Runner beans are popular with gardeners because they are delicious, nutritious, and easy to grow and care for. The plants grow very quickly. You can grow them both in the garden and in containers on the balcony! As with any plant, certain care is required. In this post you will learn how to grow runner beans and what care the plants require. Read on and follow our tips.
How to prepare the place for cultivation?
First, choose a location in the garden with well-drained soil. To grow, you need bamboo canes or similar supports and some string to tie them together. You need four or more sticks, which can be up to 3 m long. Insert the ends of each stick firmly into the soil in a circle and evenly spaced apart. You should then tie the tips of the sticks together.Then planta runner bean to the base of each pole. The canes support the plants as they grow. Tie the new shoots to the canes.
Growing runner beans: appropriate growing conditions
You can sow the seeds in pots in April and plant them outdoors at the end of May once the seedlings have developed well. The other option is to sow directly into the ground in May. Plant runner beans in a sunny spot and enrich the soil with well-rotted compost or manure. Keep the area where you grow the beans clean of weeds.
Sow the plants indoors
If you grow runner beans in pots, be sure to water them well. Mulch generously to promote moisture in the soil. If you want to grow your runner beans indoors, you should sow the seeds in April. How to proceed:Fill a potwith sowing soil and dig a hole about 5 cm deep. Place a pole bean seed in it before backfilling the hole with compost and watering. The seeds will germinate in about a week. Note that they grow surprisingly quickly.
What else you need to consider: You need to harden off the plants for 7 to 10 days before you can plant them outdoors. Before planting, make sure your bean plants are fully rooted in the pots. When all danger of frost has passed, you can plant your pole beans outdoors.
Care during the growth phase
Once the plants have reached the tops of the canes, cut off the top of each bean. This will encourage bushy growth. Beansrequire a lot of water, so you should water them abundantly and regularly. Water throughout the growing season and especially when plants begin to flower. Lack of moisture should be avoided because if the plants do not get enough water, the flowers will not form pods. Liquid fertilization administered every two weeks promotes a rich harvest.
Growing Runner Beans: Pests and Diseases
Young pole bean plants are particularly susceptible to slugs. How to protect your plants from slugs? Use wildlife-friendly slug pellets, placing copper rings around the stems of plants, or using crushed eggshells or similar dry, granular material that may deter slugs. If you spot green shield bugs on your bean plants, don't worry. These are harmless bugs that do not harm plants.
When are the plants ready to harvest?
Runner beans need 12 to 16 weeks after sowing to become ready for harvest. When the bean pods are 5-20 cm long, they are best harvested. Then they are tender and suitable for eating. Don't leave the beans on the plant for too long or they will become stringy. Pick the beans every one to two days. Note that the more you pick, the more pods the plants will produce.
How do you store runner beans?
Runner beans can be frozen successfully. How do you proceed? Cut the top and bottom of the beans and remove any strings. Then cut the pods into small pieces, blanch them in boiling water for two minutes. Then drain them, cool them, put them in plastic bags and freeze them.
