[Caretaker]

I am growing 3 different types of beans not all French (blue lake), they are about from half an inch to four inches in hight inside the greenhouse, I expect that most gardeners are about the same.
On my allotment (40 plots) I can see some bean sticks going up so last weekend up went my V-frame, half string and other canes.
Oh what a lovely site it looks as well.
I am in Hampshire and am itching to put my beans in the ground but when I do not know.
Has anyone taken the plunge?
Reg

[Jay Dubya]

Hi, i'm putting mine out soon ( runners & french ) but generally it's the start of June, or when there is no threat of frost, which i think in the current climate is two weeks sooner.

[peapod]

My little lad started off a runner bean in school, and its now about 20' and trailing all over the GH. He will NOT let me put it out! In fact, when I saw this I aksed him if we could and the exact words were "ITS NOT GOING OUT MUM!"  :blink:

Im darent risk it, DD mentioned that hes lost beans at the end of May, so Im waiting till then

(and repotting the said runner bean  )

[gobs]

I haven't even sown them yet. Tender crop to go out after all risk of frost in your area.

[peapod]

Do you reckon I could pot on the runner? Its already been done once

[Kristen]

I am just about to sow mine (chit on moist kitchen paper, then in modules).  I've sown them much earlier in previous years and then just had a tangled mess of 4' plants to try to separate and plant out (1st June) - and they were then cut severely back by the wind etc.

I have got a few plants in the greenhouse for an earlier start to the glut-crop!

[Sadgit]

I sowed my blue lake at the weekend and are in the greenhouse. they won't be going outside till next month for me. I have seen some on other plots near me and I know from experience that it is still too early to plant out up north, as I lost loads in my 1st year after a tiny frost one May night.

[Bombers]

I Might just start off my french beans for the back garden this weekend, together with a 'backup' second lot of Sweetcorn.  Then I might sow the triffids(Scarlet Emperor)  on the 16/17 th?? they grow like weeds anyway.

[Swing Swang]

I  plant my French beans outside early April but put a tunnel cloche inbetween my double row of canes a couple of weeks earlier to warm up the soil and plant them directly into the ground (hope you can visualise this, otherwise I'll post a pic). Three beans to each stick. They usually all come up, and thin out to 1-2 per stick by the end of April. Then in June I push a fresh bean into the ground by each stick so that I get two crops.

The cloches start to come off about now - hardening gradually during the day - beans are about 6 inches high now.

Row of lettuce/herbs/CCA greens up the middle too for an early crop.

I've been doing this for three years and have never suffered form frost damage, although I keep an eye on the forecast just in case the cloche has to be pulled back down again. For some reason I get a much slower germination if the french bean seeds are white, so I only sow dark seeds with this method.

Caretaker - I'm also in Hampshire so this should work for you too and although my garden is fairly sheltered I am growing on fairly heavy/cold soil.

Regards,

SS

[sunshineband]

Do you reckon I could pot on the runner? Its already been done once

Sounds like a  good idea 

I've got french beans planted under a long cloche, intercropped with salad leaves etc and they are doing OK at the moment... first set of proper leaves. I now leave the end of the tunnel open at night with net over to keep out inquisitive foxes and so far so good. have to water them if the plastic is on when it rains of course hahahahahaha

[nobby]

my runners and frenches went in last weekend

[Rowan]

i've got runners, frech beans and peas out already. the runners have been out for a couple of weeks, no wonder they arn't growing that quickly.....

[Noodles]

I sowed my French and Runner beans in the greenhouse yesterday. I'm now going on holidays for 2 weeks so hoping they will be coming through nicely when I get back 

[Yorkie]

Hope you've got someone able to water them and ensure ventilation on hot days?

If things don't work out, you've still got time to sow some when you get back 

[Trebor]

I have planted direct and covered with glass panels to make a cloche over them. Figure by the time they get going and above the glass then frost risk will be minimal.