[chrisnchris]

I planted Firestorm runner bean last year & they produced a good crop although I was a little late in planting.

I saved some seed for this year which I have growing in pots.

The plants however are looking a little strange. A pair of leaves at the base on top of a good strong stem of about 3" tall and 1/4" thick.
Where you would expect the bean to continue it's journey skywards, nothing is happening, the stems are getting thicker but the plants have remained "stunted"

Some are indoors & some in an unheated greenhouse.

Do you think the plants have been genetically modified to prevent the seeds being viable for the next season?.

Has anyone else tried growing Firestorm from saved seed?

Any ideas, thanks, Chris

[bravemurphy]

I have sown them from packet this year and will be watching this with interest.

[mumofstig]

They sound weird, so photo please 

[Trillium]

Chrisnchris, your seeds cannot be genetically modified as such because it requires a lab to manipulate plant genes crossing with some sort of animal gene.

However, although self-fertile, Firestorm runner beans are hybrids though most sellers don't seem to mention this fact. Any seeds you save will not come true, but will revert to one of the parents and whatever other variety they crossed with. Sounds like you've saved Frankenrunners  and who knows what you'll end up. Not too late to quickly start a known variety

[bravemurphy]

That's a bit sneaky not to mention they are hybrids 

[mumofstig]

Two of our new French bean x runner beans crosses; ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Firestorm’ were also stars of the show with their self-pollinating and smoother bean characteristics.

http://www.tozerseeds.com/news/tozers-runner-beans-nominated-best-buy-runner-beans-by-which-gardening-/

[arugula]

Caught a glimpse of QVC yesterday. They were selling self-pollinating Firestorm plug plants for a rather large amount of money..

[blackberryjam]

Not sown mine yet, I bought them for hubby, but his sown some that he  had leftover from last year, scarlet emperor I think.

[chrisnchris]

Have now had a chance to take some pics of our mutant beans!!

If it was a hybrid, would the bean not grow as normal, we just wouldn't know what variety?

The beans pushed their way up to the surface, they were originally sown 2" deep. The one that's fully exposed I dug out of the compost

[chrisnchris]

One more, another to follow

[chrisnchris]

Last one

[mumofstig]

It looks to me as if something has chewed on the bud of the last one 

The others are sorting themselves out as to which way is up. If you put some more compost over them they should sort themselves out ok.

[Auntiemogs]

Look just like mine...

[GrannieAnnie]

I thought the same as MoS.  They look like they've started wrong way up and what you can see in the fist pics are the little roots.  As suggested, just cover them with a little more compost.

[Salmo]

One more, another to follow

The stem in this picture looks as though it has been chewed. It could be as simple as bean seed fly. Where have they been growing?

On a slightly different tack.If they are a hybrid between runners and french beans, in which class can they be entered in a show? may be not legally in either runners or french?