you need more oomph, golden is rarely used. Stick to white mostly, although silver would work for an overcast sky as well, or later in the day. They need to be fastened to something, normally a stand but you could also attach it to your tripod using a gooseneck clamp. Alternatively, you could hold it in your hands, just below the camera lens (from experience I can tell you that you'll feel like an ass, but nobody will notice 😉). They're quite directional, so make sure to position it lower than your face, aimed directly at you. It doesn't take a long time to set up and is cheap, so this might help you 🙂. The second tip: in whatever editor you're using, there is an effect/filter to increase the brightness of dark areas only, leaving the light (or overlit) parts of the shot alone. Again, this is a simple and quick technique, which in this case would really improve the visibility of your face. How to do this is specific to your editing application, so google 'make dark areas brighter in [app name]'. Your videos are high quality as they are, so take these tips as a compliment! Much easier to watch than 99,99% of what is uploaded to youtube.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for those suggestions. They both make sense. I have been wanting to improve the quality of my video content for a while, but haven't invested the time yet. I have used a diy bounce boards (just a sheet piece of white plastic) occasionally, but I don't have the setup to hold it properly. But a proper reflector setup would help. Thanks.

Climbing a single string is much easier to remove and clean at the end than a grid type trellis where you have to untangle the vines. Good point about stripping leaves around pods for seed.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

This year was the first year I used a decomposable twine, replacing the plastic twine I used to use, and it is so much faster to clear everything out. A plastic trellis would be even longer! I was pleased at how well stripping some of the leaves worked.

Not quite beans, but my mangetout (first time growing this year), I have accidentally saved more seeds than I plant with hidden pods, or pods that looked liked leaves. I've just finished pulling them up and sticking them in compost and found a significant amount of peas to grow next year, more than I even planted 😂

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Those pea pods can be sneaky!

My mother used to plant 6 seeds per pole, each one week or so apart. Maybe 2 every two weeks, I’m not positive about the details. That was in Germany.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

That does sound like a useful strategy, a pole every week or two. that would definitely smooth out the gluts and slumps!

I noted that you use synthetic threads as rope. Given you wish to reduce plastic have you considered using Jute thread? Outside it rots in a season but inside like the polytunnel it will last must longer. I use it all the time and find it no less convienient than the sythnthetic threads plus I do not get the shards of plastic flaking off into my soil. Since I grow and process my own linen I have been thinking of using some of that to try my own home made linen ropesm I expect it will be less robust that jute.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, you are right. The clip with the plastic twine was from last year. This year I invested in a big roll of biodegradable twine (jute with something else.) and it worked really well. It made removing the crop so much easier, as I only had to cut it down and throw it all in the compost.

in a lot of plants , stems hanging down or horizontal , collects the gravity effected hormones in the shoots and triggers flowering

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Hmm, I had heard something like that about fruit trees, but I wonder if there is a similar effect with vining plants.

Love your channel. I`m living close to Lough Neagh a little north of you. Do you buy your seeds from a seed store here in Ireland? Would love to try those Fasold variety, Cobra did preform very well for me this year, but like yourself I always like to try new varieties.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I used to grow Cobra but tried Fasold this season as they seem quite similar, and I forgot to get new seeds for the Cobra variety. I got the Fasold seeds from seedaholic.com

i have been eating green beans every meal for 3 month now with only 5 climbing french bean

Going for coloured pods would help speed up harvesting. Selma Zebra looks pretty.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Different coloured pods, and plants with larger pods does make it faster to harvest. I did a variety trial last year and unfortunately wasn't impressed with the yellow varieties that I grew.

@AtheistEve

2 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens The key factor should be taste. Have you tried Selma Zebra? If so, how did they taste?

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

@@AtheistEve I haven't tried Selma Zebra yet. You are right that the key factor should be taste, which I haven't really explored enough with the beans.

Hi Bruce, thanks really interesting as always. Have you ever grown cherokee trail of tears? Well worth trying outside in my opinion, very productive variety and open pollenated but not quite as fleshy as cobra. Here in Leeds we grew cobra and hunter outdoors this year and they did really well, just took down the frame yesterday but they'd still be producing if it wasn't for deer coming in and mowing off half of the leaves (only crop with damage so far this year out of many). We did a weekly pick but they would have definitely been higher quality with more regular picking. I've never noticed waves of pod production but will definitely keep an eye for it in future years! Cheers

@benm9910

2 жыл бұрын

Oh and Joy Larcom recons 23cm spacing for max yield, as a result I've always done them one plant per cane 25cm ish apart. They take a while to fill out the frame but it may help with the outdoor production?

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

I haven't tried that variety, but it sounds interesting. I am interested to hear that you grew Cobra and Hunter outside, I am going to have to try outside growing again, though I think the windy hill I am on might be hard on the plants.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

@@benm9910 That is interesting, about half the density of what I grow at, and I think it will definitely help with harvesting.

@tomrandles275

2 жыл бұрын

I've grown Cherokee trail of Tears for the first time this year (in Leeds also), and they're fantastic. Very productive, attractive beans. I've still got a jar of the dried beans to get through yet.

I feel like beans are an important part of this. I'd like to grow using the simple garden method (albiet probably witha polytunnel because it seem the extra production is really worth the time and effort) but I feel like my diet would suffer from the lack of legumes in my diet - just because they're a very good souce of protein. While the garden wouldn't be my only source of food, it would be my main one so it's at the very least good to hear possible time saving methods. I'd half like to hear what breeds grow well for the later drying just to see if those could be ground into a kind of flour or soup thickener - as I'd certainly be harvesting quickly rather than attentively.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

I have also been wondering about how to incorporate a legume or bean crop into a method like the Simple Garden. I think growing a crop for drying could be a good option, but I think it would need protection from the rain around here.

@VictorVicster

2 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens here in southeast Spain we harvest dry broad beans for winter stews, but its a strong flavour hard to digest, we love It but i think its a acquired taste... Love your Channel!

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

@@VictorVicster I like those dried broad beans as well but am searching for more ways to use them. My favourite so far is to sprout them, then cook and use in a hummus type recipe.

In Kilkenny. Successful growing climbing French beans outside. Is the climate that different? Haven't measured yield but it's good. Variety is Talisman

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

That is interesting, and hopeful. I grow up on a bit of a hill that is quite exposed to the wind, so haven't tried. I did have some success in a back garden in Dublin, so perhaps I should try them outside again.

Hello little bird 2:06

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah! I often have that robin hanging around when working in the gardens

Does Ireland not have bean beetles, or does the poly tunnel block them out? I was very satisfied (drowned, really) in my pole bean harvest this year--but later on the beetles were voracious.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Thankfully we don't seem to have those beetles!

I suggest trying long beans. These are about 1-2 feet long and similar to string beans, but firmer.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Those would be cool to try!

@kgarden8960

2 жыл бұрын

I've tried "Yard Long Beans" in East Anglia, England - but never had enough Summer, here, to get a good crop :(

In Italy Climbing French Beans are unknown, at least I don't know them. Are they beans of which you eat the entire pod? If so we eat "fagiolini" that are bushes and we have them from April to October...

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

Yes they are the entire pod, picked before the seeds start to develop, I think the same as fagiolini. Though some of the varieties I have grown have been bred to harvest the immature seeds. A lot of people grow the 'bush' version which I think are basically the same, just different growth habit.

would the 3 sisters work in poly tunnel?

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

I think they would, and hoe to try them out at some point.

You didn't mention what varieties you grew.

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

I didn't mention it but I showed the package - the variety is called Fasold.

Moon phase a factor?

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

I don't know.

An American with a garden in Ireland 😄👍👍🥕🌽🥦🥬🥒🫑🍆🍅🍅🍉

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

... Canadian.

@SeleniumSel

2 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens tomaytos tomahhhtos!! 😂🤪

Can't get the video to play....! It's just frozen on the first frame

@PaleGhost69

2 жыл бұрын

If I remember right, that's usually a sign you're out of data and can only use the throttled speed. If not, it's definitely your internet connection or device.

@alisonburgess345

2 жыл бұрын

@@PaleGhost69 Yeah, but i can play any other video. it's weird!

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

That is strange. Hopefully it is working for you now.

@alisonburgess345

2 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens Yes - hooray! Thank you..