thicko question about french beans

[eskymo]

I ordered some french beans from the Organic Catlogue and when they arrived, both packets claimed they were of the 'dwarf' variety.

I've just looked on the website and none of the varieties are described as 'Dwarf' on the site. So are all french beans of the 'dwarf' variety or have I just been unlucky? I ordered them as I just presumed they would be the climbing type of bean. I'm sure I used to have a packet of climbing french beans. Can anyone help me out here?

I want to email them and ask if I can exchange the packets for other seeds so want to know if you can get climbing French beans.

[andrewo]

Yes, you can, from the organic gardening catalogue they are blauhilde and you can also get sultana, both climbing varieties and heavy croppers like dwarf. I would plant both and see which one you like the most.

[Peter]

So are all french beans of the 'dwarf' variety or have I just been unlucky?

In a word unlucky.

Try Tuckers on http://www.edwintucker.co.uk/
Tel: 01364 652233.
Fax: 01364 654211.
E-mail: seeds@edwintucker.com
BREWERY MEADOW, STONEPARK, ASHBURTON, NEWTON ABBOT, DEVON.


They do all sorts of seeds with an accurate description of habit and also have a good organic range.

[eskymo]

on their website - those varieties are llisted under climbing beans...not in the french bean section...so are they actually french beans?

[andrewo]

Yes they are french beans. Trust me, I grow them.

[Lesley Jay]

Eskymo what is the name of the varieties that you have been sent?

[eskymo]

I got Hildora and Aiguilon and I was going to send them back, but think I'm going to hold onto them and might as well plant some out...can always grow them and freeze them.

[smallblueplanet]

esky it does say '....Average height 30-60cm. Also good in containers.' in the general description at the top of the page.

They don't have a great selection of climbing French beans though. Tamar has a few varieties too.

Tamar Organics

[andrewo]

Hildora is snap bean, one of the originals and is bush (dwarf). Aiguillon is a pencil thin pod, green but still dwarf. Have grown Hildora, very tasty but never the Aiguillon but I know it is resistant to bean mosaic virus unlike Hildora which is a very old variety.

[Lesley Jay]

Eskymo they will both taste lovely. I grow Safari a dwarf french bean and also blue lake which is a climbing french bean. They all taste great and this year I am trying Cobra which is also a climbing french bean.

[eskymo]

I put up an archway over my path especially to grow french beans up, so I guess I'll just have to putchase some climbing ones. I'm thinking of getting the Neckergold and the Blauhilde as I think the yellow and purple pods will look amazing together. Just have to waot for them to arrive.

I'm still going to plant the dwarf varieties though...so no loss there.

[JennieAtkinson]

Eskymo - I got a set of french beans through GYO last year and will certainly not grow all of them. Would you like a packet of a climbing one? Can't guarantee what it would be, but happy to send it to you.

[eskymo]

thanks for the offer, but I ordered some more the other day...hopefully they'll arrive this week and I can get planting. I'm getting impatient as I've got a bare empty plot waiting for stuff to be planted in it but nothing seems to be growing in the greenhouse...I'm having absolutely no luck with my courgettes this year and everything else isbeing very slow to start.

[eskymo]

Peter - thanks for the link to edwintucker.co.uk - what an appauling website [speaking from a web desginers point of view with regards to useability and accessibility]! Very difficult to find anything on it...eventually got to the catalogue which had useful info in it though.

[eskymo]

I got my climbing french beans in the post today and just want to ask whether I should soak them over night before planting. I've bene advised to soak my peas overnight before planting on another thread and wondered if this could be applied to beans as well.

Also ahould I plant them in trays in the greenhouse or straight into the ground?