best varieties

**nomadyane** · 27-09-2008, 09:10 PM

Blue Lake beans are excellent - fresh and frozen. I've always had good results. Last year couldn't get seed so had Cobra. They were good last year, but have been poor this year. I shall go back to Blue Lake next year. Try to sow in succession, but it's no good starting too early - the later ones simply catch up! Not growing a large number I start them in pots for easy of planting out - but it's a gamble balancing the time of sowing and the time for planting out - one year they were trying to grow out of the kitchen window before it was warm enough for planting out! If sowing direct in soil they will simply fail if the soil is cold.
David

**SarzWix** · 28-09-2008, 09:01 PM

For Dwarf beans the best one I've grown so far is Purple Teepee, good crops for 3 years in a row.
For Climbing beans, I've had good growth & crops from Cobra
For Leeks, Musselburgh have been good for 2 years. Also tried 'Early Market' this year which have been great, but the seeds came from the Heritage Seed Library & I don't think they're available anywhere else.

**womble** · 29-09-2008, 08:45 AM

I've grown trail of tears for the first time, they were sowed in early May in rootrainers, transplanted at the end of May, sulked for a little while, then were fine.
We now have a freezer full of beans, have been continuously eating them all summer, have given some away and they are still going! Mostly left now for seeds, but still getting the odd meal off them.

They do need checking for stringing, but if you get them young enough, they are fine. Nice taste too.

**Two_Sheds** · 29-09-2008, 09:31 AM

French Beans don't get any diseases, that I know of. The only pest seems to be a touch of blackfly if you're not on the ball.

My favourite climbers: Barlotti and Tiger (big fat beans); Yin Yang
dwarf: Canadian Wonder (red kidney type)
for 'fresh' beans ... Blue Lake (climber) Purple or Golden Teepee (dwarf)

**Alison** · 29-09-2008, 11:19 AM

Don't bother with dwarf beans as you get a much bigger crop off the taller ones. I grew Blauhide, Trail of Tears and Blue Lake (all climbing) this year and enjoyed them all. The Blauhide didn't produce as well but they weren't so well situated. Blue Lake seem to stay tender for longer if you miss a few on the plants and they are the only ones I'm still cropping from. Grew Cobra a few years ago and was seriously unimpressed but know that quite a lot of people do well with them, maybe it depends on your soil.

**Demeter** · 29-09-2008, 06:43 PM

Dwarf beans are all right for early / quick crops though.

Not in a position to recommend varieties but I have no complaints about Speedy, which is what we've grown this year. Lovely dwarf french bean.

**nemo** · 04-10-2008, 08:22 PM

thanks for your replies

**smallblueplanet** · 04-10-2008, 09:01 PM

This is the 1st year we've ever grown dwarf French beans, normally only do climbers. I 've been very impressed, they crop earlier than the climbers and they keep on cropping, we picked the very last of them (bar some haricot beans in pods) just yesterday! Will definately grow some dwarf beans again next year.

**Snadger** · 04-10-2008, 09:09 PM

Originally posted by smallblueplanet View Post

This is the 1st year we've ever grown dwarf French beans, normally only do climbers. I 've been very impressed, they crop earlier than the climbers and they keep on cropping, we picked the very last of them (bar some haricot beans in pods) just yesterday! Will definately grow some dwarf beans again next year.

Mine usually do great. This year, I can only assume it was because of the weather, they were rubbish!

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