How to grow runner beans tips and advice

How to grow tips and advice

In this section we will give you tips and advice on how to grow runner beans. Runner beans are not paricularly hard to grow once they get going. They are not strong enough to deal with frost so they are usually started just after the frost has finished.

Sowing and Planting

Runner beans like good soil so a couple of moths before growing dig in some well rotted organic matter and add some general fertilizer as well.

When to plant

The best time to plant these are from late spring. Beans can be planted from April right through to July.

Varieties

• LADY DI
• ACHIEVEMENT-MERIT.
• ENORMA-ELITE
• FIRESTORM
• POLESTAR RUNNER BEANS
• RED RUM
• SAINT GEORGE
• SCARLET EMPEROR.

Planting

You can plant 2 seeds per pot. These can be put on the windowsill to start. Plant these about 5 cm deep. These can then be transplanted out into the garden once they have grown to a decent length. A good size will stop the being attacked by pests. Plant them about 20cm apart. The plants will start to climb the supports themselves. But it is always good to give them a helping hand at the beginning.

Growing

When growing runner beans protect them from slugs and snails, also birds like to eat the tops off them especially pigeons.

Make sure you weed round them regularly and water the plants in dry weather especially once you start to see the flowers appear. Mulch is good to put round the plant as this will keep it moist.

Harvesting

It can take around 13-14 weeks to get your first crop of runner beans off the plants but once these start coming you will get loads. The more you pick the more they come. By removing any old pods of the plant this will encourage more to grow on them