Hi Marc, The only thing to do is to incorporate more organic material (manure, compost) into the soil. For crops like runner beans that are very thirsty, always dig a trench,line it with newspaper and fill it with compost. Mulching with compost will also lower water loss. If you can't produce enough compost yourself, it would be an idea to buy some in. I have no idea what the council does with all the garden waste that they collect. Composted, it makes a good soil conditioner and mulching material. I have just had to turn the volume of the radio up; I couldn't hear it over the noise of the rain. I would be more worried about blight.