Stringy Runners

I am very dissapointed with my runner beans this year they are stringy and the outer skins are very hard the same thing happened with last years crop,I prepaired the soil last winter and dug three trenches and added lots of compost in them,I have grown eight tomato plants in the same patch and they are doing well I just wondered if I had grown the dwarf type beans would they had been the same.

 

I had the same problem last year with variety Scarlet Emperor, which I had grown regularly. This year no runners, but two varieties of climbing French bean, Blauhilde and Bridgwater, not as prolific as runners of course, but not hard and stringy either. I understand there is a newish variety of runner named Moonlight that is supposed to combine the best characteristics of runner and French. - perhaps other members have tried this variety and could comment. I may try these next year.

I notice you mention growing tomatoes is the same area - are they actually growing together? if so that may effect the quality and performance of the beans. Traditionally Tomatoes and Beans are poor bed-fellows and should not be grown together. Wikipedia have a good entry on compaion plants both beneficial and detrimental, and is worth looking at. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companion_plants

 

Going by what my Grandad used to say that 'a big bean is a stringy bean', I'd suggest you pick them a little sooner. This year I'm growing Red Rum and White Emergo, last year I grew Scarlet Emperor and Enorma only the older ones are/were 'stringy'

You could go for a 'stringless' variety, among which are White Apollo, Polestar, Moonlight or Aintree but just loads of water at the right times and regular picking works for me.

 

If it was a toss up between eating french beans and runners, I think the runners would win every time taste wise.

You just need to pick earlier before they become coarse and old.

It also promotes the flowering, so the faster you pick the more you get.

 

I would say Enorma are about the best stringless bean.

 

I'm growing Blauhilde & some Italian variety which I think translated as yellow angel, that has yet to produce.

The blue ones are cropping now & have a runner bean flavour, but i'm not letting them get big.

The Yardlong beans are really slow to get away, only 2 of the plants are starting to climb the poles.

 

Ziggy, do you know the variety 'Bridgwater' - supposed to grown widely in your part of the world.

 

Has anyone grown 'St.George' from T & M this season? - My neighbour has them, lovely red & white flowers, prolific crop - but absolutely no flavour !

 

Hear, hear

 

I did notice that Alex, not come across it yet.

 

Grew runners for the first time ever this year (Enorma) and, not knowing what I'm doing most of the time, thought I'd ignore what it said on the packet regarding distance between plants.
Planted 27 plants in 2 rows in a bed 5ft x 3ft. So far I've picked a skip load, big ones and smaller ones, and not one has been stringless :-) Wonderful taste too!!
Maybe I was just lucky but I'll be trying them again next year.