Beans (french bush and climbing)
Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
Sds/g: 3-5 Feed Requirements: Low Opt Germ. Range: 15-19 oC
Planting & Harvesting Guide:
Cultural Notes:
- Bean seed needs a soil temperature of at least 15 ºC to sprout happily, cold soil slows germination and makes seedling very unhappy. Plant your bush and climbing bean seed at the same time. Bush beans start producing once broad beans have finished being harvested, once the bush beans are finished you can start harvesting climbing beans and runner beans. Climbing beans crop over a longer period and yiled a much larger quantity than bush beans.
- Too much nitrogen results in excess foliage, poor pod set and delayed maturity- so while some fertiliser and compost should be dug into the bed a couple of weeks before planting - go easy. Sow seed 3-4cm deep and 5-10cm apart in rows 60-70cm apart and thin seedlings once well established to 15-20cm apart. If you prefer bush beans to the climbing varieties then sow a succession of short rows every 3 weeks for fresh eating. Excess beans can always be blanched and frozen.
- Many people believe that climbing beans are tastier than bush beans, we love ours raw or steamed with butter, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. For climbing beans set up a trellis, poles, strings or some sort of system to 2m that allows the beans to climb up before sowing seed 3-4 cm deep and 10-15 cm apart in rows 90-100cm apart, thinning established seedlings to 25-30cm.
Problems:
- No real worries here except if your soil is not up to scratch or you were hit by some foul wet weather early on and the plants did not recover so well.
- Climbing beans loathe wind!!
Harvest:
- Best picked before the beans reach full size as they have a firmer and crisper flesh than you will find in any supermarket. Once they get more mature and the seeds start forming they tend to get more fibrous. Continually pick to increase the yield and extend harvest, although a bush beans will tend to produce all at once. Once the bush beans start to get fibrous we tend to pull them out as the climbing beans have started producing. It is essential to continually harvest climbing beans to keep the plant vigorous and producing.
A heavy producing, green, climbing variety with rounded pods up to 20cm long and white, long seeds. It will need a tall trellis or long poles to grow on. Beans want plenty of water and a sunny position, frost-free position and should be picked young and regularly to promote new flowers. 80 seeds
| From | To | |
|---|---|---|
| Cool Climate Periods | Oct 1st | Dec 31st |
| Mild Climate Periods | Sep 1st | Feb 28th |
| Tropical Climate Periods | Jan 1st | Dec 31st |
A colourful bean with cranberry and cream mottling on the pod and seed. The young stringless pods are edible. Or let the beans mature on plant, harvest and dry in warm airy spot out of the sun. Shell the dry seed and store in an airtight container for up to 2 years. Use dried beans in soups, Mexican dishes, homemade baked beans...endless recipes!! A bush bean to 50 cm. 60 seeds.
| From | To | |
|---|---|---|
| Cool Climate Periods | Oct 1st | Dec 31st |
| Mild Climate Periods | Sep 1st | Feb 28th |
| Tropical Climate Periods | Jan 1st | Dec 31st |
The classic French round, stringless beans to 15 cm long. A bush variety with green pods with purple seeds are tasty with a great crunch, eat them raw or cooked. This variety grows to 50cm, yields well and has good disease resistance. Pick young pods regularly to promote a longer harvest. 80 Seeds.
| From | To | |
|---|---|---|
| Cool Climate Periods | Oct 1st | Dec 31st |
| Mild Climate Periods | Sep 1st | Feb 28th |
| Tropical Climate Periods | Jan 1st | Dec 31st |
A prolific and tasty bush bean that produces lots of tender, tasty, stringless, yellow, 13-15cm pods with black beans. Fairly hardy. An heirloom that remains popular for its ability to produce early crops and its productivity. Best grown in double rows (45cm between rows and 10cm between plants) in spring and summer in intervals of 3 weeks to ensure continued supplies. Pick young pods regularly to promote regrowth. 80 seeds.
| From | To | |
|---|---|---|
| Cool Climate Periods | Oct 1st | Dec 31st |
| Mild Climate Periods | Sep 1st | Feb 28th |
| Tropical Climate Periods | Jan 1st | Dec 31st |
This popular bush bean has 15-20cm long green, flat pods and attractive, long, deep red seeds. Best grown in double rows (45cm between rows and 10cm between plants) in spring and summer in intervals of 3 weeks to ensure continued supplies. Pick young pods regularly so they are stringless and to promote regrowth. 80 seeds.
| From | To | |
|---|---|---|
| Cool Climate Periods | Oct 1st | Dec 31st |
| Mild Climate Periods | Sep 1st | Feb 28th |
| Tropical Climate Periods | Jan 1st | Dec 31st |
A cold tolerant bush type with stringless, tasty round pods, up to 20cm long and a striking purple colour. Best grown in double rows (45cm between rows and 10cm between plants) in spring and summer in intervals of 3 weeks to ensure continued supplies. Pick young pods regularly to promote regrowth. 80 seeds
| From | To | |
|---|---|---|
| Cool Climate Periods | Oct 1st | Dec 31st |
| Mild Climate Periods | Sep 1st | Feb 28th |
| Tropical Climate Periods | Jan 1st | Dec 31st |
This prolific, climbing variety has straight, flat, purple pods up to 20cm long, turning green when cooked. A good type for cooler climates in small areas, where it will need a tall trellis or long poles to grow on. Beans want plenty of water and a sunny position and should be picked young and regularly to promote new flowers. 80 seeds
| From | To | |
|---|---|---|
| Cool Climate Periods | Oct 1st | Dec 31st |
| Mild Climate Periods | Sep 1st | Feb 28th |
| Tropical Climate Periods | Jan 1st | Dec 31st |
