Originally posted by Alison
View Post
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Which French Beans?
Collapse
X
-
I always grew Blue Lake as a climber but last year tried Empress - nice round pods of purple beans. I also always grow Tin Yang climbing beans to use dried. they are great - I really love them.Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.
www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring
Comment
-
I grew dwarf Prince and got a really good yield from them - can't say whether they were the best tasting since I have nothing to compare them with, this being my first time. They were better than shop bought, but that's not difficult to achieve is it! For the same space though, I reckon I could have had 'real' climbers instead since they would have taken up the same amount of ground, but gone higher so producing an even larger yield. Saying that, I had hundreds of pencil slim beans so can't complain.Life may not be the party we hoped for but since we're here we might as well dance
Comment
-
Most of the extra 'fine' type (extra fins sans fils) french beans we get are dwarf beans. There are some that are climbers but the ones I saw were in the French seed catalogue Graines Baumaux.
We grew some in containers last year - a new variety Andante, but there's lots of different dwarf types.Last edited by smallblueplanet; 21-12-2007, 09:21 AM.To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower
Comment
-
I've gathered all my French beans for growing this year and they're
French Climbing Beans:
Cobra
Cosse Violette
French Dwarf/Bush Beans:
Purple Teepee
Minidor
Cupidon
Reading up, I gathered that French climbing beans are actually very similar to Runner beans in the way they grow and possibly vigorous cropping. Is this right?
As for bush bean, I gathered they're very vulnerable to slug attack so does it make sense to grow them in containers (copper wire round it) or would that restrict the crop yield. I can't seem to find out how much the bush beans spread but 2-4" spacing for seed sowing is recommended so they can't be that big .Last edited by veg4681; 31-01-2008, 08:46 PM.Food for Free
Comment
-
Originally posted by veg4681 View PostAs for bush bean, I gathered they're very vulnerable to slug attack so does it make sense to grow them in containers (copper wire round it) or would that restrict the crop yield. I can't seem to find out how much the bush beans spread but 2-4" spacing for seed sowing is recommended so they can't be that big .
This year I've got;
DWARF BEAN
Valdor (yellow pods)
Purple TeePee (Purple pods)
Delinel
Navy bean (new for me)
Brightstone (new for me)
CLIMBING BEAN
Cobra
Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco
Comment
-
The dwarf ones really don't grow that big - I had about eight plants in a small bit of the garden last year, all only about a foot high and less than that wide, quite close together (mainly because I'd not really thought it through when I planted them!) and they cropped wonderfully, I was picking beans for dinner every couple of days - admittedly only enough for the four of us at one time - but they kept producing all through the summer. I've just looked on the packet(s) and they should be planted 40cm apart - and they do pretty much fill that space I guess.
If you want to try some "real" French beans, pm me your address and I'll put you a few in the post to try - I've got some nice Fingourmet (which is an extra thin one) and some Longio (also thin and long). Both delish, stringless and fine. French seed packets always contain enough to cover an area of about five square miles, so I'm happy to send you a few!
Comment
-
Dwarf/bush beans can be planted right tight together ... 2 inches apart. They will then support each other and hold each other upright.
I am only growing Canadian Wonder as a dwarf this year, as slugs devastated last year's crop. I am going to major on climbers, as you get more crop for the space (and the slugs don't climb!)All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.
Comment
-
I find the climbers brilliant, though I do get decent crops from the dwarf in the ground. Climbing French beans crop earlier (for me) than runners - mainly I think because they are less fussy about pollination and setting. I also find the flavour and texture less coarse than runners.Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.
www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring
Comment
-
I think the reason I prefer climbing to dwarf french beans is that the climbing varieties produce the long straight pods I prefer, whereas the dwarf tend to be curly harder to pick. I know they don't taste any better, but that's just me being finnicky.
Flummery, I think the french beans are self-fertile. We start some climbers off in a large tub, with a small wigwam of canes, in the greenhouse to get an early crop.
valmarg
Comment
-
Originally posted by valmarg View PostFlummery, I think the french beans are self-fertile. We start some climbers off in a large tub, with a small wigwam of canes, in the greenhouse to get an early crop.
valmargFood for Free
Comment
-
Originally posted by veg4681 View PostHave you been able to keep yours true from saved seeds?All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.
Comment
-
I've got some Empress (purple podded climbing) saved from last year which I'm going to sow in a couple of months time. Not tried this before but it's a learning curve this gardening - even after 37years!Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.
www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring
Comment
Latest Topics
Collapse
Recent Blog Posts
Collapse
Comment