Morning All,
I have grown some borlotti beans, and now looking for advice. Last year I tried growing them up twigs (large ones), not very successfully, the harvest was none too good either. I under planted with beetroot, and not sure if that was particularly wise. Any advice on planting out, feeding etc, will be much appreciated. Many thanks in advance.
j
Borlotti Beans
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
Longpod,
I have grown them in the past, and treated them as Runner Beans or Climbing French Beans, which I grow in trenches filled with compost, shredded paper and manure, and up stout bamboo poles. They seemed to crop OK, although I have nothing to compare them to as I only grew them the once.
I would think that they are quite heavy feeders, and do not think that it is a good idea to underplant.
I have grown them in the past, and treated them as Runner Beans or Climbing French Beans, which I grow in trenches filled with compost, shredded paper and manure, and up stout bamboo poles. They seemed to crop OK, although I have nothing to compare them to as I only grew them the once.
I would think that they are quite heavy feeders, and do not think that it is a good idea to underplant.
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alan refail
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I grow Borlotti every year. Before I can help, here's a question: what variety are they, and are they dwarf or climbing? The answers will depend on what you say.
Alan
Alan
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
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Primrose
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I grew a few Borlotti climbing beans last year for the first time and was very disappointed with the yield. They were in a manured trench. I was hoping to have a decorative bean, as well as something good to eat but there were too few of them to bother with letting the seeds swell up for drying, so we ate the pods in the same way as Runners and French, and I found the texture and flavour a little disappointing so wouldn't bother again, especially as I have limited space so need to concentrate on varieties which give me greater all-round satisfaction. On the other hand, last summer was so hot and dry that possibly it was the weather that caused the disappointing crop, and not a fault of the actual variety.
Last year I grew climbing Borlotti - Firetongue, slightly disappointed with the yield but I think it must have been down to the weather. In 2005 I grew the same bean in exactly the same way, I had to pinch the tops out after they outgrew the 8ft bean poles, and eventually gave up picking them and left them to dry on the plant because we were sick of eating and blanching/freezing them 
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alan refail
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Colin
There are a quite a number of French beans which have red splashed pods. At a guess, though, I would say these are immature borlotti - if climbers probably Lingua di Fuoco or Lamon which usually produce shorter pods than the dwarf varieties.
The moral is sow seeds, don't buy plants.
Alan
There are a quite a number of French beans which have red splashed pods. At a guess, though, I would say these are immature borlotti - if climbers probably Lingua di Fuoco or Lamon which usually produce shorter pods than the dwarf varieties.
The moral is sow seeds, don't buy plants.
Alan
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
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Chantal
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Yes I did grow Borlotti beans two years ago 
They were climbers and I treated them exactly like the runners but let them dry out on the canes quite a bit before I picked and froze them. Very nice they were too as Seedling will testify. 
I'm growing them again this year.
They were climbers and I treated them exactly like the runners but let them dry out on the canes quite a bit before I picked and froze them. Very nice they were too as Seedling will testify.
I'm growing them again this year.
Chantal
I know this corner of the earth, it smiles for me...
I know this corner of the earth, it smiles for me...
Hi Chantal,
I take it that you are growing for Pulses only and not for the flesh.(?) I ask this because I thought they were meant to be for the dried bean and not eaten as runners. From what I have seen of them they would not make very good eating as runners.
Please advise.
JB.
I take it that you are growing for Pulses only and not for the flesh.(?) I ask this because I thought they were meant to be for the dried bean and not eaten as runners. From what I have seen of them they would not make very good eating as runners.
Please advise.
JB.
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alan refail
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Johnboy
She sounds to be.
My method with borlotti:
Leave on plant till shells are fully white and red (not green and red like Colin's)
Check that beans inside have turned from green to similar colour to shells
Shell the beans
Freeze them fresh without blanching
Cook with onion/shallots, tomatoes, chilli and herbs for about 25-40 minutes
Eat
They go especially well with Welsh salt-marsh lamb:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/si ... lamb.shtml
As you surmise, they are pretty useless as a green bean/runner. Also I would never bother to dry them.
Alan
She sounds to be.
My method with borlotti:
Leave on plant till shells are fully white and red (not green and red like Colin's)
Check that beans inside have turned from green to similar colour to shells
Shell the beans
Freeze them fresh without blanching
Cook with onion/shallots, tomatoes, chilli and herbs for about 25-40 minutes
Eat
They go especially well with Welsh salt-marsh lamb:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/si ... lamb.shtml
As you surmise, they are pretty useless as a green bean/runner. Also I would never bother to dry them.
Alan
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
alan refail wrote:Before I can help, here's a question: what variety are they, and are they dwarf or climbing? The answers will depend on what you say.
Alan
Hi Alan,
They are Fagiolo Nano, Borlotto Di Vigevano from Seeds of Italy, last year they did not climb very high, so am assuming that they are dwarf, it does not say on the packet.
longpod