purple queen dwarf beans

[hawthorns]

i have purple queen beans at about 6 inches in length but there are still green and showing no signs of turning purple. should i just pick them or leave thm a little longer.

[Earthbabe]

Up to you really. They should start turning purple soon but it is a gradual process. I presume that like other purple beans they go green on cooking too so if you'd like a feed of very young beans (Yum! Slurp!) try them. Also if you pick they should continue to flower and produce beans so that may be your answer.

[Flummery]

Most purple beans start off a mucky dark-ish greeny-purple (if that's not too technical!) and go purple by the time they are a couple of inches long. I'd just eat them.

[vegnut]

Sounds ominous to me, they should be well and truly purple by now. I recon that if they are 6" in length, then it's possible that the manufacturer has stuck the wrong seeds in the packet

[ugly gourd]

my teepee purple french beans are purple but the ones that arent getting as much light are mucky green still yummy though!!

[hawthorns]

does anyone have a picture of there purple queen beans then i can see if thats what i actually have

[Saints]

I have 8 purple dwarf beans growing on my plot that I bought as plugs from organicplants. All are producing lovely beans that I am picking frequently. One of these plants is in the shade of my Runner Beans slightly and all the beans are green. So I think Gourd may be right.

They taste beautiful just the same and once cooked are all green.

[vegnut]

Check this out Hawthorns
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...nner_9203.html

[Paulottie]

Haven't grown them this year, I find PQ's very good as an early crop ...strong quick plants but slightly tough beans, there are more tender varieties for mid summer picking.

As I recall the beans are purple pretty much from the start....certainly they should be deep purple at six inches..I suggest the seed is not true. I find this strange as I have often saved seed from PQ with no problems.

[Two_Sheds]

You haven't got Purple Queen then.
They are dark purple almost from the off. I save my own seed every year (have done since 2003) and they are always purple.

French Beans don't readily cross with each other, so maybe your labels got mixed up?

[susieq100]

I have some purple french beans - Purple Teepee I think. They are greenish purple to start and as they mature are progressively 'purpler'! I have been a little disappointed - the flavour is very good but the beans are very short and bent. Mind you, this could be me - I may have under/over watered or just 'nurtured' them too much.

[hawthorns]

thanks veg nut. it goes to prove that what ive got is def not purple queen. thanks all

[ugly gourd]

I have some purple french beans - Purple Teepee I think. They are greenish purple to start and as they mature are progressively 'purpler'! I have been a little disappointed - the flavour is very good but the beans are very short and bent. Mind you, this could be me - I may have under/over watered or just 'nurtured' them too much.

Ive grown purple teepee for the first time this year and Im not impressed short bent and ageing very quickly I shall stick to safari next year there going great guns

[Two_Sheds]

purple teepee (all dwarves in fact) do tend to touch the ground, leaving them prey to slugs, woodlice and rot.

If you want something in-between a dwarf & a climber, try Mr Brooks Blue ... it gets to about 3 ft tall. I got mine from Beans and Herbs

[Two_Sheds]

these are my Purple Teepee (more pix in my album)