Bean Ideas Please :)

[Ananke]

I usually only grow French and Broad Beans but I want to grow some different beans as a meat replacement and for drying. I would prefer dwarf varieties but with big beans, it's just pure laziness to build a bean frame so climbers are not out of the question, what would you recommend?

So far I've been recommended Greek Gigantes and Borlotti.

[sunshinekitty]

Edamame, great northern and kidney

[Scarlet]

I've grown soldier beans a few times. A dwarf bean, mainly used for drying. Also snowcap, beautify looking bean, that retains some of its colour on cooking. It's a meaty bean that is a "half runner" so will need some support but usually grows no taller than 4-5ft. Also Canadian wonder is a great variety - this is your "red kidney" bean, dwarf variety.

This is worth a look:

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ies_87168.html

Though I would say that the yield on climbing varieties compared to dwarf varieties is worth the hassle of putting a frame up.

[RaptorUK]

Also Canadian wonder is a great variety - this is your "red kidney" bean, dwarf variety.

I would 2nd that, I grew a single 4m row in 2014 without putting too much effort in, they did need a little support to stop them flopping, I am on a windy site, but I got a good harvest from them and will be growing many more next year.

[sparrow100]

Black Coco beans if you can get them - they are a lovely round black bean on an upright dwarf bush,

For climbers I've got fairly big beans off Cousin Oliver, and lots of them, but my current (untasted) favourite are Cara la Virgen de la Banera Leon - beautiful round beans. Lazy Housewife are also pretty good for round white beans, and flower/set pods early - there are some seeds in the VSP. Borlottis are good, but don't have a big return on my plot.

[Guest]

Black Coco beans if you can get them - they are a lovely round black bean on an upright dwarf bush,

For climbers I've got fairly big beans off Cousin Oliver, and lots of them, but my current (untasted) favourite are Cara la Virgen de la Banera Leon - beautiful round beans. Lazy Housewife are also pretty good for round white beans, and flower/set pods early - there are some seeds in the VSP. Borlottis are good, but don't have a big return on my plot.

Sorry to interrupt but just a word of warning. I think I managed to find half a dozen different beans all called 'lazy housewife' and these can be dwarf or climbing, white, tan and I think black if I remember correctly. However the dwarf ones seem to be in America.

I shall clear off now

[Ananke]

This is great, thanks everyone. I'll look up these varieties tonight and try two or three of them next.

[Ananke]

I've been reading up on beans all night and I think you are right about the frame, I'll probably put one up.

[PyreneesPlot]

Also Canadian wonder is a great variety - this is your "red kidney" bean, dwarf variety.

Another vote for this one and it also never seems to get the bean beetle, either.

I also grow borlotti and Tarbais climbing beans, the yield does seem to be greater and I just send them up cane tripods or more usually pentapods (?!) .

[Scarlet]

or more usually pentapods (?!) .

Oh, that's a new word for me and I love it! When I googled I got this :
And the frames but they aren't so exciting

[WilliamD]

Can I put a word in for Spagna Bianco? The plants top out at about a metre tall and if you feed and water them well there are plenty of pods. Picked fresh the three or four beans in each pod are green, quick to cook and delicious. Left to dry out on the plant and/or indoors, they turn white and are about the size of butter beans.

Like more mature broad beans you need to pop them out of their skins before eating, but they're worth the effort IMHO. Below was earlier today, as I took the beans out of fully dried pods. They're now in a jar, for use through the winter months.

[sparrow100]

I

Sorry to interrupt but just a word of warning. I think I managed to find half a dozen different beans all called 'lazy housewife' and these can be dwarf or climbing, white, tan and I think black if I remember correctly. However the dwarf ones seem to be in America.

I shall clear off now

Yes, there seem to be a few. From growing them the ones in the VSP are white-seeded climbers.

[Scarlet]

I've grown lazy housewife and mine were white too. I think I had mine from the pea and bean circle a few years ago.

[Thelma Sanders]

Can I put a word in for Spagna Bianco? The plants top out at about a metre tall and if you feed and water them well there are plenty of pods. Picked fresh the three or four beans in each pod are green, quick to cook and delicious. Left to dry out on the plant and/or indoors, they turn white and are about the size of butter beans.

Like more mature broad beans you need to pop them out of their skins before eating, but they're worth the effort IMHO. Below was earlier today, as I took the beans out of fully dried pods. They're now in a jar, for use through the winter months.

I love growing these, but I've never taken the skins off when I cook them for Gigantes plaki (oven baked Greek beans)

[datz]

Dwarf borlotti also good. (Lingua di fuoco)