RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF FRENCH BEANS FOR RAISED BEDS
Always choose dwarf varieties, not the climbing
varieties. Aside from that the particular variety is a
matter of choice. this year we have chosen Nomad, a variety
which reaches about 45cm / 18in high and produces a good
crop of tasty French Beans, they also have good disease
resistance.
There are however lots of excellent varieties available.
some with purple pods such as Purple Teepee. The colour is
something of a novelty however because the pods colour to
green when they are cooked.
WHEN TO SOW FRENCH BEANS
If you are sowing directly in the soil then sow French beans
when all danger of frost has passed. French Beans are
destroyed by frost and the beans themselves will rot in the
ground if they do not germinate very quickly. The average
date to safely sow French Beans in the UK (for example
Birmingham) is early to mid May. If you live in a warmer
part of the country sow a couple of weeks of earlier or
later if you live in a cool part of the country.
You can easily get a two week start though by sowing
French Beans in 7cm / 3in pots in late April and keep them
on a window sill. They will germinate after week and be
ready to transplant into the raised bed in early to mid May.
French Beans transplant very well.
Because French Beans are so productive it is very likely
that you will end up with too many of them. So we suggest
sowing some in pots in late April and then some more in the
open ground during mid to late May. that will extend the
cropping period considerably.
HOW TO SOW FRENCH BEANS
It's simplicity itself. If sowing the beans in pots first,
simply fill the pot with general multi purpose compost make
a little hole in the top of the compost and place two beans
in the hole. It doesn't matter at all what way up the beans
are placed. Cover the beans with compost so that they are
2cm / 1in covered and water them well. Place them in a frost
free and light position in the house but not in direct
sunlight. A windowsill is ideal.
As soon as the French Bean seedlings appear, pull out the
weakest growing one and throw it away leaving just one
strong growing French Bean plant.
Two to three weeks
after sowing the beans they will be ready for planting out
but only do this when all danger of frost has passed.
Make a hole in the raised bed slightly larger than the size as the pot,
turn the seedling and compost out of the pot and place in
the hole. Gently firm soil around the seedling and then
water well.
Sowing French Beans directly in the raised bed is simple
as well. With a trowel or pencil, draw a line in the soil
about 4cm / 1½ deep and place two beans in the line every
15cm / 6in and cover them with soil. Water well and wait for
germination which will take around 10 days depending on the
temperature.
When you sow the French Beans directly in the soil
scatter some blood, fish and bone fertiliser over the soil
and gently work it into the surface. Do the same when you
transplant pot grown ones.
CARE OF FRENCH BEANS
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The first consideration is frost.
If your French Beans are threatened by a late frost
cover them with horticultural fleece or even
newspaper over night.
Water is the main requirement of
French Beans especially in a raised bed. Don't let
the compost dry out and water frequently as
explained
here. Feeding with a general purpose liquid
fertiliser as explained by
clicking here will be more than enough for
French Beans. |
Pests are few as far as French Beans are concerned. Birds
do sometimes peck out the very young seedlings and because
the soil in a raised bed is loose, the birds can easily
remove the whole seedling. If this is a problem in your area
then cover the raised bed with horticultural fleece until
the plants are 10cm / 4in high.
Slugs may also be a problem when the seedlings first
emerge and the weather conditions are damp. With a raised
bed it's easiest to cover the new seedlings with
horticultural fleece for a week or two until they get tall
enough to be of no interest to the slugs.
Dwarf French Beans will support themselves in many
conditions but some support will minimise damage from winds
and help to support the pods off the ground. Twigs about
45cm / 18in high are ideal for light support. The plants
will simply grow into and around the supports.
HARVEST FRENCH BEANS
Harvest French Beans by cutting off the pods with scissors
or a knife. If you try and pull the pods off there is a real
danger that the whole plants will be damaged.
Harvest frequently because leaving the pods on the plant
too long will stop it cropping.
French beans will store in the fridge for three of four
days. Many people freeze them but personally we don't like
French beans after they have been frozen, the texture
changes significantly. Give excess beans away to friends and
family or freeze them for inclusion in soups.
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