saving runner bean seeds

[Skipper]

Help. I have grown runner beans this year and left some on the plants so that I can save the seed for next year.Can anybody tell me at what stage, or, at what time I can take them off and store them. Thanks

[Lesley Jay]

Leave them on the plant till the pods are yellow and dried. Then shell them and store but be sure they are dry before you store them. If it is going to rain and the pods have turned yellow then cut them off and I leave them in a carrier bag to finish drying at home. Then pod and store.

[Lesley Jay]

Sorry Skipper nearly forgot. Welcome to the mad house!

[HappyMouffe]

Do you tend to get a wide range of offspring if you save your own beans? I've got some pods which I didn't harvest but wasn't sure if the offspring would be any good?

Welcome Skipper!

[nick the grief]

It depends how close other peoples Beans are as to whether they come tru or not. Plant them next year & see you've nothing to loose as they cost nothing.

[lyndap]

I usually start removing my beans for seeds around about now.Usually remove whole pod from plants,then place them on the shelves in my mini greenhouse,turning them occasionally whilst drying.Once pods have dried,remove seeds,make sure thoughly dried,then I seal in brown envelope until ready to plant again next year.I grow a bean inherited from greatnan(past down family but name unknown)and white lady.Sometimes get black seed from cross!

[Skipper]

runner bean seeds

Thanks for the help, I think I'm going to learn a lot and enjoy myself being a member of this madhouse, let the education begin.

[Earthbabe]

Hi Skipper and welcome to the vine. I have nothing further to add as that is how i do all my bean saving (broad and french too). I may have some interesting beans next year as I grew a number of varieties of french bean this year and some of my blauhilde pods looked decidedly flat, probably crossed with the barlotta di fuoco.

Ho hum! Quite looking forward to it really.

[Waffler]

I currently have one beautiful runner bean seed and one gorgeous black French bean seed in my trouser pocket - happened upon and harvested yesterday.
On the 'what will grow' question, I bought runner bean seeds about 5 years ago when I first grew them and haven't bought any since - I've simply harvested the seeds and never had any problems with what has (or hasn't) come up.

OH keeps saying to me "I think your beans are finished", meaning 'aren't you going to dismantle that unsightly, blown over mess?' and I keep telling him I'm waiting to harvest the seeds. Though I do wish they'd hurry up and turn as I'd quite like to clear them now. That said, we had fresh beans from them with dinner last night, so I can't really complain.

[Lady Leek]

Couple of years back I was given some seed ( chap on lottie found some in the shed he had taken over) so no idea of name.
These were lovely tasting beans runners, when finished I cut the tops down and left the roots in place. Digging over close to them must have burried the roots, in spring they came up again cropped so good and were better tasting than the bought seed I had sown.
So now I save the seed of these lovely runners, dry them off and pop them in a tin with a lid to sow again and again. They must be years old family grow different ones each year but not as tasty and good as our old ones.
And all from a very kind lottie chap who took pity on me ha ha.

[jlottie]

This is the time of year that I wish I had saved all my jam jars. I had been finishing dying my runner beans in my Poly Tunnel at home and found that something has been eating them. Thankfully I have saved enough for next year - now where are those cats - must be over feeding them again

[Lady Leek]

I use a sweet tin or biscuit tin anything mouse proof to store in my shed

[Skipper]

Couple of years back I was given some seed ( chap on lottie found some in the shed he had taken over) so no idea of name.
These were lovely tasting beans runners, when finished I cut the tops down and left the roots in place. Digging over close to them must have burried the roots, in spring they came up again cropped so good and were better tasting than the bought seed I had sown.
So now I save the seed of these lovely runners, dry them off and pop them in a tin with a lid to sow again and again. They must be years old family grow different ones each year but not as tasty and good as our old ones.
And all from a very kind lottie chap who took pity on me ha ha.

Thanks Lady Leak for the info on your beans, its somthing I may try in the future. Like yourself I have now put the seeds from this years crop into a tin ready to plant next year.

[silver8]

I have been told that you can use the seed as a kidney bean for use in chilli con carni etc. Hope so as I have loads of them.Has anyone used them in this way?

[Lesley Jay]

I have read that you can. After all they are just a bean. I haven't tried using them in cooking but I would follow the guidelines for using dried red kidney beans.