Your comments and tips

19 Jun 17, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)

As soon as you have picked all the beans you can pull them down or let them die off if you want to. A suggestion either way you do it, put them on the lawn and run over them with the lawn mower - will chop them up into small pieces. Use as a mulch or compost them.

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21 May 17, Lynne Corkin (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Hi I am revamping my scarlet runner frame this year. I also have a fig tree which I would like to espalier on the same frame. Would they survive together?

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22 May 17, Jack (Australia - temperate climate)

The competition for water and nutrients between a fig tree and scarlet runner beans would be very strong, the fig being the likely winner as it would have the stronger root system. If you could keep up the nutrients and water it might work.

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09 May 17, ali (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Hi, I am looking into growing fardenlosa shiny beans commercially and have found a lot of useful info. However I can't seem to find info and how long these plants will produce a good crop and when to re sow?

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10 May 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)

Shiny Fardelosa beans take 11-13 weeks to harvest and will bear for 2-3 months. If you are growing them undercover they can be planted all year otherwise plant them in spring up until later in the year.

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24 Sep 17, Mel (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

Hi John, I am growing Fardenlosa in pots in a glasshouse (1500)... are bumblebees the best option to pollinate? cheers

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08 May 17, Mary Holland (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Will runner beans give beans for more than 1 year, if left in the soil.?

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08 May 17, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Yes, they will keep going unless you get frosts.

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03 May 17, Rosemary Jorgensen (New Zealand - temperate climate)

I also have grown trouble free Scarlet runner beans for years. Last year I had no beans at all. This year I had enough to feed us but none to give away. The culprit is the green vegetable bug or shield beetle. They suck and forming beans dry and then they do not develop. This last season, I examined them every day and squashed beetles. I still was scarcely winning the battle. It is hard to spray with anything because the plants are always in flower and we are eating them every day. I am also inundated with white fly. I sometimes have success water blasting them off, but they are far too persistent on the beans.

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04 May 17, Sean (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Climbing beans, such as Scarlet Runner, often don't set if you have a run of hot weather. White fly are attracted to bright colours like yellow. Get a piece of bright yellow card or plastic sheet and smear it with petroleum jelly. Tie or nail this to a stake near your beans. The white fly will be attracted to the yellow and will stick to the greasy petroleum jelly.

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