Tag: Runner Beans

Honeybees can pollinate runner beans in cages when they enter the mouths of the flowers (Free 1966) and are then presumably as efficient at pollinating as bumblebees (Free & Racey 1968), but when the corolla tubes have been pierced by bumblebees, most honeybees rob the flowers of nectar and fail to touch the stamen or […]

Nasturtium, summer savory, and rosemary: Nasturtium and rosemary both deter bean beetle pests. 4 In addition, summer savory repels bean beetles and improves the flavor and overall growth of bean plants. What plants grow well with runner beans? If you are planning to grow runner beans, you should consider planting them with plants such as […]

Raised beds should be at least 12 inches (30 cm) deep for green beans. You can build deeper beds if you want. But it’s not necessary unless you’re adding companion plants around your beans. Can I grow runner beans in a raised bed? Raised beds are ideal, but green beans can also be grown in […]

Green beans do quite well when grown in raised beds. The raised beds should have enough room for a tall trellis. Fill the beds with rich, loamy soil to help your plants thrive. Can you grow runner beans in a planter? Runner beans are one of the most productive and pretty crops for containers – […]

Supporting Runner Beans Any frames or trellis need to be sturdy enough to support these lanky beans, which grow to well in excess of 2m (6.5 feet) tall and which will become extremely heavy when laden with pods. Netting is often used along with canes or poles to allow the vines to clamber about freely. […]

Lettuce and Beans Beans fix nitrogen in the air and so don’t take nitrogen from the soil, leaving more nitrogen for the lettuce. Growing lettuce under runner beans will offer the lettuce some shade during Summer months. As a result of the different level the roots grow at, there is no conflict for water and […]

Runners get very leafy and need all the food theycan get, I wouldn’t plant anything under them. Courgettes get even more leafy and won’t want to be under anything. Can I plant courgettes and beans together? When planting zucchini and other squash, keep in mind that they are “heavy feeders” and require more nutrients than […]

Runner beans need water to germinate but do not need any other special conditions or treatment; they will germinate in the dark (underground) or in the light. How do you germinate runner beans quickly? Just fill a small pot with seed compost and make a hole of about 5cm (2″) deep. Drop in a runner […]

Beans are some of the most gratifying vegetables you can have in your garden. They grow vigorously and reach maturity quickly, and they produce new pods all through the growing season. They can fall victim to disease, however, particularly bacterial blight. How do you treat blight on runner beans? To control common blight: use disease-free […]

This is the common blackfly that infests broad beans, runner beans and French beans, as well as spinach, beetroot and spinach beet. They often attack ornamental plants as well. How do I keep black fly off my beans? Pinching out broad beans is by far the most effective way to prevent blackfly. Blackfly loves the […]

12 to 16 weeks. Harvesting runner beans Runner beans are ready to pick 12 to 16 weeks after sowing. The bean pods are at their most tender at 15-20cm long – any longer and they become stringy. Regular picking encourages the plants to produce more flowers, and therefore more young beans. How do you know […]

It takes about a week for beans to dry in our home. We set them in a warm location indoors and flip them after a few days. Some people speed up the process by setting the shucked beans in an oven set to 120 F for an hour, or until dry. You can also dry […]

Uncooked runner beans will keep in the vegetable draw for 3-5 days. If they go a bit softer you can crisp them up in cold water. Blanched runner beans will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. How long can I keep runner beans in the fridge? Storing […]

Tie all the tops of the canes together to form a wigwam. Then plant one runner bean at the base of each cane. As the plants grow, help them to get a good grip by tying new shoots to the canes. When your runner bean plants reach the tops of the canes, pinch out the […]

Runner bean seeds – be they black, white or, more usually purple with black streaks – are all edible. Soak them until they are plump, and then make sure they boil for at least 10 minutes to destroy the toxins that are in all drying beans. Then continue to cook as usual. What part of […]

You will need roughly one pound of salt for every three pounds of beans. Always finish with a thick layer of salt and press down to exclude as much air from the layered mix as possible. Seal the container with a tight fitting lid and make sure light is excluded from the contents. How can […]

Just add to boiling water, bring back to the boil, and cook until tender, which should take about 5 mins in total. Do you start green beans in hot or cold water? either way is delicious! Start by washing the beans under cold water in a colander. Using a paring knife, cut ends off of […]

If planting next to a fence, you can simply run twine down from the top so the beans’ tendrils have something to wind around; otherwise a traditional option is to “plant” two parallel rows of roughly 2.5m stakes or canes, tilted towards each other so the tops cross 50cm or so from the end. Can […]

One age-old method of preserving runner beans (if your freezer is too full) is to layer them in salt in a large, wide-mouth jar or other preserving container. You will need roughly one pound of salt for every three pounds of beans. What’s the best way to preserve runner beans? As with most vegetables, runner […]

Runner beans freeze well. Top and tail them and remove any ‘string’. How high should you let runner beans grow? Runner beans need tall, sturdy supports to climb up. The traditional method is to grow them up a double row of bamboo canes (1.8m/6ft tall), with 45–60cm (18in–2ft) between the two rows. Should I stop […]