Climbing beans and peas - How do you support yours?

They don't climb, you can just "corral" them with a string around the "group" and a few sticks - just enough to stop the whole lot flopping over.

I go with the normal plant spacing (as per the packet's instructions) but I put two plants at the base of each cane (2 on each side, so that is 4-per-X)

Good idea. I don't see why not

A variation on that is to sow-a-seed at the base when you plant-the-plant and then the seed germinates and is 4 - 6 weeks behind the main plant, so crops lower down as the earlier plant is putting on height. Helps more with climbing French Beans IME, than Runners, I find the French run out of steam before the end of the season, whereas the Runners keep-on-cropping to the bitter end.

I suspect that Runners will give you more crop than French, so if you want to maximise Yield then maybe just grow Runners? D G Hessayon says ("Vegetable and Herb Expert") 12lb / 10' row for climbing French and 60lb / 10' for Runners ...

 

Can you start french beans inside on a windowsill first? Is there any point?

Great thread btw, very informative!

 

Yup, provided enough light (that they don't get leggy)

Earlier crop?