Growing Beans - climbing, also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners

Phaseolus vulgaris, Phaseolus coccineus : Fabaceae / the pea or legume family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
        P              

(Best months for growing Beans - climbing in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 61°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 4 - 8 inches apart
  • Harvest in 9-11 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Sweetcorn, spinach, lettuce, summer savory, dill, carrots, brassicas, beets, radish, strawberry, cucumbers, zucchini, tagates minuta (wild marigold)
  • Avoid growing close to: Alliums (Chives, leek, garlic, onions), Florence fennel

Your comments and tips

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31 Mar 20, Michele (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
We live 65klms south of Geraldton on the coast. Are we classed as Sub tropical or temperature zone please
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01 Apr 20, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
It does say sub-tropical Geraldton to Carnarvon. Being 65 klm south wouldn't make any difference.
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03 Apr 20, Michele (Australia - arid climate)
Thank you for your help so I dont need to worry about a whole 65klms and go with the original
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16 Feb 20, J garthwaite (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Is it too late to sow runner beans in glass house
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18 Feb 20, anon (Australia - temperate climate)
I have never had a glass house, but if I did and lived in a cool place, then I think the glass house would raise the temperature a lot inside to maybe temperate or even sub tropical levels. Apply that thinking to your planting and growing times.
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27 Jan 20, Al Rankin (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hi, I planted seeds in December, but although the plant continues to grow, to date, I have not had any flowers? I have previously grown them in the same vicinity very successfully. Any ideas will be gratefully accepted. Thanks
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29 Jan 20, Anon (New Zealand - temperate climate)
If the soil is very rich they would probably produce a lot of growth before flowering. I had climbing beans in a new rich garden bed and they grew to about 1.2-1.5m before flowering. Plants would have gone to 3m if the trellis went that high.
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31 Jan 20, Al Rankin (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Thanks for your reply. It gives me some confidence in the plants!!! Cheers Al
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03 Feb 20, Al Rankin (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Great News. I was out this evening watering the Vegies. And what did I find, a number of Red Flowers on my Beans! Thanks for your support!
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12 Jan 20, Allison (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Can I plant seed of scarlet runners now, January, and expect them to produce beans?
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Showing 71 - 80 of 268 comments
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Since I'm from North America, my answer is a "canned/typical" answer. MANY people use the 3 sisters planting here -- -- The "Three Sisters" planting method is a traditional Indigenous companion planting technique using corn, beans, and squash together in clusters. Today’s gardeners will want to keep in mind that Indigenous cultivators who originated Three Sisters farming would have been growing dent, flint, or flour corn rather than sweet corn. The corn stalks serve as a living trellis for their sister beans. Although you can grow sweet corn as a substitute for the flint type, avoid popcorn. The stalks of these plants are short enough that they might be overwhelmed by the other plants. Don’t attempt to substitute bush beans for the pole type, as the former won’t climb. You can choose whichever type of squash or pumpkin suits your fancy for this sister planting. Keep in mind that summer squashes tend to grow more bushy than vine-like, so they don’t make the best groundcover. In addition to the Three Sisters, you may also want to sow other tall plants, like sunflower, Jerusalem artichoke, or amaranth, in the spaces between the hills. There, squash vines will provide groundcover for them. In addition to attracting pollinators, these extra plants can produce a crop, too. Sow them at the same time you sow the corn to give them a head start on the squash vines. This planting creates a symbiotic system where corn provides a stalk for beans to climb, beans add nitrogen to the soil, and squash covers the ground to retain moisture and suppress weeds, offering a balanced, sustainable food source. The sequence involves planting corn first, then beans a few weeks later, and squash after the beans have started to grow, ensuring each plant supports the others as they mature. Plant the corn and beans on a mound -- and the squash around the mound -- plant the additional plants (if desired) between the mounds (sunflower, Jerusalem artichoke, or amaranth, or other tall plant). So in your case : 1. build your mounds & plant your SWEET corn in the middle of the mound (also plant the additional plants between the mound if desired - don't forget the boron for the corn), give it a couple of weeks, then 2. plant your POLE beans (or Green bean, string bean, snap bean), once the beans are going, 3. plant your WINTER squash around the mound. IF YOU ARE IN A VERY ARID AREA -- mounds dry out quickly, so you'll need to water MORE OR skip mounding and plant this formation flat.

- Celeste Archer

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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