Topic: butter beans

[manicscousers]

could anyone clear up which type of bean these are, a new person on our plot would like to grow them, I'm confused as to what type of bean they are ?

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

butter beans are lima beans. I grew them this year. But not the ones like you get in the shops - they need a very long season and probably won't succeed here. I got my ones from franchi. Jeannine gave me some of the *proper* butter beans and I gave them to a friend. Grew OK but hardly a pod in sight
Dried seeds from Tesco germinate really easily though, if they want to try

[ceres]

I had a look at this a while back because I wanted to grow them too.  There didn't seem to be a clear answer anywhere.  Some places list a white Spagna bean as a butterbean.  In the end I went for White Emergo, the white runner bean, because the seeds were cheap in Wilkos so if they didn't work, it was no loss.  They were very good - big fat white meaty beans.

[manicscousers]

thank you both, I will let him know, maybe he will try the runners, sounds like they would give him a decent crop  :)
don't know if he'll want to experiment with the dried ones, I'll let him know anyway  :)

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

The spagna bean is a runner. they're great. We'll be growing the limas next year too, if only for the novelty value

[manicscousers]

he's only got 3 beds so he's trying to find crops that do really well  :)

[saddad]

I'm trying a spagna in the big greenhouse Manics... next year!  ;D

[manicscousers]

he's only got an 8' bed in the communal poly, don't know if he'd use it for beans, hope you have luck in there, I prefer cannellini, brilliant crop this year

[ceres]

Manics, I've just had a look in the seed box (es!) and I have some White Emergo.  If your neighbour would like to try them out, I'll happily post some up to you.

[manicscousers]

thank you, ceres, I'll be seeing him tomorrow, I'll ask if he'd like some  :)

[Bean_Queen]

I agree with Ceres, White Emergo is fab as a "butter" bean.   It has been the slowest to mature out of all my beans though, so next year I will plant it a bit earlier.
 
PM me if you want to try a couple of seeds.

[manicscousers]

he's trying to decide  ::) ??? ;D