FRENCH BEANS HOW TO GROW

French bean varieties can be climbers, or they can form short, bushy plants so the choice is yours depending on the space you have. Try planting climbing French beans for colour and fragrance

DID YOU KNOW?

Originally from South America, French beans are a member of the legume family, the same as runner beans and peas. French bean pods are usually around the same size no matter the type of the plant, plus they come in a range of colours from green to purple, red, yellow and even mottled.

SOW: April-June

PLANT: June-July

HARVEST: July-October

Sowing Under Cover

If you prefer to start your plants off a little earlier in the greenhouse you can use deep cell trays or Rootrainers and fill with a good multipurpose compost. Once the young plants are well developed and there is no danger of frosts, plant out about 15-23cm (69in) apart.

Sowing In The Soil

Try not to sow too early – wait until the weather has warmed up at the end of May/early June when sowing in the soil and cover with a cloche. is simple trick warms the soil and protects the seeds from mice.

Mix in lots of homemade compost or well-rotted manure into the planting holes before you sow as French beans are heavy feeders and to get a good crop they need to have access to plenty of food. at said, make sure that you don’t feed them with too much nitrogen or you may get lots of green leafy growth without many beans. Sow 15-23cm (6-9in) apart.

Rootrainers and toilet roll tubes are ideal for sowing bean seeds in

Growing On

Put supports such as a wigwam of canes in place before planting out climbing French beans and plant one young plant at the base of each. Plant both types out once the fear of frost has passed. Water during dry spells and protect against slugs by using your favourite form of slug control. Feed occasionally with a high potash tomato food to encourage owering and pod ripening. e weight of ripening beans can make the branches droop and the beans touch the soil. is makes it easier for slugs to damage the beans and rain can splash them with mud. Growing in containers or troughs allows the beans to hang down the side of the container and makes them easier to pick. If you’d prefer a dwarf variety for the open ground, try ‘Mascotte’ as it holds the beans up above its foliage and is totally stringless.

You don’t have to have a lot of space to grow dwarf varieties like this one in a window basket

Harvesting

Harvest pods while young and tender and before the seeds start to swell. Cut from the plant rather than pull so as not to damage the branches. Freeze after blanching if you have a glut.

Watch Out For

Slugs: Can be a nuisance especially in the early stages of growth. Starting them under cover usually avoids the problems, with this pest, especially if you plant out when quite good sized plants.

Aphids: Blackfly can be a problem on French beans, especially on the new growth. You can reduce damage by regularly spraying affected plants with an approved organic spray.

Varieties To Try

‘Rocquencourt’

‘Rocquencourt’ (Dwarf): These beans, bred in France in the 1840s, form small bush-style plants. The beans are a waxy, yellow colour.

‘Mascotte’ (Dwarf): Ideal for growing in windowboxes and pots. Produces good crops of round, extra fine, stringless pods on plants approximately 40-45cm (16-18in) in height.

‘Necker Gold’ (Climbing): Yellow-podded version of ‘Neckar Queen’. Lots of tasty, stringless, bright yellow, pencil pods, borne on vigorous plants which can tolerate unfavourable and variable weather conditions – just right for growing in the UK!