Topic: Dwarf Beans winter challenge

[Digeroo]

Has anyone experience of growing Dwarf beans inside during the winter.  I don't like traditional winter veg.  Cabbage, leeks etc, but I do eat a lot of beans.

Would like to cut down on my air miles by not buying so many from Kenya.  Thought I would plant some now into a bucket and then bring them inside when frost threaten.

How long to you think they would last under a cloche?  My challenge is to have beans all winter.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Sparkly]

I have some in that are only at 2 leaf stage at the moment.

[GodfreyRob]

I might join you on this. What variety are you going to use?

[Digeroo]

I have several, might give aguilon a go, nice long pods, and perhaps sonesta, got some for 50p per packet last week.    Also have some purple king.  MAybe a kenya bean since plant not very big. Would welcome suggestions.

[Sparkly]

Mine that are in are purple teepee.

[1066]

I'm with you in spirit here Digeroo!  But not sure if I will actually get round to it tho  ;) My dwarf beans have been fab this year, particularly Safari. But I don't think they would stand up to frosts etc. So please let me know what you decide on and how you will protect them

If you do them in the ground and cover them with fleece I would be tempted to heavily mulch them to try and protect them as much as poss?
If you did them in the bucket you could maybe put them in one of those plastic greenhouse thingies from Wilcos?

I think this might be the limit of my ideas ! ;)  :D

1066

[Sholls]

I transplanted some dwarf French beans (Purple Queen & a yellow one; I'd need to rummage through the seed box to find the name) into large pots at the end of January, I fleeced the planters for the first week or so using bags, and then uncovered them during the day, except when it was particularly cold.

If I remember correctly, I was eating beans in early April; I'm sure I'd have got an earlier crop if I'd coddled them more.   

[Barnowl]

You'd still have to protect the rest of the plant but how about an old Eski or one pot inside a larger one with the gap filled with polystyrene granules?  The Thermos approach to winter growing.  :)

[Digeroo]

I hope to have three batches on the go.  One under a small Woolies mini green house.  Which I can protect with extra layers of old sheets, plastic dust sheets and any old clothes etc.  I batch in buckets which I will move outside as weather dictates, and one batch on the window sill in the spare room.  Maybe also one batch in the sitting room to be moved when we have visitors.  Though I have in the past had cucumber and courgettes there.  Does very well - sun one side and radiator the other. 

I rather resent that fact the house has a tile roof, it would be amazing to have a glass atrium on top of the house and use the lost heat rising from the house to grow things all winter.

[1066]

Sholls - could you have a rumage and find out the variety? The thought of eating home grown beans that early is very temmpting!

And Barnowl - that's pretty much what I do with some of my tender plants in pots in the garden but use straw instead of polystyrene.

It's all beginning to add up  :)

And thanks for posting the idea originally Digeroo  8)

[thifasmom]

This is a great idea and one I would love to try in my greenhouse, I'm thinking they should be ok if i provide fleece when its extra cold.

but my only wondering is what about pollination, not much bees and insect life around ???.

I rather resent that fact the house has a tile roof, it would be amazing to have a glass atrium on top of the house and use the lost heat rising from the house to grow things all winter.

;D Only a gardener would think like this, i'm loving the idea

[Sholls]

Sholls - could you have a rumage and find out the variety? The thought of eating home grown beans that early is very temmpting!

Rummage complete. :) The yellow bean was 'Polka' from Mr Fothergills; they don't have it listed at the moment, but there is a pic of the packet here. It had a decent taste, but not outstanding; by which I mean not as 'beany' as Purple Queen. My packet is empty otherwise I'd have passed some around. :(

What's everyones favourite dwarf bean? I suddenly feel the need to trawl through the seed catalogues...

[cheerfulness]

I fancy having a go at this challenge, too.  Growing in confidence after the success of my potato bags this year.  ;D

[Digeroo]

what about pollination, not much bees and insect life around

As far as I know French style beans are self fertile.  They come up true to type if  you save the seeds.  No good trying with runners.  

I also remember reading somewhere (so take this with a pinch of salt) that black seeded varieties are more cold hardly than white.

I managed to get a courgette and some runners through -4 degrees C.  I have a minigreen house and I covered it with piles of old clothes/blankets and plastic dust sheets, having put several plastic milk bottles full of warm water inside.  ACtually doomed the runners a few days later when they got too hot.

I might also put some near to the water butt.  Water is rather odd because it has a maximum density at 4 degrees, so the ice forms at the top, and the bottom of the butt will be at 4 degrees until the whole thing freshes, which is unlikely in this country.

I do not think that taste can be too much of a consideration, (the supermarket ones don't taste of much).

I managed to get some Duchy Originals for 50p, so they were dug by a man, who worked for a man, who looked at a girl, who talked to the Prince of Wales. ;D ;D ;D

[thifasmom]

what about pollination, not much bees and insect life around

As far as I know French style beans are self fertile. They come up true to type if you save the seeds. No good trying with runners. 

I also remember reading somewhere (so take this with a pinch of salt) that black seeded varieties are more cold hardly than white.

I managed to get a courgette and some runners through -4 degrees C.  I have a minigreen house and I covered it with piles of old clothes/blankets and plastic dust sheets, having put several plastic milk bottles full of warm water inside. Actually doomed the runners a few days later when they got too hot.

I might also put some near to the water butt. Water is rather odd because it has a maximum density at 4 degrees, so the ice forms at the top, and the bottom of the butt will be at 4 degrees until the whole thing freshes, which is unlikely in this country.

I do not think that taste can be too much of a consideration, (the supermarket ones don't taste of much).

I managed to get some Duchy Originals for 50p, so they were dug by a man, who worked for a man, who looked at a girl, who talked to the Prince of Wales. ;D ;D ;D

self fertile you say. great I'm defo trying some and i also got some black bean varieties that i would be more than willing to sow.

it looks like if I'm successfull dwarf french beans might be a new winter crop for me as i don't like to use them in the summer as the yield is so much less than the climbing varieties.

thanks for posting this idea digeroo.

[flowerlady]

I rather resent that fact the house has a tile roof, it would be amazing to have a glass atrium on top of the house and use the lost heat rising from the house to grow things all winter.

D Only a gardener would think like this, i'm loving the idea ...

I agree inspirational !!   ;D ;D ;D

Like the idea of growing beans through the winter  :D that will please my son !! ... when do you intend to start ??  I'll join you too  :)

[Sinbad7]

I'm up for a challenge too.

Have just sown Purple Teepee.

[grannyjanny]

Would the polystyrene fish boxes be any good. A smaller one inside a larger one with straw pushed between the 2 as insulation? I get fish delivered from Abel & Cole & have a couple of them. The fishmongers would probably have bigger ones though.

[Duke Ellington]

I am going to give this a try too in my greenhouse. Do I sow the seeds now ?
If it get really cold i could always put my plastic covered 4 tiered mini greenhouse in side my real greenhouse for extra protection.

Duke :)

[grannyjanny]

That's what I am going to do Duke but inside ths fish boxes if it gets really cold.