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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03 May 17, Rosemary Jorgensen (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I also have grown trouble free Scarlet runner beans for years. Last year I had no beans at all. This year I had enough to feed us but none to give away. The culprit is the green vegetable bug or shield beetle. They suck and forming beans dry and then they do not develop. This last season, I examined them every day and squashed beetles. I still was scarcely winning the battle. It is hard to spray with anything because the plants are always in flower and we are eating them every day. I am also inundated with white fly. I sometimes have success water blasting them off, but they are far too persistent on the beans.
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04 May 17, Sean (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Climbing beans, such as Scarlet Runner, often don't set if you have a run of hot weather. White fly are attracted to bright colours like yellow. Get a piece of bright yellow card or plastic sheet and smear it with petroleum jelly. Tie or nail this to a stake near your beans. The white fly will be attracted to the yellow and will stick to the greasy petroleum jelly.
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27 Feb 17, Mike Empson (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
For two years, we have grown scarlet runners on a 2Mtr high frame with pipe outers and wire netting. The plants grow very prolifically, and the harvest was good, but lately the bean pods are significantly reduced in number. They get well-watered, and we pick regularly (perhaps not as frequently as we should) but the beans are tough to eat and quite large. The plant is flourishing well, so is it advisable to trim the tops of the runners, or should we let them grow unrestricted? If we trim them, will the plant still develop? We live in Howick.
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02 Mar 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
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.
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04 Jan 17, Bob Morrow (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Have been growing Scarlet runner beans for 30 years but the past 2 years have not been able to get any flowers leave a loan not one bean plant above 1 foot.We have had up to 20mm rain here in New Plymouth just about every second day so I have put it down to that the ground has been to wet not only but have pulled out only to find Eel worms chewing on the roots.I have gone and brought some new plants from our Mitre 10 hoping these will grow for me.Can you explain as why I have not had any beans the past couple years.
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01 Aug 15, mary farmer (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
why do my scarlet runners that have grown very well in the green house, not borne any flowers, they got to a height of 5/6 feet and looked very healthy.?
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Showing 31 - 36 of 36 comments
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Beans fix their own nitrogen, which if you like to companion plant (and some people do), the beans don't compete for the nitrogen. Some studies indicate the the beans assist (perk) the other plants by giving them nitrogen WITHOUT over supplying nitrogen - and too much nitrogen can be a problem for some plants (corn in particular). The standard North American Indian Three sisters planting is: Corn, beans and squash. This combination dates back ........ probably centuries and it has been around a long time for good reason: Corn is actually fairly WEAK rooted when young; corn can uprooted fairly easily when it starts growing. Squash on the other hand is a rooting power house. The squash stabilizes the corn. The squash with it's large leaves ALSO shades the soil (all plants that I know of like shaded soil, keeping their roots cooler -- even full sun plants want shaded soil). The beans then scamper up the corn, and perk the corn and squash with nitrogen. What your asking is can I take this classic all time threesome and substitute sweet potatoes for the squash. I really can't see a reason why you could not. It sounds reasonable. Further more Blistering on sweet potatoes can be prevented by adding Borax to soil - and corn loves boron (boron gives corn not only better tassels but better yields). Additionally, both corn and sweet potatoes need and love potassium. So when I think about it... it sounds like a really good combination. Best of Luck.

- Celeste Archer

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