Over wintering runner beans

[gojiberry]

I see there is a sticky on overwintering tomatoes and also other threads with overwintering peppers. I just wondered if anyone had overwintered runner beans in the past. As I have plenty of spare greenhouse space I am going to have a go with half a dozen plants this year.

Ian

[lottie dolly]

anything winter greenhouse,is always worth a try,it gives us something to focus on,as well as maybe an earler start,whist the new seeds start their journey up,

[rustylady]

Good luck. I wouldn't have thought it was worth it, but if you have the space why not try it.

[zazen999]

Someone I know of bred hardy beans; so if you get ones that survive and produce well - save the seeds [don't eat them]!

[chriscross1966]

It's the roots that survive, they're tuberous to some extent.... We used to do this when I was a kid, storing them like begonias and dahlias. They get going quicker in the spring than a seed grown plant but tend to suffer toward the end of their second year with viruses etc.... i'll be trying it with some Giganda beans (they seem to be coccineas, the same as runners) as they're quite a late variety... anything giving them a leg-up is a good thing...

[Snadger]

I think that, along with quite a few other plants we grow, they are perennial in there native soil (wherever that may be?)

[Two_Sheds]

they are perennial in there native soil

Yep, they are: Central America.
Selective breeding made them successful in the UK. Gosh the RHS are good