Runner beans

I picked the last of the runner beans today, 4oz.This is the first time ever I have finished them before the frost got them, it is also the latest The previous latest was Nov.5th

 

I've srill got a few on my plants but haven't had time to venture down to see how they are recently. I'm going to cut mine down and cover them with fleece to see if they come back next year. I read somewhere that they can go from year to year if protected during the winter. Have you heard anything like that?

 

As green beans are half hardy perennials, they should survive if protected shouldn't they?
I have a few dwarf ones left so I shall repot them in the greenhouse. I never thought of this before- Charlie started me thinking about annuals and perennials, but I'm still confused as to why some annuals survive over winter. Is it because they've been strenuously dead-headed and thus prevented from completing their one season life cycle?

 

Mine are up and on the compost heap [ hols late this week onward] kept some beans for next year though. I've had a few raspberries after xmas I seem to remember they were very sour. I depends on the weather if it's mild some plants continue to produce a little.

 

Liz I too got confused by the mixed use of annuals and perrenials. A gardening friend clarified it for me as a)true annuals, grow from seed, flower, set seed and die in one year. b) some perrenial plants that will not survive the winter, or are better in year one are therefore treated as annuals - and often described as annuals The only way you can check which are which is to check the individual plant variety. I was surprised at how many supposed annuals were in fact perrenial.

 

I to have been considering leaving the bean plants in the ground for next year & now I think I will. I was told years ago that you can leave them in the ground, covered, or dig them up like dalias.If they survive all well & good, if not I'll just rotovate & set seeds in the normal way
E.W.

 

I tried many years ago saving runner bean roots over winter, and although they do grow the following year there didn't seem much benefit in doing so.
I never seemed to get beans any earlier than from seed raised plants.