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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Squash64 on October 06, 2009, 18:42:48

Title: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Squash64 on October 06, 2009, 18:42:48
I've grown Armstrong this year.  It was ok, but not brilliant. 
What is your favourite?
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Flighty on October 06, 2009, 18:57:47
I reckon Painted Lady, which I didn't grow this year but will next!
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: manicscousers on October 06, 2009, 19:19:45
another vote for painted lady  ;D
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: asbean on October 06, 2009, 19:22:31
We grow Prizewinner - it's a winner for us.  But we're not too fussed about runners, we give most of them away, and everyone says how lovely they are.
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: angle shades on October 06, 2009, 19:27:41
 :) I always grow Scarlet Emperor and this year a new variety St George which is very tasty/ shades x
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Eristic on October 06, 2009, 20:52:26
My favourite is Red Flame. It will never win in the longest bean category but is stringless until old and is of good taste.
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Dadnlad on October 06, 2009, 21:02:39
Lady Di for us, tasty and consistently stringless
But might also try 'Moonlight' next year - supposedly crossed with a french bean ?
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Rhubarb Thrasher on October 06, 2009, 21:07:49
Prizewinner was good for us - at least, better tasting than saved seed mongrels we usually grow
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: aggie on October 06, 2009, 21:34:44
I grow Scarlet Emperor which was good, but the Enorma was excellent with a very high yield, and I'm still picking them ;D ;D ;D I will defiantly grow them again next year.
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Suzanne on October 06, 2009, 21:42:15
Grew some Streamline this year, has been good and still picking.
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: GrannieAnnie on October 06, 2009, 22:06:12
A purple Italian bean that produces in part shade and earlier than greenies.
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: saddad on October 06, 2009, 22:09:25
I'm another Painted Lady fan... for the two tone flowers. Grew Sunset one year and really liked the "peach" flowers.  :)
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: tonybloke on October 06, 2009, 23:45:42
'painted lady' and 'best of all', own saved seed for a few yrs now
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: flowerofshona2007 on October 06, 2009, 23:57:26
Has to be Enorma ! big beans with good taste, grown them for years now.
Might try the St George as well this year.
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Ninnyscrops. on October 07, 2009, 13:39:35
Scarlet Emperor for 5 seasons now  ;)

Ninny
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: norfolklass on October 07, 2009, 14:52:17
White Lady ('related' to Painted Lady?) - lovely tender stringless beans, even when they've grown a bit big
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: PurpleHeather on October 07, 2009, 15:25:50
They all taste the same to me. Been growing them for donkeys years, the trick is to pick them all when they are ready just before they get too big and they will keep on flowering and producing more.  Don't pick just enough for a meal..Had them until December one year because it was mild.
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: valmarg on October 07, 2009, 19:10:32
Red Rum. early and very prolific.  White Lady - very good cropper.  And the most important thing - they both taste delicious.

valmarg
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: colt on October 08, 2009, 23:13:10
White lady for me grown them for 4 years now. Have grown them in pots on the patio and now in the ground and had great crops using both methods. I even put them in our local show and got 1st prize, picture below is what i put in the show.

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j196/kemo49/runnerbeans-1.jpg)
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: powerspade on October 09, 2009, 05:35:47
Scarlet Emporer for me, I tried Enorma for 3 years but had poor yealds
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Jeanbean on October 09, 2009, 10:01:55
I favour White Lady, have been growing them for the past 4 years and much prefer them to the red bean variety, They seem to cook better and so long as you pick them in time, they are not stringy. Grew some Best of All this year but they seemed to fatten up very quickly and wouldn't go through the beaner :(
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: tomatoada on October 09, 2009, 15:59:27
On Gardeners Question Time Wisley Magic was recommended.  Has anyone grown these?
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Squash64 on October 09, 2009, 16:29:23
Thanks everyone for your recommendations.

So far, we have

Painted Lady, Scarlet Emperor and White Lady all with 4 votes,
Prizewinner and Enorma with 2
and
St.George, Red Flame, Lady Di, Streamline, Purple Italian, Best of All and Red Rum with 1 vote each.
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Digeroo on October 09, 2009, 16:58:36
I have grown Wisley Magic and sometimes they seem to do very well and other times not.  They seem to produce all at once and then not at all.  Good for a late season crop.  They are relatively slug resistant so do well in my garden. 

Down at the Lottie where I have less of a slug problem at the moment, they are not very dramatic.
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Ninnyscrops. on October 09, 2009, 20:48:48
Having said Scarlet Emps are my favourite and will always grow them for flavour.

I'm going to set a small wigwam of Liberty next year, for the show bench - what do you reckon colt?  ;)

Ninny

Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: valmarg on October 09, 2009, 22:14:52
Following on from your results Squash, could I give a double vote for Red Rum.  We have been growing this variety for several years, and have always found it a prolific flowerer, sets very well and gives a very good yield.

We've grown Wisley Magic, but would have to say, although it was quite good, it was nowhere near as good as Red Rum.

valmarg
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: colt on October 10, 2009, 00:34:43
Quote
I'm going to set a small wigwam of Liberty next year, for the show bench - what do you reckon colt?  Wink

Ninny

Hi Ninny this was my first ever go at showing veg so cant give you a truthful answer but asked the main man on our site who now just judges the show says they are a very good type for showing
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Vortex on October 10, 2009, 13:16:17
Enorma always used to be our favorite although we've now switched to Daniels Defiance.

Scarlet Emporer is not bad but my wife hates Painted Lady as they produce small bean which have a tendency to be stringy.
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Ninnyscrops. on October 10, 2009, 23:32:04
Must agree with you about Painted Lady, Vortex, tried it one year and although they look pretty, not for our table.

Ninny
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: GrannieAnnie on October 10, 2009, 23:37:35
White lady for me grown them for 4 years now. Have grown them in pots on the patio and now in the ground and had great crops using both methods. I even put them in our local show and got 1st prize, picture below is what i put in the show.

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j196/kemo49/runnerbeans-1.jpg)
I can't tell on my computer- are those actually white or light green or yellowish?
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: plot51A on October 11, 2009, 18:04:03
Would have said Wisley Magic until this year, and I do like them - lovely long beans, good flavour and not stringy. But this year, on my new plot, one of my lotty neighbours gave me some saved seed - no idea of its name, but white beans and white flowers. I grew 4 varieties in all - wisley m. painted lady, a red nameless variety, the white ones outperformed them all. Started picking at the beginning of July - just been away on hols for over 2 weeks, they are still producing edible beans on my return. Just wish I knew the name!
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: gardenqueen on October 12, 2009, 11:57:07
White Lady without a doubt! Grew them for the first time this year and had a bumper crop of over 40lbs  from a relatively short row!
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Barnowl on October 13, 2009, 12:27:49
Enorma and/or Enorma Elite (can't say I've noticed much difference - Elite perhaps more consistent)) and Scarlet Emperor and/or Scarlet Empire (can't say I've noticed much difference-empire is a bit more productive perhaps)are my staples. 

I tried  Polestar this year. it was rather feeble compared to the others. Once more chance for it next year. My non-standards next year will be Achievement Merit and Desiree (not the spud!).

PS The short list for future years now includes Red Flame, and  Celebration (Tozers) - because it has pink flowers!
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: flowerlady on October 13, 2009, 14:03:07

White Lady for me too ... and they did not mind the dry weather either!  In the past I too have grown Wisley Magic ... love the golden leaves brightens up the plot no end!!

Both eat very well  ;D
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Alimo on October 14, 2009, 22:26:41
Enorma for us.

Alison

Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: bedrockdave on October 15, 2009, 21:43:56
white lady for me too... picked the last this week and have left some to try to save my own seed for next year
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Magnus on October 18, 2009, 23:09:05
White Apollo and Scarlet Emp, fantastic crops this year
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Sinbad7 on October 18, 2009, 23:35:07
Scarlet Emporer for me.  Have tried loads of different varieties but always come back to the Scarlets
Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: musungu on October 20, 2009, 09:34:00
I tried Desiree and Celebration this year; Desiree were ok but Celebration were outstanding. The only salmon pink flowered beans on our allotment really stood out, and they kept on producing masses of beans right up till last week. Not stringless but fine if you pick them before the beans swell too much. Definitely growing Celebration again next year, plus White Lady which has been good in the past. Any suggestions which to grow for really early or late crops? Would love to extend the season at each end!

Title: Re: What's your favourite runner bean?
Post by: Squash64 on October 27, 2009, 06:15:19
Thanks everyone for your replies.

It was difficult, but I decided to order the beans which got the most mentions.

These were Painted Lady, Scarlet Emperor and White Lady. 

Thanks again,


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