How to grow French beans

How to grow French beans - Introduction

Originally from South America, French beans are a great choice for the kitchen garden.
If you pick the pods when they're young and tender, you won't have the chore of slicing and stringing usually associated with runner beans.
There are two types of French beans, dwarf or bush varieties (the most common) and climbers.
The compact bushes of dwarf varieties grow 30cm-45cm high. Climbers can reach 2m.
Dwarf beans tend to crop over a relatively short period, so gardeners normally make successive sowings. Mature climbers produce pods all summer.

- French beans are a member of the Bean family, and should not be grown in the same soil that has grown family members for at least the last three years.

Choose a well-drained, sunny spot. Make sure it's sheltered though, as French beans can be vulnerable to chilly winds.
If you've opted for a climbing variety, bear in mind that the plants will need supporting. Tall climbers will cast a shadow over whatever's planted next to them, so site your bean plants carefully.
- They prefer to grow in moist, fertile soil in a sheltered spot away from strong winds, but can also be grown successfully in pots.
They prefer a light soil, neutral to slightly acid.

- Indoor sowing avoids problems caused by cold, wet conditions, but it's a lot easier to leave it until conditions are right, you don't gain a lot unless the season is very late indeed.

Sowing seeds indoors gives a faster and more reliable germination rate. At the end of April sow a single bean seed, 4cm (1.5in) deep, in a 7.5cm (3in) pot filled with multi-purpose compost.
- Water well, label and place on a sunny windowsill to germinate. Seedlings will be ready to plant out after about three weeks. Before planting, put in a cold frame or a cool porch for a few days so that they can cope with the conditions outside.

- Alternatively, climbing and dwarf beans can be grown from seed sown directly in the soil between the second half of May and the middle of June.
- For dwarf French beans, plant two seeds, 2.5cm (1in) deep, next to your support and about 5cm (2in) deep for climbing French beans.
- Water well. After germination remove the smaller and less robust of the two young plants. As they grow, ensure the plants continue to twine around their canes.

- Germination requires a minimum soil temperature of 12C, 53ªF.
- These temperatures are usually reached about late April to early May in the South.

Regular and plentiful watering is vital, twice a week in dry weather, both when the flower buds appear and once they're open.
A fortnightly dose of a fertilizer formulated for tomatoes will help encourage good growth.
Pinch out the growing tips of the plants once they reach the top of their supports to keep them at a manageable height, and weed between them every few days.
Mulch around beans to help keep moisture in the soil when the conditions are dry.

Bush varieties appreciate support

- French beans are ready for harvesting from mid-July onwards, with their cropping season lasting until October depending on when they were sown.
- Pick them when they are young and tender (using scissors to cut the stalks close to the tip of the bean), as they turn stringy if they're left on the plant for too long.
- Their length is not a reliable indication of their readiness; instead, focus on their texture.
- They are past their best once the skin is coarsely textured and the beans inside begin to show through like small marbles.
- Harvest regularly to encourage further cropping.

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