Runner/French beans

[Spunky]

Hello all I'm just getting round to ordering for next year and want to grow runner bens and French beans with the French beans being climbing types
What I was wondering was can you grow these together without any risk of cross pollinating?
From what I understand if any veg does cross it only comes true if you save seed but wanted to make sure thanks

[Penellype]

The beans you will get to eat will be the variety you planted. If you save seed and cross pollination has occurred you will get a mixture of various offspring which may or may not be worth growing. I'm growing 2 varieties of runner bean next to 2 of dwarf french bean, one of which has purple pods. There are only purple pods on the purple teepee, and green pods on all of the others.

[sparrow100]

Runner beans will cross with other runner beans grown nearby, but French beans usually self-pollinate so you should be fine to save seed from those. If you want to save seed from the runners you'll need to grow them either far away from other varieties or isolate them and hand pollinate.

[Alison]

Runner beans and French beans are different things so won't cross. Runners will cross with other runners grown nearby so any saved seeds may not come true next year (although in the case of runners usually produce nice veggies). Frenchies don't cross much and almost always come true even if grown next to each other. Both will produce beans as the packet description from the seeds in the packet, cross pollination only effects saved seeds and therefore next years crops.

[Thelma Sanders]

Runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) are in the same genus as French beans (Phaseolus).

It is possible for species in the same genus to cross Phaseolus, although it is a bit less likely - it does happen.
The new self-fertile runner beans Moonlight and Firestorm are French/runner crosses.


I know that one year, after growing Cosse Violette frenchies next to Lady Di runners in the garden -I ended up with purple flowered runner beans

[Gillykat]

Just found this which answers one of my questions: this year I plan to grow, for the first time, three types of bean

Borlotto Bean 'Lingua de Fuoco 2'

Runner Bean 'Scarlet Emperor'

Climbing French Bean 'Cobra'

One of the veggie mags also gave away a pack of Runner Bean 'Prizewinner' which I might try.

I have two areas where I can grow these if I need to separate them - approx 90ft apart with a poly tunnel between them . The Cobra beans I was thinking about trying with sweetcorn as part of a Three Sisters System but will the other three be ok in adjoining beds? From the answers above it sounds like taste won't be affected, just what any saved seeds turn out like next year (which I don't plan to keep anyway).

[Thelma Sanders]

You'll be fine if you aren't seed saving

[plam]

last year i grew cobra, french bean vale of tears and runner bean scarlet emporer all right next to each other (the frenchies mixed up on the same wigwams) and they all came out as they should. I also saved some seed, but didn't write down what it was, so i'll never know whether that comes true or not! It was nice to have a mix as the cobra cropped first. mmmm beans

[MarkPelican]

I've grown climbing french beans mixed with runner beans for a number of years. The French Beans (Blue Lake) have always run true but the runner beans have changed, I've ended up with some completely unique variety which taste OK.

So my experience is that French Beans don't cross but Runner Beans do.

[Gillykat]

Brilliant - that's put my novice mind at ease

Believe it or not I have never grown runner beans! Last year being my first of growing veg and my peas, tomatoes and short French Beans (from Homebase) being SO tasty it's tempted me to be more adventurous and try a few new things this year

[jackarmy]

Nor me GillyKat, trying Blue Lake CFB in pots for first time this season, hopefully nextyear itll be on my plot

[Alison]

I usually grow 3 varieties of French beans for eating fresh and another 4 or 5 for dried. Save seed quite happily from them all and they come true. My runners are now of unknown parentage but still come out fine and not noticeably different. I also grow Greek Gigantes for eating the seeds and as I'm aware they cross I grow at the furthest corner of the plot and rogue out the ones that don't look like they're coming true.

[vixylix]

ah I was going to ask this question too so thanks all

My first time growing beans too and I'm hoping to save seed so I will just do one type of runners and only have one type of French.

I assume neither will cross with sugar snap peas?

[Alison]

I assume neither will cross with sugar snap peas?

No, definitely not, things don't naturally cross across species. Actually peas very very rarely cross even with other peas as the flowers are normally fertilised before they open.

[maverick451]

Is it to early to sow runner beans indoors yet?