Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi everyone,

I dont normally grow runner beans becuase they are tough and stringy. A friend of mine said some varieties arent and I should try them so............

Could you guys tell me of any varities you have tried that are more refined?

Thanks

David

I tend to stick with Scarlet Emperor, although previously I have grown Enorma and picked them early and didn't find them at all stringy. If we have a hot summer you may find that no variety of Runner Bean will be terribly successful since they need bees to make the flowers set and in last year's heatwave many people complained they had plenty of flowers but no beans. You could hedge your bets and grow a few climbing French Beans which are often much more tender. Blue Lake is a reliable variety and if you fancy something a little more exotic, Blauhilde from Thompson & Morgan which is a purple podded bean which turns green when cooked. Both these set very well for me in last year's heatwave as they're self fertile and don't need to be pollinated. They're also very prolific.

'White Lady' is one of the best in my book. Flowers are less conspicuous to the birds and it sets well, also pods are stringless.
For a climbing french bean 'Cobra' is outstanding.
John

All varieties of runner beans are stringless when young. A great many are tough when old. Grow any - eat young - or, as Primrose suggests, grow climbing French beans.

Alan

I now grow 80% french bean and the 20% runners are scarlet emperor

I always go for White Lady.
Don't sow too early - a later crop in September misses the heat of the summer. Needing less water and not tough and tringy.

Beryl.

Regarding Beryl's comment about not sowing too early to get a crop in September, can anybody suggest the latest time to sow if you still want to be picking beans at that time of year, bearing in mind the nights can then start to get a little chilly, which beans don't like.

Primrose

You can work it out for yourself if you reckon that runners will take three to three and a half months from sowing to cropping - probably the lower figure if you are sowing in high June temperatures.

Alan

Over the years I have tried many varieties of runner and have always ended up with two varieties Scarlet Emperor and Streamline.
When I sold bean plants as part of my income these were the two varieties that people wanted, having tried other varieties, they always returned to these two. I find it strange that my findings were exactly the same.
As for runners being tough is something that I do not fully understand. Is it that they are not given sufficient water or left too long on the plant before picking.
Last year I erected a polythene awning and was picking well into November although they were not enormous beans the flavour was just as good and not in the slightest bit tough.
I also grow French Climbing Beans and the best two that I have grown are Diamant and Cobra and the joy with these is that they are self pollinating. A different picking strategy is need with these as they keep producing beans from the bottom of the plant as opposed to runners that mainly follow up the plant with the occasional late truss.
I cannot wait for my first picking this year. To me runners have a flavour so unique amongst beans.
JB.

Thank you all very much for your help.

David