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

20 Apr 20, Claudia (Australia - temperate climate)
Scarlet runner bean aka 7 year bean is a perennial bean. It will die back in the cooler months and shoot up again when warm enough. You can cut them back, compost, seaweed solution and mulch. When it starts to shoot up again, it will need a good feed.
08 Apr 20, anon (Australia - temperate climate)
My thoughts on this are, you paid $3-5 for a packet of seeds and they probably produced $20- 30 worth of beans. That is a pretty good investment. If you like, let a few mature and keep the seeds for planting in the future. Why bother messing around with old plants trimming them and looking after them for months. Your soil needs a good working over and resting and manure compost etc added to build it up for the next season of plants.
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
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.
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
16 Feb 20, J garthwaite (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Is it too late to sow runner beans in glass house
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.
07 Jan 19, John McKenzie (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
I grew scarlet runners this year they grew great but sadly no flowers.Any suggestions
08 Jan 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Did you plant them Oct to Nov? Did you use a lot of fertiliser?
04 Dec 18, Dale (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hello Mike Just wanting to know the names of a couple of local (QLD / sub tropical) organic seed companies to buy from. I bought one lot of seeds from Green Harvest, but some are not producing .( it happens hey) I must say it has been such a dry and extremely hot spring and these 35 plus days are a real struggle for all the veggies. I even bought a couple of cheap tarps to give some plants a little shade.... I remember in past posts you mentioned a couple of companies. Also I would like to grow organicncorn,but I didn't see it on the A to Z growing list..are they all GMO now? Your help would be much appreciated. Regards Dale
Showing 41 - 50 of 185 comments

Each different area of Australia has its particular requirements to be successful. This info is generalized for growing veggies. 1. All day direct sun is best - things just don't grow without it. 2. Good soil and replenish with compost or manures etc. each year. Give your soil a break from crops for a few months each year and add the compost and work it in. Dig it over a few times. 3 Regular watering - small plants - light, regular watering - bigger plants - fewer waterings but more volume of water. Then you need to know which plants to plant each season. I plant beans in April and the bean fly kills the young plants. I planted about 2 1/2 mths ago and have great plants now - just starting to pick them now. I have trouble with Zucchini and Capsicums some times of the year. Capsicums need a certain temperature to pollinate I recently read. I have trouble with my Zucchinis - no bees to pollinate. I am doing it by hand at the moment. Next year I'm going to plant some flowers in my other gardens to attract the bees. I explained in a post the other day to go to The Seed Collection website and print off the Sowing Chart. It is a guide for different climates. Go on the internet and type in "How to grow ------" and read up about it. Look for Australian websites. Gardening Australia etc. Look up seed selling companies and read about how and when to grow different veggies. I'm going on a holiday tomorrow for 2 weeks - will have my computer with me. Email me if you like. naish@iinet.net.au. When I come home we can talk on the phone.

- Mike

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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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