Leave the roots in the ground as they can have useful nitrogen nodules which will fertilise the ground for future crops. At this point, usually at the end of the season, pod the beans and dry them for winter use.Īt the end of the summer, cut down the old stems and compost them. Runner bean flowers are edible and make a wonderful addition to a salad.ĭon’t let your beans get so big that you can see the shape of the bean in the pod, they will be very tough. The beans should snap neatly off the plant at the stem, pick them by hand or with scissors if you prefer. Small runner beans, around 10cm long, are super tender and can be steamed and eaten whole, but usually you would wait until they are around 15 – 20cm long. Harvest little and often, the more beans you pick, the more you get. Once they have the idea of climbing, they should not need any more tying in, but do check, particularly if the weather is windy. Whatever structure you choose, plant a single bean plant at the base of each pole and tie it in to give it the idea that it should be climbing up. If you have the space (and the appetite for an awful lot of beans), the traditional long wigwam of bamboo canes crossed over at the top and joined together with a horizontal cane tied in along the junction point is a tried and tested method.Ī more decorative version is the hazel arch over which the beans will scramble, allowing you to walk through the tunnel and pick the beans as they dangle down over your head.įor a more manageable crop, a teepee is all you need, with up to a dozen canes or bean poles placed in the ground at 30cm intervals in a circle and tied together at the top.Īlternatively, if you have a handy west facing wall, you can tie strings to it at around 2m high, dropping down to a tent peg in the ground, and you will soon have a beautiful floriferous wall, with an excellent bean crop thrown in. It is best to have this organised before you plant them out as they will be searching for something to climb up straight away. Standard climbing runner beans will need a good strong structure to grow up. Make sure to avoid getting the leaves wet when watering your runner beans, as this can cause rust. You can lessen this if you have a rich soil full of organic matter which will retain the water. Try to give your runner beans about half a watering can per plant when they are mature. A weekly long drink at the root will benefit them hugely if the weather has been dry (more frequently if growing in containers). Runner beans are thirsty plants and do like plenty of moisture, so for a good succulent crop you will need to water regularly, especially during dry weather or if growing in a container. Water your runner bean seedlings well to get them off to a flying start. They will need really rich compost, or some extra organic matter such as horse manure, added to the bottom of the container. If you have chosen a dwarf variety of runner bean, such as ‘Hestia’, you can grow them in a large container (at least 45cm diameter) or a deep window box as they will only grow to around half a metre tall. This will all help with both fertility and moisture retention, both much needed by your hungry runner bean plants. Cover it up with soil in early spring, so that it will be well rotted by the time you plant the beans out in early summer. If you are really organised, you can dig a one metre wide and 30cm deep trench in the autumn and half fill with vegetable waste and even shredded newspaper as the winter progresses. Historically, gardeners made a trench and filled it with well-rotted manure or compost before planting out. This will help to improve the soil's moisture retaining ability and fertility. Prepare the soil for planting by forking over and adding plenty of organic material. Do this for a fortnight or so until the frosts in your area have finished.īeans prefer to grow in moist, fertile soil, in a sunny, sheltered spot. To do this, simply pot the seedlings on into a 9cm pot, leave them outside during the day in a bright sunny spot then cover them with horticultural fleece or bring them in at night. If you have bought seedlings they will need hardening off and should not be planted out until the frosts are over.
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