[Celtic Eagle]

Hi growing these for the first time this year.  Any particular things I need to look out for. Seem to be very similar to runners
Ta

[Aidy]

grown them last two years, they like warmth so dont sow too early, plenty of  muck n stuff to feed them and pray for a better summer than last year, other than that plenty of water. I froze my beans last year and they were better than drying them.

[corynsboy]

Try and find a good strong variety.  Mine were rubbish this year.  I'm currently looking for a reliable seed.  This is from last year's blog. Pityful.
They eventually grew on and I ended up with half a litre of shelled beans which I blanched and dried and added to the first ministrone soup of the Autunm.

http://growingyourownveg.blogspot.com/2008/06/growing-food-you-dont-like.html

I thought that Borlotti are considered a shelled bean.  I'm not sure if you can eat them like a runner bean, it never would have crossed my mind  as i don't like to eat runner, french or string beans.

Treat them like normal, they love a good feed, so do the bean trench thing a few weeks before you build your frame and plant the beans.  

They love sun and water.  I'd say keep them away from the more faster growing beans I guess that was my problem last year (together with the lack of sun).  My Borlottis will get a frame of their own away from those nasty runners.

I waited for the pods to dry on the plant and harvested the beans in one go and stored them.

[Jake]

I gre Borlotti Beans 2 years ago and they were very successful and I didn't tend them much apart from the odd bit of weeding. They grew against a south east facing wall.

Beautiful plants and easy for me.

[mumofstig]

Got about half dozen to choose from on seeds of italy website....just been looking myself

[Alex 98]

As Aidy says basically
Grew a load last year
Lovely fresh, mashed with garlic & rosemary
Hoping for more heat this year and a bigger crop
Sorry can't remember the variety, might have been from Sarah Raven?

Alex 98

[yummy]

I have failed twice now.

First year ever on lottie I lost lots of em to frost. Then plot flooded twice. By end of season they were not ready.

Last year started later to avoid frost. Too cold and shady to get em going fast enough. Yet again got to end of season and were not ready.

[compostqueen]

this reminds me that mine are still in my shed where I left them to dry. Once dry they fall off the pods and into a basket etc placed underneath.
I have a feeling the mice will have beat me to it as they're a mouse's favourite snack

[Celtic Eagle]

Thanks folks

[Trillium]

I grew them for the first time last year and did okay, other than they turned out to be climbers and not bush beans as I expected    So this year I'll give them lots of tall support. Other than that they're dead easy - just lots of manure and they liked mulch to keep the roots damp and cool. I let mine dry and they're keeping fine.

[Farmer Fred]

i'm gonna have a crack at these myself this year. i have never tried growing them before, so i'll no doubt be on here asking all sorts of daft questions