Topic: Climbing & Runner Beans -grow in pots or plant in situ?

[George the Pigman]

I have always grown my runner beans first in  root trainers or pots and then planted them out. I've usually found they sit an sulk for quite a while before restarting growth. I have avoiding them sowing them in the ground where they are to grow as I expected poor germination rates and losses.
Has anyone anyone any experience or opinions on the matter?

[ACE]

small paper pots works for me

[MervF]

I grew my runner beans in root trainers for a number of years but one year forgot so put them straight into the ground and they seemed to grow stronger plants and had a better crop.   All I do is make a groove 2"-3" deep and along a row and drop a bean in 8" apart  .   When I have finished sowing I cover them up and water them.   I was taught that many years ago and do not get many failures at all.   I did try root trainers for a couple of years but I got the impression they do not like the disturbance of transplanting.   

[galina]

It depends on your particular conditions.  If your ground is slug prone, or if you are unlucky and get a lot of rain after sowing, then there is a chance that slugs will have the lot and birds will pull them out just for fun.  But it is the easiest way of sowing them and no sulk, provided they germinate and do not rot in the ground if the weather is too wet.

If you have only a few treasured seeds or if the seed is a few years old, it is much less of a risk to let them get to the two true leaf stage in little pots and plant out afterwards, taking the sulking into account. 

[ancellsfarmer]

No large seed is safe from the voles/fieldmice so:
For climbing french beans, 4 seeds in a 4" pot. Expect to get 3 at least up . 1 pot per stick
For runners (saved seed), 40 beans in 3" compost in mushroom tray with single sheet of newspaper to line. Planted out @ 2 per stick plus a bean or two as spare/later crop. Problems as described-rooks pull them out, few slugs now with no-dig.

[Deb P]

I’ve used rootrainers for years and haven’t noticed any problems....😳