Earlys crop of french beans in the GH/poly

[Scarlet]

Last year I started a dozen dwarf beans of in pots in the GH and planted in the border for an early crop. What's the earliest you've managed to crop from your french beans? When do you plant out? Have you got any favourite varieties? Best for harvest/ early production or do you just choose on looks? I'm often tempted to grow a bean on its colour
I've learnt by my mistakes over the years, I won't plant early outdoors..

[veggiechicken]

I tried Minidor last year - pots in GH - sown 25th January http://www.realseeds.co.uk/beans.html
They survived and I had some beans. Can't remember when I picked the first ones - but the crop wasn't much. Just nice to have fresh beans early

Guess what I'm going to do now

[marchogaeth]

I don't go for an early crop in the tunnel as it's full but I do plant seeds in March and grow them on and repot if necessary until they can be hardened off planted out. So depending on the days to harvest that's when I get them ie they aren't quicker.

[Kristen]

I sow my Dwarf French for the greenhouse on 15-Mar.
Ones for early crop outdoors I sow on 15-Apr. I grub them out once the climber's start producing.

Runners / Climbing French I sow on 01-May. I have now wish to try to keep them alive if there is a late May frost (once or twice a decade maybe?) so they don't get planted out until 01-Jun - or maybe late in May if weather forecast is barmy )

[veggiechicken]

Thanks for this Scarlet. its reminded me that I decided not to grow dwarf French beans outdoors this year. The beans were a devil to spot (even for someone my height) and they got muddy easily.
Ergo, it'll be dwarf beans undercover or in raised pots/beds and climbers everywhere else.

[Scarlet]

I'm not keen on dwarf beans for the same reasons and usually keep them for an early GH crop, climbers all the way for me. ( though some dwarfs are allowed as they look good ) Supporting them is another issue my lack of height ensures that bamboo cane supports/frames are a big issue to build. I've had a few mishaps falling of stuff trying to tie the canes together.

[Kristen]

I've had a few mishaps falling of stuff trying to tie the canes together.

Could you have a permanent frame somewhere (i.e. not rotating with the crop)?

Lots of fans of the Munty frame, if you were to go down that route. You'd only have to construct/fall just the once building that

[Florence Fennel]

I'm surfing on here to find my mojo and get some inspiration, it may have worked, I'm off to look at my seed stash

[veggiechicken]

Just found a packet of Nomad DFBs - sow by August 2007
Have bunged the lot into a Ziplock bag with some compost.
Wonder what % of the 125 beans will germinate!
Plenty of time to sow more.

[veggiechicken]

I'm surfing on here to find my mojo and get some inspiration, it may have worked, I'm off to look at my seed stash

I have some Mojo seeds if you'd like them, Flo. Think I need to sow some myself today

[Snadger]

I like to grow a few early climbing Frenchies inside the greenhouse on the gable end. I have a permanent framework of canes set up for them at all times!

[marchogaeth]

From Real Seeds:-

Aquilon' Green Bush Bean
An excellent green bush bean from France chosen for earliness and productivity. Very tasty as you would expect given its French origins.
A modern variety with very long round green pods - up to 20 cm long - produced in large numbers. Popular because they are stringless, and grow high up, so easy to find when picking.

I grew these in the poly tunnel last year right at the end of the season and they really are that long and straight and really tasty.

Delinel (purple) has always done well with me. Last year I grew Purple Queen (I'm not sure why I went for them) they are very meaty pods, I didn't really like them that much but they produced some great beans which I froze and used in soups and stews.

Redlands Green Leaf did really well in the tunnel. I do remember being really impressed with it but I tried lots of others last year. I have some HSS so I'll be growing it this year. (I could spare some seed, if you want to pm me I'll let you have the address but TBH by the time you've paid postage to and from you might be better off with something else.) I can't find it in any catalogue except this one (Australian!) Sunland Seeds - Redlands Greenleaf.

[veggiechicken]

I picked up some Aquilon at a Seedswap last weekend. Thanks for the positive review.

If anyone wants some Redlands Greenleaf they're in the VSP - saved by nellie-m
Nellie's notes say "An amazingly prolific bush bean, an instant favourite. produces over a long period, too! The internet says it's an Australian variety, brought to the Grapevine by Zazen from an HSL batch"

Purple Queen is in the VSP too.

[marchogaeth]

I picked up some Aquilon at a Seedswap last weekend. Thanks for the positive review.

If anyone wants some Redlands Greenleaf they're in the VSP - saved by nellie-m
Nellie's notes say "An amazingly prolific bush bean, an instant favourite. produces over a long period, too! The internet says it's an Australian variety, brought to the Grapevine by Zazen from an HSL batch"

Purple Queen is in the VSP too.

I think I got my Redland from the VSP (from someone who's name began with a Z), I don't think mine went on for a long time but they were in the tunnel so maybe all came at once or I tore them out to put something else in!

[Penellype]

Thanks for this Scarlet. its reminded me that I decided not to grow dwarf French beans outdoors this year. The beans were a devil to spot (even for someone my height) and they got muddy easily.
Ergo, it'll be dwarf beans undercover or in raised pots/beds and climbers everywhere else.

Same here - I found loads of old, stringy, muddy, half slug eaten pods when I pulled the plants out at the end of the season. This year I am trying Purple Teepee which is supposed to have stringless purple pods which grow on top of the plant so you can see them. That's the theory anyway...