Introduction
Runner beans are a vital crop known for their prolific nature and versatility. They freeze well, but typically, most end up forgotten in the freezer by June when new crops arrive. Hence, fresh consumption is preferred for better taste. Unlike French beans, only climbing varieties are grown, although they can serve as ground cover if shared with slugs and snails.
Climbing beans require tall, sturdy supports and thrive best in the ground, but they can also be grown in large containers. Their vertical growth allows for a substantial crop in a compact area.
Why Grow Runner Beans
A rating system helps determine which crops to grow based on factors like taste, health benefits, cost, harvest yield, harvest period, and organic availability. Runner beans score highly: they are delicious, relatively expensive to purchase, extremely prolific, and offer a prolonged harvest. Organic options are rarely available in stores.
How Many to Plant?
Runner beans are highly prolific and popular for freezing. A 2-meter row of climbing beans is sufficient for a family of four for fresh consumption, while more are needed for freezing or drying—approximately seven climbing plants per person. While they freeze well, many prefer to grow 2-3 times this amount, though it’s often easier to focus on fresh eating.
Suitability for Different Growing Environments
Both climbing French and runner beans can be grown in containers, but dwarf French varieties are the most suitable. However, the yield from containers is limited. For early crops in a polytunnel, climbing beans are preferred, with French beans often yielding better than runners. Large containers of around 50 liters are ideal for mobility.
Lifecycle
Runner beans grow nearly to full size before flowering. Depending on the variety, some flowers are self-fertile, requiring no insect pollination. They also have a longer harvest period compared to French beans.
Sowing and Harvesting Periods
A diverse mix of beans can yield a lengthy harvest window, spanning from early May to mid-October, starting with broad beans and ending with runner beans. Including pea and bean tips allows for year-round harvesting.
First Earlies (Sow in Early April for a Late May Harvest)
Climbing runner beans are sown indoors on a sunny windowsill and planted out 2-3 weeks later. Given the risk of late frosts, they should be protected in a polytunnel with fleece. Once the weather warms up, the container can be moved outside to a sheltered area. This early crop typically lasts about six weeks, coinciding perfectly with the readiness of the subsequent crop.
Main Crop (Sow Mid-May for a Late July Harvest)
These are the first beans sown outside, as earlier batches of French beans will be growing under cover. While beans can be grown earlier outside, success relies heavily on unpredictable April and May weather. A mid-May sowing directly into the soil germinates well, albeit slightly slower than seeds sown in modules indoors.
Late Main Crop (Sow in Early July for a Mid-August Harvest)
French beans thrive in mid-summer heat, maturing rapidly and offering a longer harvest compared to a single large succession sown a month earlier. Beans can be sown directly into the ground, germinating quickly, while sowing in modules allows for earlier clearance of previous crops.
Late Crop (Sow in Late August for an October Harvest)
Late sowings of beans are not recommended, as they prefer summer warmth and light. While they may grow quickly in August, insufficient heat and light will hinder production in late October and November.
Recommended Varieties
Numerous varieties of runner beans and French/runner bean hybrids exist, with stringless types like Lady Di being highly preferred.
How to Sow
Most people sow beans directly into the ground, spacing them about six inches apart, with seeds planted approximately two inches deep. Due to potential mouse interference, it is often better to sow in modules, germinating indoors before transferring to an unheated greenhouse or tunnel.
How to Prick Out/Pot On
Pricking out and potting on are generally unnecessary.
Where to Plant
A sunny, sheltered spot is ideal. Mulching with compost before planting is beneficial, along with the addition of blood fish and bone, though extra nitrogen is not required.
How Many to Plant
Beans are prolific, with one square meter of dwarf beans sufficient for a family of four eating fresh. A six-foot row of climbing beans is similarly adequate, but more are needed for freezing or drying.
How to Plant and Spacing
If not sown directly, a hole can be dibbed, and the module dropped in, with the soil lightly firmed around the plant. Climbing beans can be planted six inches apart in a row or around the edge of a container to grow up canes.
Protecting and Supporting Your Plants
Dwarf plants do not need significant support, but can become floppy when laden with beans. Planting them closely together (six inches apart) helps to maintain stability.
How to Feed and Water
Climbing beans, with their large leaf area, require ample watering. Dwarf beans also need regular watering but do not require additional feeding if the ground is prepared with well-rotted manure or compost beforehand.
How to Prune/Manage While Growing
Young plants may need assistance twining onto their canes. A good mulch of manure or compost around the roots during July aids moisture retention. When beans reach the tops of their canes, pinching out the growing tips and side shoots is advisable.
How and When to Harvest
Beans should be harvested when young and tender, typically 8-10 inches long. Regular picking, at least twice a week, encourages further production.
How to Store
Beans can be stored in their pods in the fridge for about a week. Alternatively, they can be blanched, frozen on a tray, and then bagged.
How to Eat/Cook
Beans can be steamed, but many recipes are available for various preparations.
How to Deal with Pests and Disease
Pests and diseases are generally not a concern.
When and How to Remove the Plants
Plants should be snipped off just below the soil surface, leaving the roots intact. The roots contain organic matter, even though the nitrogen within has been depleted by harvest time. If roots interfere with follow-on crops, they can be removed or covered with a compost mulch.
What to Plant Before
In a polytunnel, plant after containers of carrots have been moved outside. In the ground, plant after garlic, chard, brassicas, spinach, lettuce, or salad onions.
What to Plant After
Post-harvest options include salad onions, garlic, broad beans, lamb's lettuce, claytonia, and peas.
What to Interplant With
Beans can be interplanted in a single row on the west or north side of a bed, with lettuce, spinach, kale, spring cabbage, and chard on the east or south side.
