What Runner beans are you growing.

After years of growing Scarlet Emperor Runner Beans........I have decided to change this year to a pink flowered variety called Celebration after seeing what a marvelous crop my sister grew last year.......Fingers crossed.

What is Your favourite runner bean?

 

Er...um....the ones I bought in Poundland?
Have also planted some Borlotti beans and some broad beans.

 

After trying F1 hybrids with less than favourable results, I have resorted to Scarlet Emperor, not so much for the yield but more for flavour. I have however put a lot of effort into preparing a rich bed for them to grow in.

 

I did celebration last year (and will do this year) and was really pleased with what I got. Someone commented on how the birds had gone for her normal reddy coloured flowers, and maybe mine were intact because of the different colour....

 

Gave up on runners a couple of years ago as we found we tended to let them get too tough and stringy - just couldn't keep up with them. Now grow climbing french beans instead as they don't get tough as quickly and even if you let them mature fully, the bean seeds inside are still usable.

 

I have been growing Enorma for some years, we are on heavy clay soil.

 

Hi Roders.
I normally grow Polestar, but this year I'm gonna try Enorma. No real reason for the switch, just thought I'd try something different.
Cheers...freddy.

 

I bought some Scarlet Emperor in Sainsbury's today and have sown them in loo roll tubes. I hope they are good - last year for our first attempt we bought plants from our nursery and just stuck them in. I have no idea what they were.

We are also growing Berlotti beans which I believe you can eat as a green bean. Does anyone know what they are like eaten this way? I'm not sure what their flowers are like either.

Can you put more than one plant at each pole or is that not a good idea?

 

You can also use broad beans like runner beans, slice the pods when young and cook them.

 

I thought I's see how everyone got on with their beans.

Although the berlotti beans took a bit longer to get going they were delicious, more successful than the scarlet emporer because they are so delicious and just keep on with a steady supply. The scarlet emporer are good, and indeed still flowering and making beans, but the berlottis are my favourites.

 

I'm the same as DaveW - I don't grow runners anymore as I find if you leave them a day too long they go rough and tough.
I grow climbing french beans and dwarf french beans. Sprite gave me a great crop from the dwarf beans.

I make a bean trench for my beans. I dig out a trench at the end of one of the beds and all winter I use it as a compost heap, covering it over with the dug out soil as I go. Then I plant the beans on the trench . They love it.
Courgettes like the same treatment.

I've never grown borlotti beans Victoria Plum but I'll have a look into that.
Do you eat the whole pod, or do you let them mature then just eat the beans ?