Runner Bean Seed Saving

[northepaul]

Hoping this is not a completely dumb question!
I have grown runners this year - a white variety but the crop is not very good. However at the farm I go to to buy other veg, their runners are excellent - tender, prolific and they seem quite hardy. Can I save some of the beans from these ones to use next year? If so, should I dry the whole bean or take the inner beans out? Do I dry them the same as shelly beans?

Thank you all

[Jeanied]

I would only save very mature beans, Northepaul - so the ones you buy to eat would be too young for seed saving purposes.
If you'd like some of mine (scarlet emperor madly crossed with anything else on the plots) let me know - I have loads of saved ones and will be saving again this year. These came through all the frost and snow on the vines and still germinated madly this spring.

[ginger ninger]

As Jeanie said the ones you bought are no good for seed saving the beans will be far too small to dry.
If you want to seed save you need to let them mature on the plant and let them dry on the plant. But you need to know there the only runner bean being grown in a large area, or you can't guarantee the beans will be the same as the ones you original grew.

[taff]

ask them what variety they are

[womble]

Buy an RHS award winning runner bean seeds, then if they don't grow well, you know it's down to your growing practices and not the seeds fault

[nomis]

My massive runners are in the polyhouse so fingers crossed are fairly pure

[northepaul]

Thanks all That means I can eat the beans then!
I asked what variety of raspberries they grew earlier in the year, only to be told its a trade secret....