Preparing the Ground
Runner beans prefer a protected, sunny location. After carefully weeding the area, add plenty of well-rotted manure or garden compost. To give the ground time to settle, you should ideally do this a few weeks prior to sowing or planting, or even better, the previous autumn if you have enough time to design your growing location.
Sowing
Because runner beans are delicate plants that won't withstand cold, seeds should be sown inside in late April. Early to midsummer is the best time to put seeds outside, but you may also buy young plants that are suitable for planting after the last frost. Before sowing outside or planting out, choose a sunny, protected area for your beans and prepare the ground by adding organic matter and building supports.
Putting up supports
To help your beans grow up, it is important to have supports in place before planting. This can be by building an A-frame with bamboo canes. This is a standard method as bamboo canes are tall and sturdy to help grow your beans up.
If you chose to grow dwarf beans, then you can use shorter bamboo canes or short twiggy sticks.
Sowing indoors
Start runner beans indoors on a sunny windowsill, in a propagator, or in a greenhouse from mid-April to May.
Sowing outdoors
To grow runner beans outdoors its best to start around mid-may, when there is no risk of frost. As previously mentioned it is best to prepare the soil beforehand, so you can plant them as soon as the weather is good.
At the base of each bamboo cane, sow two of the big seeds separately in a depth of 5 cm (2 in). Once they start sprouting, remove one of the seedlings, so it is one seedling per can. Remember to keep them protected from any pests likes snails and slugs.
In the spring, you may plant seeds outside in multipurpose compost pots. You may choose to sow them into smaller pots to start them off or straight into larger pots.
One bean should be sown in each little pot, which should be 5 cm (2 in) deep, and should be placed in a cold frame or another protected area. Plant the plants in their final locations after they are 8 cm (3 in) tall, which should happen around June or July.
As an alternative, plant seeds into a large container to serve as their final growth location.
Watering
Because they are thirsty plants, beans benefit from frequent watering, especially as they begin to bloom and produce pods. Plants grown in pots need to be watered often and liberally since they dry up easily.
Mulching
In July, mulch around plants with well-rotted manure or mushroom compost to help the soil retain moisture.
Weeding
Make sure to keep the area free of weeds, to make it easier, try using a weed-suppressing membrane. This means you can spend less time weeding.
Harvesting
Depending on the type and when the seeds were planted, the growing season begins around mid-summer and, if regular harvesting is carried out, lasts for eight weeks or longer.
Pick young, stringless, 15-20cm (6-8in) long pods that are delicate and young. The beans inside the pods should be tiny and light in colour and the pods should easily snap.
To stop any pods from maturing, harvesting must occur often, ideally every two to three days. Plants will then stop blooming and produce no more pods when this has occurred.
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