Growing dwarf french beans - idiots guide wanted

[toomanytommytoes]

Forgot to mention that when you plant them densely they form a bit of a jungle and it can be more difficult to find all of the beans! That's the main reason we're growing yellow and purple varieties this year as they are much easier to spot amongst the foliage.

[Penellype]

I agree, I like the yellow ones as they are visible. If you leave the pods on the plants, like many plants they will put all their energy towards ripening the seeds and stop producing flowers, so pick off any that are big enough even if you don't want to eat them.

[Jay-ell]

Unless, of course, you're after dried beans. If so you may want to sow extra so that you can have some for fresh and some for dry.

If you fancy saving seeds for next year just leave a few pods on the plants at the end of season (assuming they are not a F1 variety).

[littlemoney]

Thank you everyone for all your excellent advice.

Following your suggestions I soaked them and then, having read elsewhere here, that a piece of damp kitchen towel in a plastic box can be used for the beans until they start to show some growth and then carefully pot up about 1" deep.

I have done this but now what sort of temperature should the pots be put in so they grow into plants. I only have a cold frame or a north or south facing window cill or should they be in the dark in an airing cupboard with a temperature of 18 - 20 degrees.

Sorry for the additional questions but I did say I was a novice at growing beans.

[nickdub]

I germinate most of my seed in my airing cupboard using the method you described - it works fine for me, so I would suggest you try that - don't forget to check them daily - one day they look the same, then the next they have roots on 1/4" long :-)

[mrmauy]

I don't think they are particularly fussy about temperature, I sowed 8 Hildora DFBs on the 6th in loo rolls on a west facing window sill (no soaking as I'd read this can lead to rotting). As of today 7 are up and about 2 inches tall.

[littlemoney]

I don't think they are particularly fussy about temperature, I sowed 8 Hildora DFBs on the 6th in loo rolls on a west facing window sill (no soaking as I'd read this can lead to rotting). As of today 7 are up and about 2 inches tall.

I like the idea of using loo rolls rather than buy special pots. If I am successful this year and decide to grow more next year I will remember to keep some loo rolls as tall pots.

If none come up I will have to assume I have a rot problem and resow. I note your beans were up in 10 days. Hopefully a useful guide for me.

[SarrissUK]

Don't apologise for asking questions around here - they're all so helpful and want to help anyone that has a question. And also remember that for as long as you garden, there's more to learn, so questions is something we all have

[mcdood]

I like the idea of using loo rolls rather than buy special pots. .

The one thing I would say about loo rolls is they are narrow and some of these dwarf beans put out quite a large complicated root structure, a bit like a TV aerial, meaning that the plant shoot can sometimes struggle to get through to the surface. I've had some where the roots have been pushed into the air, and others where it just gets stuck under so you may need to be prepared to do a bit of manual manipulation with some of them.

[Soupmaker]

Planted straight into veg trug 3 weeks ago. Hurrah today, poking their little heads up. Thought I might have lost them. Now to watch them grow.

[Miss Mousetrousers]

I grow French beans inter-planted with sweet corn in my green-house bed because it gets a bit windy here and they don't turn up at the ends and the corn gets pollinated far better inside. This year I'm doing a mix using one climbing green bean with some dwarf yellow ones. I have a mini g-house inside the main one where I put the pots I sowed in mid-March and kept an eye on the temps with a max-min thermometer so I knew if the plastic cover needed to be closed or open and how much. As said, the temps have varied so much but it's been a great help in trying to avoid germination and later growth failures. My climbing bean is doing very well, the dwarf ones I need to plant out nearby and my toms are showing no sign of any problems at the moment. The toms and climbing bean are planted in green plastic gro-bag pots which I pushed into the soil, filled them with compost, bunged the plant in, gave it a good watering then left it alone so the roots would go down into the soil. I got them via Amadzone and they're called "Selections Tomato & Vegetable Growbag Pots (Set of 6)." I don't see why you can't try these outside so at least they've got a good start and the beans will be kept above the soil level.

[littlemoney]

Germination success

Thanks to all you good folk I have 11 bean shoots just starting to show above the compost surface in the pots. Hopefully some more to follow.

[muck lover]

Best of luck with your beans! Watch out for slugs which adore beans when they are young plants.
You will get a ton of beans for very little work. It still amazes me when I see supermarket French beans IN SUMMER TIME here which have been flown in from Kenya or Peru when I’m wondering how to cope with the masses of wee green or purple darlings from my garden and polytunnel.

[Miss Mousetrousers]

Eleven beans! Just how big is your family??????

[Snoop Puss]

Eleven beans! Just how big is your family??????

Just to be clear, Miss Mt, do you think that's not many or a lot?

(Edited to add that I note more are due to show.)