Runner Bean - Tried and Tested Variety

[VirginVegGrower]

What's you favourite and why? Am about to purchase seed and I normally grow Scarlet Emperor but want to try something different. Trouble is I don't know which?

[vegnut]

I tried St George last year and they were heavy cropping and semi stringless, they tasted good too.
This year i'm going to try the new moonlight variety.
I have always got to try something different each year, and runners are up for this years trial.

[VirginVegGrower]

I tried St George last year and they were heavy cropping and semi stringless, they tasted good too.
This year i'm going to try the new moonlight variety.
I have always got to try something different each year, and runners are up for this years trial.

My other half suggested St George but only because he's deeply patriotic being Yorkshire born and bred. I pointed out he (St G) was Turkish!
You make them sound a good choice though

[vegnut]

They are a good choice, but make sure that you pick them before they get too long or you will be de stringing them.
They do say that they are stringless, but experience says otherwise. This is one of the reasons i,m trying Moonlight as these are self pollinating, stringless and a cross between a french and a runner bean. So aparently you get a smooth stringless runner bean. We will see this summer, i can't wait.

[vegnut]

My other half suggested St George but only because he's deeply patriotic being Yorkshire born and bred. I pointed out he (St G) was Turkish!

I thought Saint George was from Palestine. I may be wrong though, my history isn't very good

[VirginVegGrower]

I thought Saint George was from Palestine. I may be wrong though, my history isn't very good

Mother Palestinian - he was thought to be born in Turkey. But who knows for sure!

[Gurberly]

Red Rum. Have grown for 3 years now and have always been good. Started growing them as the packet said less foliage which they do seem to have. Were going to try something new this year but in the end have gone back to RR.

[Jamesy_uk]

Last year I did Scarlet Emperor like you, but they have been so heavily cropped I don't want to risk changing them. I still have the seeds so will be doing them again I think.

[Florence Fennel]

My usual is Scarlet Emperor. Last year's bean harvest was poor for me for the first time ever - not sure what went wrong.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I am a stick in the mud so every year its the same Red Rum/White lady planted in alternate pots SWMBO likes the different coloured flowers and I love the beans.

Colin

[binley100]

I'm trying some painted lady cos they've been around for ever, plus some celebration and white lady (I think I know they're white ones) last years crop was a dismal failure as the plants kept getting eaten. So fingers crossed for this year.

[Bren In Pots]

Last year I had a go at growing White lady along side my usual Scarlet Emperor and for some reason a 'bug' attacked and ate the White lady so i never got to taste them.

[VirginVegGrower]

I looked at Painted Lady - it ended up in quite a few people's baskets at the weekend. I so nearly picked it up.
I may get that and St George and have red/white stripey flowers this year. Celebration salmon pink looked different too - but it is all about the taste for me really - any recommendations on that basis followed by good cropper? Flowers come last really as I have herbaceous/flower borders for that.

[Thelma Sanders]

celebration seemed to start and end early here. I grew White Lady last year and was impressed, so the same again this year for me

[King Carrot]

I was going to say Scarlet Emperor - As my parents grew S E for decades and then I grew them myself for a few years too, I got runner bean twitchy a few years back and tried a few others including Painted Lady. I remember I was not impressed as I found them very stringy at a young size compared to S E!