[hubballi]

Having grown French beans over the last few years I would say that for the very small amount of yield they are not worth the space they take up. Besides, I always have very small beans that usually curl banana shaped. This year was my best but still very low considering the watering, feeding and deep container I grow them in. Compare them to the more fruitful and larger runner beans and to me they are streets ahead.

I don't think I will bother with French beans in the future.

[radiohead]

Mine are hopeless this year,and yet last year we were inundated.....they do make a tasty change from runners,and despite this years failure I will be growing them again next year.

[arugula]

I find french beans sensitive to temperature, so they may not have done so well this year as they might have done. I don't like runner beans. I'll grow french beans again next year. 

[mumofstig]

the last 2 years here, have been poor for French climbing beans as well  
The reason I carry on hoping for a better year, is that they freeze better than runners do.

I must say that the purple podded beans performed well last year, and look to be doing the same this year, so I think they must be a tad less temperamental than the green ones - so you may be better to try those

[Aunt Sally]

I've frozen about 4 kg of french beans so far (variety Delinel), still more to pick so it's not been a bad year for me.   

Growing in containers can be difficult unless your feeding and watering is spot on.

[shokkyy]

French beans are one of the few things that have done reasonably well for me this year. I've been picking Cobra for a couple of weeks now and they're still cropping strongly. The Blauhilde were slower to start but I've just started picking them now. But even the Cobra is later starting and lighter cropping than French Beans have been for me in previous years. Last year I grew dwarf varieties and had enough to freeze, but I don't think I'll be freezing any this year.

My runner beans are only just starting to show some very tiny beans and I won't be picking any for a while yet. Even then, doesn't look like there's going to be many of them - and that's from 32 plants

[Settman]

Been great for me this year,slow to get going but have been picking for at least a month now,and just picked 4lbs and made some chutney,still got some to pick although they starting to look a little tired now

[joyfull]

I much prefer french beans to runners 

[JayG]

I quite like French beans but in winter the African-grown versions are about the only shop-bought green veg alternative to cabbage and calabrese (not worth trying to grow brassicas in my relatively small sand-pit!)

That's why I don't grow them in summer, although I'm often tempted to have a go just to say I tried. 

[kevinp]

Mine have been very good this year, been away for a couple of days and come back to loads more of them I will have to pick them in a couple of days.

[Babstreefern]

I prefer french beans (the climbing variety) to runner beans.  Normally, I grow mine on wigwams with fantastic results, but this year decided to change it to growing them in a row, with very low results.  So next year, wigwams are back

[sunshineband]

I have flat yellow french beans (climbing) that have been awesome, purple queen and speedy, which are both dwarf, and all have given a decent crop.


Love french beans and always start a few under cloches for an early picking too  

[1st time veg grower]

My parents seem to have had a really good year for french beans down in norfolk so much so they bought me up a freezer bag full! Mine on the other hand have been ok, not great but ok (hence their donation!). Like others, my purple podded beans have been far more prolific than the green and yellow varieties I also grow. The dwarf french beans seem more prone to curling than the climbing ones as the latter seem to hang down straight better.

And I too prefer the taste of french beans to runners and so that's why I will also carry on growing them!

[sunshineband]

I think they curl when they get caught up a bit in leaf stalks as they begin to grow 

[Lady Rosemary]

We have runners which are doing great, purple podded variety which is very vigorous, a green climbing variety that's a little slow and a dwarf yellow variety that is doing OK.  The great thing is, fresh beans every single day.  Even got some climbing beans growing in the tunnel!