Growing Beans - climbing, also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners

Phaseolus vulgaris, Phaseolus coccineus : Fabaceae / the pea or legume family

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
			P			P	P

(Best months for growing Beans - climbing in USA - Zone 8b regions)

P = Sow seed

Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 16°C and 30°C. (Show °F/in)
Space plants: 10 - 20 cm apart
Harvest in 9-11 weeks.
Compatible with (can grow beside): Sweetcorn, spinach, lettuce, summer savory, dill, carrots, brassicas, beets, radish, strawberry, cucumbers, zucchini, tagates minuta (wild marigold)
Avoid growing close to: Alliums (Chives, leek, garlic, onions), Florence fennel

Your comments and tips

06 Apr 20, Jeanette Hagan (New Zealand - temperate climate): We bought a packet of bean seeds about 6 years ago from M10. Unfortunately we lost the packet and can't identify the name of the bean. Can anyone help. The seed is black when you plant it. The beans are a climbing bean. Very flat and Matt (not shiny). They are the BEST tasting bean and produce prolifically. We save the seed annually, but would love to know what they are. Please!
Reply or Post a new comment
07 Apr 20, Toni Robertson (New Zealand - temperate climate): Hi www.koanga.org.nz have a black runner bean seed called Takamatua. Check the photo on their site. Great range of NZ heritage seeds on this site.
Reply or Post a new comment
06 Apr 20, Anon (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): Go to a seed selling website and look through the beans seeds they sell, you will probably find what you grew. Try Boondie Seeds or Eden Seeds.
Reply or Post a new comment
31 Mar 20, Michele (Australia - sub-tropical climate): We live 65klms south of Geraldton on the coast. Are we classed as Sub tropical or temperature zone please
Reply or Post a new comment
01 Apr 20, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): It does say sub-tropical Geraldton to Carnarvon. Being 65 klm south wouldn't make any difference.
Reply or Post a new comment
03 Apr 20, Michele (Australia - arid climate): Thank you for your help so I dont need to worry about a whole 65klms and go with the original
Reply or Post a new comment
16 Feb 20, J garthwaite (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate): Is it too late to sow runner beans in glass house
Reply or Post a new comment
18 Feb 20, anon (Australia - temperate climate): I have never had a glass house, but if I did and lived in a cool place, then I think the glass house would raise the temperature a lot inside to maybe temperate or even sub tropical levels. Apply that thinking to your planting and growing times.
Reply or Post a new comment
27 Jan 20, Al Rankin (New Zealand - temperate climate): Hi, I planted seeds in December, but although the plant continues to grow, to date, I have not had any flowers? I have previously grown them in the same vicinity very successfully. Any ideas will be gratefully accepted. Thanks
Reply or Post a new comment
29 Jan 20, Anon (New Zealand - temperate climate): If the soil is very rich they would probably produce a lot of growth before flowering. I had climbing beans in a new rich garden bed and they grew to about 1.2-1.5m before flowering. Plants would have gone to 3m if the trellis went that high.
Reply or Post a new comment

Showing 61 - 70 of 261 comments

See comments for all plants

Replying to:

There are two main things to think about when practicing crop rotation. The first; what condition (nutrition, minerals, tilth) will this crop leave the soil in. In this case your current crop is beans -- they fix their own nitrogen, so their roots will be full of nitrogen nodules (little white bubbles) and provided you just turn the roots into the ground -- the nitrogen will be available for the next crop. So your next crop CAN BE a heavy nitrogen feeder -- there should be lots of nitrogen there. Also beans do a surprisingly good job at breaking up the soil...maybe breaking up is too strong a word -- beans leave the soil very light and well blended with good aeration. Beans are not heavy feeders and therefore you don't need to worry about them depleting the soil of anything in particular, a basic application of manure should restore things. -- The Second concern of crop rotation is ; pests -- what pests did the beans attract ? Generally beans attract slugs and the sort of insects that feed on tender leaves (as young beans have very nice tender leaves) -- so ideally you want to plant something that these insects/slugs don't feed on -- something like tomatoes (their leaves are not suitable -- or tend not to be suitable for slugs). Then review what you would like to plant -- and determine the plant that best suits the conditions. Nightshades tend to be the most typical choice to follow beans -- Nightshade is a family of plants that includes tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and peppers. Since you are probably already set up with poles - I might go for indeterminate tomatoes (which are really vines and require support).

- Celeste Archer

Your name

Where are you?

Email address

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply

Your reply

All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate

Keep your garden growing - see what to plant right now

Growing Beans - climbing, also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners

Phaseolus vulgaris, Phaseolus coccineus : Fabaceae / the pea or legume family

Your comments and tips

Gardenate

Keep your garden growing - see what to plant right now

Growing Beans - climbing, also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners

Phaseolus vulgaris, Phaseolus coccineus : Fabaceae / the pea or legume family

Your comments and tips

Become A Supporter!

Planting Reminders