Runner Bean - Tried and Tested Variety

[marilynsmith]

Tried Armstrong a few years ago - my late husband said it was the best runner bean he had ever tasted and wouldn't let me grow anything else! Still growing them but I am also trying Moonlight this year.

[VirginVegGrower]

It is wrong for me to be more confused than ever?! I don't think I have even seen one called Armstrong. I must sayI like SE - I just wanted to be different this year....

[ginger ninger]

I'm growing "Moonlight" & "St George" over my arch this year. Last year was "Wisley Magic" & "Enorma", both cropped very well. Enorma are good flavour, crop heavy but tend to be a little stringy towards the end of the season, but still a great bean to grow. In the past I've grown just about every runner bean there is, celebration, painted lady, pickwick, red rum, stardust to name a few. All have there own traits.

[Croila]

I grew White Emergo last year and the flowers were beautiful (the clue's in the "white"!) As for the beans, well, I've never grown beans before so I don't know what to compare the yield to, but there seemed to be absolutely loads. They tasted really good too.

As for stringless/stringed, forgive my ignorance but I'm not really sure what this means. When I used to cook last year's beans I'd zip a tattie peeler up each side of the bean pod just cause those edge bits looked a bit tough. Maybe they could be eaten without doing this though? I just don't know! I guess I should have tried it ... We certainly had enough beans to be able to afford to lose a few to experimentation!

I've bought three packets of beans this year: St George, Moonlight, and Scarlet Emperor.

Not sure when to start sowing them under cover though ... Is everyone else doing it already, or do most folks just sow them outdoors after the last frosts? I wanted to get a head start by sowing them in toilet rolls/root trainers, just not sure when to do it is all

[Potstubsdustbins]

Crolia,

Looking at where you live I would think this time of year would be far to early. I plant 6 seeds inside to give me an early start but that won't be till mid April, the rest go in out side early May. The trouble I find with setting to early is the rate of growth I had them growing up SWMBOs lace curtains one year she was not impressed.

Colin

[Croila]

Crolia,

Looking at where you live I would think this time of year would be far to early. I plant 6 seeds inside to give me an early start but that won't be till mid April, the rest go in out side early May. The trouble I find with setting to early is the rate of growth I had them growing up SWMBOs lace curtains one year she was not impressed.

Colin

Thanks for the advice Colin, much appreciated. Sounds like I should maybe leave it for another three weeks or so before starting off indoors ... Wouldn't want to spoil the lace curtains now

[coreopsis]

Painted Lady was my first RB-picked it too late so pods were stringy but beans inside lovely.Last year decided to go for dwarf one(Hestia)-for haricot beans.They never got to that stage,pods were stringless and lovely.
As for planting-I don't think I'll start mine earlier than the beginning of May and will be watching the forecast very closely(epecially night temperatures).

[Croila]

Ah ... I bought a packet of Hestia seeds - was planning on growing them in a pot. I really like steamed runner beans with butter on them, so I can't see me ever letting them get to the take-bean-out-of-pod stage either!

Can I ask, when you say you'll start yours at the beginning of May, do you mean you'll just sow them outside right away? Or do you mean you'll start them off indoors in root trainers or toilet rolls or whathaveyou indoors first at the beginning of May?

[coreopsis]

Croila,the weather last May was loopy.One week was like continental summer-that's when I sowed my beans,the week after-frosts.I had to take them inside(45 pots),all windowsills were full of toms and chillies,so bean pots landed on the floor.When they started sprouting they were like giraffes(lack of light).Wind the week after the frost was gone has finished them off so had to sow them again.Not worth sowing too early.Bean there,done that.I live in a glen so nice frosty pocket-even folks a few miles away but at the sea are a few weeks ahead

[Croila]

Oh dear that sounds like an awful hassle you had last year! I guess I should just stop being impatient and wait, hmmmm? *sigh*

[coreopsis]

This kind of weather is not unusual here(maybe except temperature above 20 degrees C).I just took a chance and lost.This year I've got a greenhouse with the heater so even if it's frosty the plants should survive.I'm planning to throw the stuff into the greenhouse at the beginning of May.

[Croila]

That sounds a good plan! Hope to hear later that it worked

[ginger ninger]

I've sowed mine in 3" pots inside, but the weather has been much milder down here Croila. But it helps that the position there going to be in is sheltered by a 6 foot fence, and it's South facing.

[Croila]

Oh it's not fair! I'm so desperate to get started - I absolutely love runner beans and can't bear to think I'm going to have to wait months to have more of them to eat!

Good luck with your early beans though

[coreopsis]

Hopefully I won't have to sow them twice this year but they'll be last to sow.