Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: savbo on December 14, 2010, 19:20

Title: French beans in greenhouse
Post by: savbo on December 14, 2010, 19:20
Hi all

I've searched the site and most people who grow french beans in a greenhouse seem to start them in second half of April. I was reading Hessayon's Greenhouse Expert a couple of months ago at someone's house and I seem to remember him suggesting planting rather earlier - Feb or Mar. Would anyone here risk it?

M
Title: Re: French beans in greenhouse
Post by: Trillium on December 15, 2010, 04:10
Beans simply don't like to start growing in cold weather. Unless the greenhouse was heated and had lots of light, I wouldn't start them that early. Gone are the days of cheap fuel for heaters and lights.
Title: Re: French beans in greenhouse
Post by: Goosegirl on December 16, 2010, 12:33
I start mine off in the house in mid-late April on a light window sill, then transfer them to the greenhouse in early May. I then re-plant one into my greenhouse bed as they seem to do better there than outside.
Title: Re: French beans in greenhouse
Post by: Jamie Butterworth on December 16, 2010, 16:45
This year, I tried to start mine off early, but the cold weather simpley ment they had stunted growth and didnt recover until right at the end of the season, the ones that i sowed later grew fast and produced more than the early sowings ::) :)
Title: Re: French beans in greenhouse
Post by: solway cropper on December 16, 2010, 19:49
I grow all my french beans in containers which are started off in the greenhouse then put outside when the weather warms up. They had a late start this year and didn't go in till late April but I got my first picking on 7th July.
Title: Re: French beans in greenhouse
Post by: waddecar on December 16, 2010, 20:38
2011 will be my first full season with a greenhouse -  planning to have both early and late crops of dwarf beans in the GH but had not thought about dates till i saw this thread.

In the past i have sown indoors  (frost free conservatory)  mid to late April for planting out early may. One year i sowed last week March but did not get an earlier crop.

However provided that we are not still in the grip of winter i shall probably try starting some off in early March (in conservatory) and transfer to GH early April