[clairebeau]

I felt a little like Jack and his magic beans today! 

Runnerbeans are such beautiful things, they really do look like MAGIC beans  My boys thought it was fantastic!

Great for us but I can't help feeling a bit guilty that the tenant before us isn't reaping the rewards for all his hard work on the plot.  Amongst all the blasted creeping buttercup  there are so many things left untouched and obviously spoiling now so I'm just scoffing my way through it all  Hence these runnerbeans. There are loads left dangling on the plant and have dried well leaving lovely big bright purple and black beans in the pods.

Anyhow, we're going to pop them in an envelope and keep them until the Spring and plant them. Do you think we'll have any luck?  Does anyone else do this?  Obviously I don't know what variety they are therefore I'll have no idea if they'll come through true to form so it's no skin off our nose to have a try.  What else would you save seeds from? Are we out of practice of doing this these days for fear of disease?  I'm sure my Grandma only bought things to grow if they had some in WOOLWORTHS and saved things to use year after year.  She was always collecting seeds, growning roots on things in jam jars and propagating Pelargoniums year after year...I'm going to take a leaf out of her book and reduce-recycle-reuse the old fashioned way. 

Goodness...don't I waffle on?!  Please forgive me, I'm just keen  Hope you've all had a good weekend.

[totalnovice]

if you make sure the bean seeds are nice and dry then they will be fine for next year, if not pop them on a baking tray lined with kitchen towel and leave on a windowsill for a fortnight to dry out then put them away.

I also save sead from peas and borlottis beans. In theory you can save seed from all plants thatt are not an F1 variety, whether they will come true or not is a different matter, but if there is only one variety on your plot you might get lucky.

Good Luck - enjoy and let us know how those runner bean seads go!

[Trillium]

For runner beans, most people tend to stick with the usual favourites so you should do okay saving the seeds. Since you don't expect a specific variety, you're okay.

I save heirloom tom seeds in the middle of the specific rows I want. They're less likely to cross breed with other toms nearby, but if they do then I'm not overly worried since I grow only varieties I like.

Same with sweet peas - its a real toss up as to what you'll get, but they'll still flower and smell sweet.

I grow only one type of dwarf French bean, none of my neighbours do, so I know it'll always come true to type.

[sunshineband]

I have a big brown envelope full of runner beans ready for next year..... so many in fact we are going t sell small packets of seed at the school seasonal fayre later this term 

At home, I have the seed from my favourite beans, plus a few from those discarded by one of the old guys on the plot who alway has mammoth beans. Salvaged them from the tip 

All nicely dried and ready to burst forth in a few months time 

[Gandan57]

I cannot resist saving seeds.


Two kilos of runner beans so far.


Along with some other seeds hastily gathered together, including parsley, carrots, sweet peas, violas and mixed brassicas.

[savbo]

I'm fed up growing runner beans cos they go from OK to tough so quickly, so I'm just growing French and Borlotti next year. All the runner beans I've saved from this year are going in a chilli sometime soon...

[Growster...]

We've collected a couple of hundred too, there're a few still down there actually too...

It makes sense to use these next year; at a couple of quid a pop, they're not the cheapest seed around, and we always start them off in a big pot, then plant them individually to save any gaps.

[DigIt]

Beware of saving seeds from Hybrid plants, they will not produce plants that are true to the parent type.

[mumofstig]

I don't think there are many F1 Runner beans varieties, but all the runner beans can cross with any others on the allotment site cos they need fertilisation by bees etc, whereas French beans are usually true because they pollinate themselves, as do peas 

[Growster...]

I don't think there are many F1 Runner beans varieties, but all the runner beans can cross with any others on the allotment site cos they need fertilisation by bees etc, whereas French beans are usually true because they pollinate themselves, as do peas 

It#s reckoned French beans are the easiest Mum!

Trouble is, we don't like them...;0)

[clairebeau]

I cannot resist saving seeds.

 
Two kilos of runner beans so far.

...and here was I thinking I was daft saving them! 

I've had another form of income cut today so from now on we're officially POOR! 
But at least I don't have to sell the cow to get these beans eh?

I'm fed up growing runner beans cos they go from OK to tough so quickly, so I'm just growing French and Borlotti next year. All the runner beans I've saved from this year are going in a chilli sometime soon...

Are they nice to eat this way?  Much like kidney beans then....sorry if that sounds a bit thick...tell me they're NOT kidney beans and I never knew all this time   

[azubah]

I have always called runner beans 'kidney beans'. My Mom eats them, but I have never tried them as bean seeds. I love them as green beans and pick them early before they go stringy.

[sunshineband]

You can eat any beans you don't plant

Just remember to give them a good boil after soaking, to remove any toxins

Great in chilli etc, as others have said 

[savbo]

I've cooked by dried runner beans a few times, the only problem is they do turn a rather unappetising grey....

[seedman]

A small seed company told me to put some rice in the oven for 15mins place in a jar leave to cool add seeds/beans wrapped in muslin cloth about 2 weeks they should be dry to store, rice removes any moisture hope it helps