Runner Beans

Hi all
Last year, my Runner Beans were rubbish and less than half came up. In fact I have just been digging over the plot and I have found a few beans that never even started to germinate. Was this a common problem? I usually have a good crop. This year, I am moving them to another part of the garden and I have dug in some compost. When should I plant?

 

Hi.
Maybe I was lucky, but I had a good bean harvest last year, with Blauhilde, Firetongue and Goldfield. Blue lake climbing beans did well too.
FWIW, they were all germinated in pots indoors, or in the greenhouse before transplanting into the ground. 2 seeds to a pot gave a chance to see which ones would germinate. A bit more than half did.

cheers,
Dave

 

Thanks Dave
I normally plant straight into the ground and have had good results in the past. Can't remember what variety I used but I will try one of yours this year. I might just try germinating in pots, in the ghouse too.
John

 

Thanks Shiney
Seems I was just unlucky last year. I was also surprised at the state of the beans in the ground. The last couple I found looked as if they had only just been taken out of the packet! I buried them in the compost heap and it will be interesting to see if they come up - a year late!

J

 

I've still got frozen runners from last season, had a glut along with french beans, grew mine in greenhouse then transplanted, I was essentially unaffected by last summers downpours because I dug that much organic matter and compost into my plot

Don't help I know, but I'm a novice?