Topic: French Beans

[Moggle]

Is it too early to be thinking about french beans? I'm wondering if I could fit some in on the balcony.
Would a growbag be ok? Or do they need something a bit deeper?
Wondering if dwarf of a climbing variety would be better, and give higher yield for space.
Any ideas?

[cleo]

Yes it is too early-get a structural engineer in to test this balcony first ;D. I have never tried it but see no reason why bushy ones would not do OK in growbags/pots.

Mail me if you have not already bought your seeds- I will have some spare.

stephan

[Moggle]

Thanks for the offer.
I may have to reconsider though. No structural engineer needed, I put a couple of grow-bags out there on saturday and they take up more room than I'd first thought. :-\
Oh well, looks like I have a while to decide any way.

[Ceri]

is there any reason why growbags can't be opened at the end, rather than in the middle - you could then prop them upright?  Perhaps that way they'd fit - you may get less plants in the hole, but they'd have a great root run.

[budgiebreeder]

Alternatively use a large compost bag cut in half with a little taken out and fluffed up .I do this for my Tomatoes.Dont forget the holes in it though.

[Mrs Ava]

Moggle, you appear to be growing masses on your balcony and I am sure I am not alone in saying I would love to see a piccy.  Any chance??

[Moggle]

I will definitely post a pic once it actually looks decent. So far the spare room looks better than the balconies, as it's all frost-sensitive stuff.
Right now it's just some empty-looking containers (although the spuds are starting to sprout) and some sad-looking keeled over sweet peas in a couple of growbags. :-\
Well at least the strawbs look good on the south-east facing balcony  ;D

[philcooper]

French beans (dwarf) don't produce a huge amount of edibles. If you're growing on a balcony, have you thought of climbing french beans, or even runners. The flowers are quite attractive and the yeild is much higher.

On timings, it depends on when you get your last frost on the balcony. The heat stored in the building will mean thatyou could be clear from now on. If you keep an eye/ear out for weather forecasts a sheet of polythene or fleece during the dodgy night will give you a very early crop - to the envy of those who grow in gardens and allotments

Phil

[Muddy_Boots]

Can only reply as runner bean fanatic!  I just cannot get to many of them and they are so rewarding!  I grew french beans and were most enjoyable, even grew purple ones which turn green in cooking!  Not even close!  No one said it here before as far as I can tell, maybe wrong, but water up stems and flowers too, helps bees!

 :D

[Multiveg]

is there any reason why growbags can't be opened at the end, rather than in the middle - you could then prop them upright?  Perhaps that way they'd fit - you may get less plants in the hole, but they'd have a great root run.

 - no reason at all - read somewhere that someone grew wonderful tomatoes with growbags standing vertical..

[ina]

You mean something like this?

[Moggle]

Wow Ina, they look good.  :D

[philcooper]

I'm just thinking, for newcomers to A4A to find pictures of tomatoes growing in upended growbags under the heading "French Beans" could have severe psychological effects ;)
Phil

[tim]

Before it got wiped, I said:
Prefer runners for flavour, but french have their uses.
If anyone should be thinking of growing french indoors - conservatory, cold house  etc, Hunter are self fertile (the first pic in my album) & a halfway house in flavour. = Tim

[ina]

I'm just thinking, for newcomers to A4A to find pictures of tomatoes growing in upended growbags under the heading "French Beans" could have severe psychological effects ;)
Phil

Lets just pretend that these are French beans growing in upright bags and hope that newcomers don't know the difference between tomatoes and beans hahaha.

[Moggle]

Well all this discussion and Ina's pics have inspired me again. Could also have been the yummy french beans I had for dinner a few days ago too.

So it looks like growing french beans is on again  ;D

Also, I now have a couple of pots free from plants dying and aphid infestation ( >:( to aphids,  :D to free container)

How tall would climbing varieties grow? I'm thinking this would be a good use of space, as I can't plant anything else on/up the walls. How many plants would be sensible to put in a 10" x 10" square pot?

Thanks

[tim]

One per pot - limit size to 6', I suggest? = Tim