Keep picking beans until the first frosts
One of the questions I often get asked is how to keep runner beans cropping until late into the season when they’re expensive in the shops. It’s been a good year for runner beans. I chose Flavourstar from Johnsons, a white-flowering variety bred to set easily even in poor weather conditions.
I’d always recommend white-flowering runner beans. Where I live in NE England, summers are often cooler and cloudy and red-flowering beans often don’t ‘set’ (form pods). This can also happen when there is a lack of pollinators. It also helps to practice good crop rotation.
The black-painted wall absorbs heat during the day, slowly letting it radiate out at night, keeping the area a few degrees warmer. We had a very early frost at the beginning of September, so the hard work in March paid dividends. Read all about my mystery purple-podded beans. Explore tips on growing runner beans. Enjoy the video!
Potted guide: runner beans
- SOWING TIME: April-May indoors; May-July outdoors.
- HARVESTING TIME: July-first frosts.
- PLANTING DISTANCE: Climbers – 6″ (15cm), one per cane; bush types 1ft (30cm).
- ASPECT AND SOIL: Full sun, rich, lots of organic matter – feed and water well.
- HARDINESS: Frost-tender.
- DIFFICULTY: Moderately easy, but needs care – and can fall victim to pests and diseases.
- RECOMMENDED VARIETIES: All climbers unless otherwise stated. Bi-colour: St George, Hestia (dwarf), Painted Lady, Tenderstar. White: Flavourstar, Moonlight, White Apollo, White Lady, Snowstorm, White Emergo, Desiree. Red: Scarlet Emperor, Benchmaster, Polestar, Firestorm, Enorma, Goliath, Wisley Magic, Scarlet Empire, Red Rum.
