Climbing beans up North

[match]

We've been trying (and failing) to have much success with climbing pole beans here near Edinburgh for a number of years, and despite trying several varieties have really struggled to get any that swell up and/or dry before the Autumn hits and the frosts start.

We've had no problems with runner beans, and have managed to get dried beans from Czar and Scarlet runner before now (and perhaps should just stick to those!) but we're really keen to get some dry beans for our winter store cupboards!

We've tried a few varieties - Trail of Tears, Lazy Housewife (subsequently discovered it's a late variety!) Cosse Violette (not really a drying bean) and Borlotti, but no luck. We did OK with turtle bush beans one year, but we're a bit limited on space, so climbing varieties would be useful.

So - what varieties do people manage to grow in more Northern climes, with short, cool, wet summers? I've seen varieties advertised in the US and Canada for places like Nova Scotia and Maine, which have similar seasons - but can't find those varieties in the UK.

[burnie]

I think you may need a poly tunnel or a bit more global warming to succeed with those, I fancy growing some in my greenhouse next year for a new challenge.

[match]

I think you may need a poly tunnel or a bit more global warming to succeed with those, I fancy growing some in my greenhouse next year for a new challenge.

bigger polytunnel This summer it's been full of tomatoes, chillies, aubergines and sweetcorn - I guess next year we'll either not grow (as much) corn, or we could try a 3 sisters aproach and use them as bean poles?

Though I feel like we're really close - right now there are flowers and pods forming... if I could get a variety that just 'got on with it' a bit faster in the colder months, we'd be laughing!

[veggiechicken]

Just read your previous thread https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ans_99863.html with the suggestion that you dump the peat pots.
If you get your seedlings off to a good start undercover, you should be able to harvest beans earlier.
I've just picked some Gigantes beans for drying (realseeds) - have you tried them?

[match]

Just read your previous thread https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ans_99863.html with the suggestion that you dump the peat pots.
If you get your seedlings off to a good start undercover, you should be able to harvest beans earlier.
I've just picked some Gigantes beans for drying (realseeds) - have you tried them?

Thanks - yes, our plan for growing has changed - though I've chatted to other local growers who also struggle with climbing beans which reminded me to ask now that people have hopefully had harvests in and will have good or bad experiences to share.

We've grown Czar and Gigantes a few times - the Gigantes never do quite as well, since I expect they prefer a warmer (Greek?) climate, but have given us dry beans in the past. Either wy I'll be growing runners for drying as they do provide a good crop, but they're just not the same in a chilli as French/Haricot ones!

[Scarlet]

Well, I grow beans for drying often and I don't live up North! But this year I've grown several varieties and the Tresnjevec beans are well infront of any of the others. They were drying in their pods weeks ago where as some of the others are still fresh on their stems.
I'm with VC though - peat pots are rubbish.
And also if you grow in wigwams you can dig the lot up and take the "teepee" complete with the beans into the GH when the weather gets cold. They carry on drying well in there for me like that.

[ameno]

I don't live up north, but I grew Coco Blanc a Rames this year, as Wilko started selling them and they were cheap.
Even from a late sowing, they were ready long before the others. The first of them were ready by about mid-September, and I've already picked most of them now.

[match]

Well, I grow beans for drying often and I don't live up North! But this year I've grown several varieties and the Tresnjevec beans are well infront of any of the others. They were drying in their pods weeks ago where as some of the others are still fresh on their stems.
I'm with VC though - peat pots are rubbish.
And also if you grow in wigwams you can dig the lot up and take the "teepee" complete with the beans into the GH when the weather gets cold. They carry on drying well in there for me like that.

That's interesting - I've been reading the descriptions for a lot of different beans online and Tresnjevac are listed as 'quite late maturing' which just goes to show how little you can trust descriptions sometimes!

We've learnt about peat pots with French beans now - we had great success with them with runners never realised that they were holding the French beans back!

Yes, greenhouse drying works really well - have done this on several occasions for runners as they rarely get close to dry enough to shell on the vine if left growing.

[match]

I don't live up north, but I grew Coco Blanc a Rames this year, as Wilko started selling them and they were cheap.

Just looked these up and apparently it's another name for 'Lazy Housewife' beans which we have tried twice, and both times they only started flowering in mid-September, and were later than other beans we grew.

[Scarlet]

Lazy Housewife is slow here and doesn't give me a big crop.

I've just gone out to pick some pods for tea. I use the fresh ones now so I can store my dried ones.

Have you considered shelling the fresh beans for freezing?

[match]

Lazy Housewife is slow here and doesn't give me a big crop.

I've just gone out to pick some pods for tea. I use the fresh ones now so I can store my dried ones.

Have you considered shelling the fresh beans for freezing?

We've only just got pods on now, and they're still relatively flat, so unlikely to get big enough for shelling before the frosts come. I think we're just going to eat them green so as to not risk wasting them! (We we're mis-sold Lazy Housewife as potential early bean! )

[Aberdeenplotter]

Point of order M'lud, I am north, you are south

[burnie]

Didn't we have a poster from Shetland a while back...…………………..now that was North...…………….

[veggiechicken]

Birdie wife is further North too and grows Gigantes successfully!!
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ml#post1583078

[match]

Point of order M'lud, I am north, you are south

I#m only accepting the objection if you tell me what french beans you grow...