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 P P

(Best months for growing Beans - climbing in New Zealand - cool/mountain 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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02 Mar 12, David Mapstone (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My climbimg beans are growing well and I can see that they need plenty of space otherwise they get quite tangled if confined. I am worried however that most are developing brown blotches on the beans. They seem health enough, but few remain plain green as I prefer them. Need I worry about them?
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17 Jan 12, frank kroeger (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
why didnt my scarlet runner bean get any beans.had plenty of flowers and after that nothing.thank you frank
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01 Oct 12, Noodle (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Runner beans will only set pods with cool nights. Perhaps the nights were too warm where you grew them? Where I live they do not set pods until late autumn, then we have a few weeks before frost kills them.
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19 Apr 12, Richard (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
hi Frank, we had this same problem years ago in England and believe it or not it was the bees,''english bumble bees to be presice'' what they were doing was as they landed on the flower to pollinate it they were going to the back of the flower and biting it,so the result was the flowers fell off without being pollinated..It only happened the one year but it was very strange,i solved it by spraying the flowers with a sugar syrup mixture
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05 Jan 12, Amy Mitchell (Australia - temperate climate)
I’m growing climbing beans in a pot. I have put in stakes for support but haven’t tied them to it yet. I had someone look after my garden while I was away on holiday for a week and when I got back all the leaves are yellow and there’s a lots of little white flying bug things on them. Is it because of the heat that they are going yellow? And what are these bugs?
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18 Dec 11, Joseph (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Good question How long is a piece of string, but seriously climbing given a frame to climb over they are almost limitless, if they have plenty water and nutrients. Just keep harvesting the beans and the bounty should be great, also you may curse them like me with so many beans to harvest, plus they are great hiders behind the foliage, so look hard when picking. Cheers Joe
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17 Dec 11, alby (Australia - temperate climate)
How tall Climbing Beans Grow?
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09 Nov 11, Julien (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
My seeds got rained on somehow and have started to sprout can I still use them ? They are climbing beans stringless blue lake
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20 Sep 11, Joan Roberts (Australia - temperate climate)
Where can I buy runner beans to eat?
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02 Jul 11, Jo Foster (USA - Zone 5a climate)
Runner beans are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from other climbing beans, pole beans etc, I have recently moved from London to New York, where I have yet to meet anyone who knows what I'm talking about. Does anyone grow or sell them? Perhaps they are incredibly difficult. I understand they don't like heat. As far as i can see there are no slugs and snails here, since there are no holes in hostas. Perhaps I could even grow a lupin!!!
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Showing 221 - 230 of 261 comments
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Short pods on healthy plants could be caused by poor pollination due to heat. Beans are a warm season crop but pollination and bean set on climbers like Scarlet Runner can be reduced on very hot days. I have seen Scarlet Runner with some good pods then a gap on the flower spike where the beans didn't set pods then more pods. Beans are self pollinating and don't set on very hot days. I presume the plants are growing from a root that has been in the ground for a number of seasons. As you suggest, regularly picking is a must to stop beans going tough. Cutting back the tops of the runners will reduce your harvest in the short term but will encourage denser growth and may make the plants more manageable. I trust this helps. Maybe another reader has some ideas to solve your problem.

- John

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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. GardenGrow 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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