Urgent Bean Identification Help Required

[Kimbo]

I have had a major plastic greenhouse disaster, came home from work tonight and it was lying flat on its side with everything all over the place. Have lost my carrots in pots (but have more seeds so not too distraught) and have lost my rocket and wild rocket which were coming along nicely. Have managed to save some of my radishes and planted them in a covered raised bed and will have to see how they go.

The problem I have is my beans I had dwarf runner beans (hestia) and dwarf french beans (annabelle) one was like a kidney bean and one was little and white but I cant remember which is which and of course all the labels are all over the garden.

Can anyone help me identify my beans

[LaurenGrows]

Kim so sorry to hear of your disaster. I hope you plants recover ok for you. Keep your chin up . There is plenty of time to re-plant more stuff. Good Luck.
Lauren

[nick the grief]

Thats easy Kim.

When the beans shoot the seed leaves (Cotyledons) forms two "wings" and on the runners beans they stay below ground & the french are above.

Also they grow clockwise and french beans go the other way when viewed from above .... if you can get above a 7 ft cane

[smallblueplanet]

Nick, Kimbo says they're dwarf beans!

I wonder though does it matter which bean is which? Will they be treated differently?

(I don't know by the way I've never grown dwarves! Out of interest why grow short beans?) Good luck with them anyway and worse come to worst there's time to plant more.

[SarzWix]

The kidney bean shaped one is probably the runner bean, the smaller white one probably the french bean. I've just been and compared my seeds of both types!

[nick the grief]

Hi SBP When I said runners I meant the Hestia and they won't spiral but the bit about the seed leaves will still be true as French beans Phaseolus vulgaris) are a different variety to Runners (Phaseolus coccineus)

[smallblueplanet]

Don't confuse me Nick, they're both dwarf aren't they?

Anyway will it matter if they get planted in rows and are mixed up?

[Kimbo]

thanks for all your replies guys.

I am growing dwarf varieties as they can be grown in pots/raised beds with little or no support.

Thankfully I put most of the beans in another mini greenhouse attached to downpipe at the side of the house. Also I moved all my courgettes out of said disaster greenhouse on monday (now I would have been gutted if they had been lost).

[Kimbo]

The kidney bean shaped one is probably the runner bean, the smaller white one probably the french bean. I've just been and compared my seeds of both types!

Thanks - I have managed to repot the beans I found in the scattered compost and put them separately on the greenhouse. Will dig out their labels tomorrow and re label them.

[smallblueplanet]

Oh sorry Kimbo I thought they'd already germinated.

We grow climbing beans up 8ft canes in our raised beds btw.

[nick the grief]

Don't confuse me Nick, they're both dwarf aren't they?

Anyway will it matter if they get planted in rows and are mixed up?

I was just showing off It would't matter at all.

I grow The Prince dwarf Frog bean because i grow it in the greenhouse early & late in the season. This year I'm going to grow Blue Lake climbing Frog bean cos LJ told me to and she had a cattle prod in one hand and a pea stick in the other And I'm sowing a row of hestia cos I got a packet of free seed so I thought Why not

I know someone who use to grow them in tubs either side of here front door co the flowers are nice ( red & white) and you got to eat the beans - Bonus!!

[Alice]

Hello Kimbo, what a shame about your plastic greenhouse. I'll leave the beans bit to others who know what they're talking about, but why did you have the radish in there. Mine are sown in the ground and doing fine. Hope you get your beans all sorted out.

[Kimbo]

Hello Kimbo, what a shame about your plastic greenhouse. I'll leave the beans bit to others who know what they're talking about, but why did you have the radish in there. Mine are sown in the ground and doing fine. Hope you get your beans all sorted out.

I hadnt quite got the raised bed ready (ie cover sorted out as I want to interplant them with my slow growing cabbage) but I will be sowing some direct this weekend

[smallblueplanet]

...I grow The Prince dwarf Frog bean because i grow it in the greenhouse early & late in the season.

Sounds interesting, got any piccies?

...This year I'm going to grow Blue Lake climbing Frog bean cos LJ told me to and she had a cattle prod in one hand and a pea stick in the other And I'm sowing a row of hestia cos I got a packet of free seed so I thought Why not

The cattle prod isn't the only thing to recommend Blue Lake, we grew them in Derbys and they were gorgeous. But for some reason they don't seem to like our Wiltshire soil

...I know someone who use to grow them in tubs either side of here front door co the flowers are nice ( red & white) and you got to eat the beans - Bonus!!

So could you grow dwarf French beans early in containers/tubs like what we're attempting with spuds? I LOVE froggy beans and would like to try some of them thar 'fine' beans but haven't room for climbers & dwarves.