Do you grow french beans in a greenhouse?

[arpoet]

Do you grow french beans in a greenhouse or poly tunnel for an early crop?
If so, what variety do you think is best?
Many thanks
Roger

[Alison]

I've grown Crystal Ice or something or other once or twice but it does get a bit hot for them quite quickly. Personally I don't think it's worth it for very many and I'd stick to a dwarf variety.

[Kristen]

I've tried growing both Climbing French and Runners in a greenhouse. Got far too much "top" and not enough beans (plus I didn't realise, at the time, that French are self fertilising, but Runners need insects (Bees?) for pollination and there weren't any/enough flying about that early in the season - not sure how easily they find their way into the greenhouse either, clearly some do but I don't know if that is "enough", and I hand pollinate other things, like Melons, in the greenhouse rather than relying on insect pollination).

I've grown Dwarf French in the greenhouse, for an early crop and for a late Autumn crop (sow 1st week-ish of August). Not really thought about how large the crop was, as I only grew them as a gap-filler and I have sufficient greenhouse space

[marchogaeth]

DFB in the polytunnel do really well for me as both early and late crops. I think they do really well crop quantity wise. The Autumn ones are possibly more hit and miss than the earlies but spring weather can be dodgy! I use more or less whatever beans I have around that have the shortest days to harvest figure. I think climbers occupy too much space for yield. I don't grow runners inside anymore (but I wish I had this year as my runners really struggled outside) but when I did I had a really good crop. Insects find it really easy to get into my tunnel, though, from the earliest bee on winter beans onwards. I have lots of flowers dotted around the beds, Cerinthe is my biggest "weed".

[solway cropper]

I grow dwarf frenchies in containers in the greenhouse for an early crop and they go outside as soon as the weather is kind enough. It gives me pickings a few weeks ahead of the main crop but I've never grown under cover for a late crop. I'm usually sick of the sight of beans by October. This year I seem to have been picking them every other day and just bunging them in the freezer. I suppose I'll be grateful for them next March!

[poly]

DFB in the polytunnel do really well for me as both early and late crops. I think they do really well crop quantity wise. The Autumn ones are possibly more hit and miss than the earlies but spring weather can be dodgy! I use more or less whatever beans I have around that have the shortest days to harvest figure.

Very much the same here too. A worthwhile crop and lovely to have them that little bit earlier. I also grow some Climbing FB inside, more so the ones that are a little slow to ripen for shelling or dry beans. But the same as Runners you need a bit of space for them to grow or they get a bit unruly.

[Two_Sheds]

I've tried growing both Climbing French and Runners in a greenhouse. Got far too much "top" and not enough beans

yep, same result here


The gh is better used for things that like the heat, eg chillies, toms, aubergines

[arpoet]

Thanks folks... I have decided to grow DFB in pots in my cold greenhouse then move em to the patio after the frost has done... like I did with the bush tomatoes.

[Snadger]

I grew Blue Lake climbing beans up the gable end of my greenhouse last year with some success. In fact all the seed i used for this years outdoor crop came from that indoor crop. The fan of canes are still affixed to the gable end so I will probably try another, less hardy bean on there next year.
Just finished shelling the seeds from this years crop ready for next year.

[Acanthus]

I have grown Fasold' for many years, get a great early crop from April sowing,and from a July sowing, am just picking the last.

[marchogaeth]

Needed to use up some very old Aquilon DFB seeds. They were a Seedy Saturday "prize" and I also wanted to see what they are like. Planted about 15 on July 28 and gaps topped up August 11, I've had a handful up to now, here's this last weekend's haul - about 2lb. There are more to come depending on the weather, I guess. They are absolutely delicious raw or cooked, lovely long thin beans and really tasty so I want to make sure I get some seed as well, now. The poly tunnel is great for this as they are they only variety in there and nothing else is flowering outside.

[Alison]

French beans are pretty unlikely to cross anyway, marchogaeth so you don't need to worry about that

[marchogaeth]

Interesting, Alison. I tend to rely on the real seeds web site and advice and without moving too much (ie not at all!) I have a 4m distance in my head and I know commercially it's a lot further.

So how close do you think you can grow them?

[Alison]

I've grown French beans only a few foot apart quite happily and saved the seeds, as Real Seeds say, they don't cross easily

[Berr]

DFB in pots, then out post-frost is a good idea- just keep them well watered. I grow climbing French beans in the polytunnel. They easily reach 13 feet and crop hugely. The cultivar I have found best is Cobra. I also grow dwarfs, variety Purple Tepee. Runners do not do well in polytunnels, I believe. It's certainly been my experience. They do well outside, even up here. Purple Tepee is easy and does very well in patio pots.