Full of Beans 2019

[SarrissUK]

I've been doing a bit of research on the beans I'm growing this year. Apparently the dwarf French beans kinghorn wax are a butter bean. First time growing these ( random purchase last time I went to the bright lights of Oban ). I didn't realise until reading two sheds thread that bean varieties were multi tasking . I thought if you wanted to grow butter bean or kidney beans, then you grew that variety. I'm learning lots ( mostly that I'm clueless ). Anyway I digress. Anyone else grown kinghorn wax as either French beans or butter beans? Think I'm going to try both.

I've grown Kinghorn wax several years for the pods and they're delicious. I'll try them for the beans this year too! I've got two bags (duplicates from Lidl, it happens so easily) so can definitely try both.

And you certainly have more knowledge than I do - I do like beans for the pods, but only realised late last year I can grow them for their beans too! I felt very stupid for not having realised that sooner, but hey ho

[Small pumpkin]

I've grown Kinghorn wax several years for the pods and they're delicious. I'll try them for the beans this year too! I've got two bags (duplicates from Lidl, it happens so easily) so can definitely try both.

And you certainly have more knowledge than I do - I do like beans for the pods, but only realised late last year I can grow them for their beans too! I felt very stupid for not having realised that sooner, but hey ho

Mine are from lidl too it's impossible to walk past there seeds without some falling into your basket

[lottie dolly]

this is just 6 beans firestorm,in the home poly,they are doing well just as an experiment,have more at the plot for outdoors,also moonlight,cosse violett,blue lake,dwarf sprite and barlotti,

Grrrr,i cannot get the pic up,

[Mark_Riga]

I loathe DFBs, but that's just me. They lay their pods on the ground and rot and get slugged and picking them is a nightmare on the back and I felt I needed 3 hands, one to rummage, one to hold and one to pull... Plus when I cleared the bed I found loads I'd missed because I find it so awkward...

But I expect I got it all wrong.

I put sticks/canes both side of a double row and then probably 2 strands of twine as the plants grow. This provides reasonable support and big leaves or developing pods can be hooked over the twine keeping them uprignt and clear of the soil and most slugs. I save seeds for sowing following year so don't mind if I miss some

I'm thinking about sowing/planting a DFB and a CFB together - same module - same bean stick.
My hope would be that the DFB would crop before the CFB, leaving the CFB to carry on cropping afterwards.
I thave ried it with mangetout of all heights sown together and it did work, after a fashion! Peas need more scrambling room but beans are content with a stick/string so I think they may be more controllable.

I'm not keen on climbing beans since rats chomped through the base of a whole row that was just starting to crop. I find that dwarf beans carry on cropping, really till the frosts get them. Unlike peas that come in a flush and then are no more. I am trying Soissons, a CFB, again this year as they give a really heavy crop for drying.

[toomanytommytoes]

We'll be growing Purple Teepee and Rocquencourt (yellow) dwarf French beans. We did grow Cupidon for a few years and they were very nice, but it was a bit of a faff stooping to search for green beans hidden amongst green foliage! Also giving Cosse Violette a go in a 50 L pot.

[Snoop Puss]

Question bean lovers.
Why do some of mine grow headless?[/ATTACH]

I've had this happen (to DFBS, can't say for climbers) and I just leave them now. In most cases, they start to put up a growing tip and then go on to grow normally. I discovered this because I grow a few in a single station and didn't remove the headless wonders in order not to disturb the roots of the other beans.

[lottie dolly]

here are the pics of said beans in home poly,

[Urban]

Ive got Tenderstar runner beans, and Cobra french beans on the go, Ive had to put a support stick in each pot ive got them growing in, because there growing so fast

hoping to get them out after this weekends cold spell, will try and get a structure built for them this weekend, might be a bit chilly though

[annie8]

Had started borlotti seeds in the gh and they are doing well. I had planned to stagger a bit though so want to start more. Haven’t grown these before and was wondering if I should start more in gh and plant out say end of May or wait until last frost date - mid May here - and sow direct in the bed. Also I heard these are quite tender so any thoughts on when I could plant out the seedlings I have already started. They are maybe 8-10 cm in height and looking like they will be real brutes.

[Scarlet]

Had started borlotti seeds in the gh and they are doing well. I had planned to stagger a bit though so want to start more.

Borlotti beans are generally grown for the bean with the aim for them to all dry on the plant. So a staggered sowing isn't necessary.
They do need a long season so ideally you sow two weeks before your last frost.

A staggered sowing of French beans is ideal as you crop them young so they take much less time from sowing to plate.

#i always module sow so I rarely sow direct as everything can be sown a little earlier in pots undercover.
Though french beans I will plant up my module sown bean and sow a bean in situ at the same time on each pole.

[Scarlet]

They are maybe 8-10 cm in height and looking like they will be real brutes.

Yes they are brutes and can be fairy heavy and grow very tall- they need a very good support system in place.

[Bacchus]

this is just 6 beans firestorm,in the home poly,they are doing well just as an experiment,have more at the plot for outdoors,also moonlight,cosse violett,blue lake,dwarf sprite and barlotti,

Grrrr,i cannot get the pic up,

I'm also growing Barlotti beans. I had 10 plants last year and saved every bean that they produced - I'm going big this year

[nickdub]

I'm also growing Barlotti beans. I had 10 plants last year and saved every bean that they produced - I'm going big this year

That's one possible problem with beans - internal gas build up can be an issue :-)

[kitty12345]

Ahem I have new bean seeds

More suitable for hot weather but I'm going to give it a go anyway. Black eyed beans and chickpeas... Grown black eyed beans before but not in British summertime... Hmmm.

[nickdub]

Ahem I have new bean seeds

More suitable for hot weather but I'm going to give it a go anyway. Black eyed beans and chickpeas... Grown black eyed beans before but not in British summertime... Hmmm.

Be interesting to hear how they go.