Breeding own runner beans

[flighty1]

Hi folks,
I have a bit of problem in as much as every plot holder where I have my allotment seems to grow a different variety of runner beans which means that due to their close proximity to each other they are probably all cross polinated. This means that any seed I save at the end of this year will not be true to type. I like growing White Apollo & have also just purchased some St George to try out. What I was thinking of doing was to grow a dozen or so of each of the above varieties at home in my garden where there are no other beans grown for several hundred yards. If I were to do this would I be able to "develop" my own bean & would future generations breed true.

[Paulottie]

No expert but....Runner beans tend to be (but not exclusively) inbreeders and normally come true.

Two plants at home should be plenty enough for seed for the whole lottie anyway!

Check out Geordies' article on subject....think its on techniques board.

To produce seed from guaranteed selected parents I think you'd need to cut off stamen, brush pollinate then isolate.

[Flummery]

If you just grow one variety at home you can keep seeds from that. If you grow two they will almost certainly cross. The problem is, not all will be crosses. It's probable that some will be self pollinated. You don't really know when you save seed, which is which. To be certain you can pollinate them by hand then put a paper bag over the flowers you've crossed. That will keep the insects from re-doing them!

The first seeds you sow from the cross will be your F1 generation. These will be the plants you grow the following year. Usually it's the F2 generation where you get the biggest spread of genetic variation. At this stage (the following year) mark each plant you grow from the saved seed with a different number then see what you get. You will no doubt get one you prefer above the others. Save the seed from that one -you can eat the mistakes! - and grow on again - F3. Again, save seed from the best - they don't all grow true generally speaking, and you might need 5 or 6 generations to get a stable variety. It's not an impatient man's game! (And here was me saying I didn't buy green bananas any more!)

Good luck with Flighty's Fancy!

[Alison]

If there is definitely no pollen from other varieties in the area then yes, they will breed true

Sorry, just re-read OP and realised that I wasn't paying attention so whilst what I said was right it's not relevant!

[Flummery]

No expert but....Runner beans tend to be (but not exclusively) inbreeders and normally come true.

Two plants at home should be plenty enough for seed for the whole lottie anyway!

Check out Geordies' article on subject....think its on techniques board.

To produce seed from guaranteed selected parents I think you'd need to cut off stamen, brush pollinate then isolate.

It's Frenchies that come true Paul - runners cross like Billy-oh. The recommended distance for isolation is about half a mile.

[flighty1]

Hi folks, thanks for all the advice. Taking note of Flummery's comments I think I will just grow the two individual varieties as normal & buy in seed every other year. Theres always to many seeds in a pack so there should be sufficient to keep half over winter or if I have sufficient I can pop some on here to give away.

[Alison]

Alternatively it could be fun to see what happens with the saved seeds, you never know, the result might be fab!

[Paulottie]

Apologies Flum ...your right.

I had to trawl back through years of posts to find this closed thread so can't even provide a quote short of cut and paste... but I think it should be on the Techniques board.

Here was the relevant bit....

Beans, French
Leave the pods on the vines for as long as possible, until they are dry or at least until they start to change colour. Then harvest them and dry them out further indoors. To hasten drying you can split the pods open, but try to leave the beans attached. When the pods are dry and brittle, shell out the beans.

Pollination issues: Strongly inbreeding and self-pollinating, so you can save seed from a small number of plants and grow different varieties close together with no problems.

Beans, Runner
Same method as for French beans.

Pollination issues: A rampant cross-pollinator, so keeping varieties true to type is almost impossible on allotments and where neighbours are growing them. If you need to keep them pure, hand-pollinate and bag up individual flower clusters to keep the bees out. If you're not bothered by a bit of genetic diversity though, don't worry about it.