[woodburner]

Runner beans go on cropping as long as you keep picking, until they get frosted, but the instructions for French beans say to sow successionally, so does that mean they only crop for a short while? If so, roughly how much can I expect to get per plant, and how long do they crop for?

[gregmcalister]

I haven't grown runner beans but I grow French beans every year. I'm a little behind this year with all the cold spring weather but I'm planning on planting out my French beans this month in the one go and they'll keep producing right through until the first frosts.

[Trillium]

Same here - one planting in spring and they'll crop until the fall frost gets them. They do take a small break after the first major cropping but they'll soon be back after the worst of the summer heat passes. I keep watering mine and this year they'll also get some kelp meal sidefeeding. If any die, I just stick more seeds into the bare spots.

Runner beans are a totally different bean in growth and texture. I just put in the spring seeds and let them grow, but you must be diligent in getting them picked young or they grow very tough very fast. I find French beans more forgiving and will stay tender for a long time unpicked.

[sunshineband]

Like others, our french beans went on from a sowing under cloches on 1st April right through until the frosts.

Varity was a dwarf one:  Purple Queen

[Paul Plots]

Climbing French Beans - a first for me along side the runners...

So - thanks for info - interesting reading 

[mumofstig]

I don't think you get a good a crop on the french beans as you do on the runners, or perhaps my soil suits the runners better  but they do make a pleasant change and they do freeze better than runners I find

[Kristen]

We grow a flat Climbing French Bean "Limka" which thus has the appearance of a Runner but the texture of a French bean.

I never think the French beans crop as well as the Runners, and I find they tend to give up before the first frost gets here - but that is solvable by top-up sowing one seed-per-cane about now - i.e. a month-ish after sowing the original plant.

[kermit]

We grow a flat Climbing French Bean "Limka" which thus has the appearance of a Runner but the texture of a French bean.

I never think the French beans crop as well as the Runners, and I find they tend to give up before the first frost gets here - but that is solvable by top-up sowing one seed-per-cane about now - i.e. a month-ish after sowing the original plant.

I agree - I grew both side by side last year.  Runners kept going, but got stringy and tough really quickly in mid-late summer whereas the french climbers stayed delicious for longer ont he plant.  The french definetly stopped before the runners bu around 2-3 weeks from memory.  Might try a few more seeds in the ground in a fortnight to get a late harvest.

Im not bothering with runners this year - wasted loads when they became tough.

[Paul Plots]

We grow a flat Climbing French Bean "Limka" which thus has the appearance of a Runner but the texture of a French bean.

I never think the French beans crop as well as the Runners, and I find they tend to give up before the first frost gets here - but that is solvable by top-up sowing one seed-per-cane about now - i.e. a month-ish after sowing the original plant.

Im not bothering with runners this year - wasted loads when they became tough.

Plant runners in 3 batches with a couple of weeks between each - this, I find, strings the season out a little longer 

[viettaclark]

Strings.....

[woodburner]

Thanks for all the comments and advice. Of my first sowings only one lot of runners and the borlotti have germinated with any useful degree of success, so I'm going to have another go with a fresh packet of french beans. I've got plenty, so I can do a second sowing in a couple of weeks time, just in case they do start to flag. If they don't, I can always dry the excess or better still pick for flageolet. No pun intended!

[Paul Plots]

Has anyone grown the variety of runner beans that can be left at the end of the season to form large white seeds... these can be used as butter-beans....apparently.

I found an out of date packet and only 3 germinated... but I'm looking forward to just a few butter beans on the end of the rows of French Climbing and then runner beans.

[woodburner]

That could be white lady. My seed was a bit old so I haven't got any decent plants, but the beans are white, as well as the flowers, (not that I've seen them ).

[mumofstig]

or could be czar ? that was always advertised  for butter beans, but I only ever grew it for eating green 

[diggerjoe]

I'm growing a bit of a mix this year with heritage beans as well. I always plant out and add a seed about 6ins away as well especially with runners if they start to get too crowded I just  thin or transplant if small enough. Its also handy to fill the odd gap with dwarf french as well a few seeds here  and there often produce a a resonable crop I even dot them about the flower border at home. Thankfully beans are one of the few things I can grow without problems.