How many beans per pole??

[glosterwomble]

Last year I couldn't help thinking that my bean row looked a bit sparce, I later read somewhere that people put 2 plants per pole which would explain why other peoples rows looked bushier.

I'm about to sow mine in toilet rolls and I thought I would put a couple of beans per loo roll and then plant the entire thing when they have grown. I did this last year but only one bean per roll.

What do you do?? How many beans per pole? Sow direct or indoors?

[glosterwomble]

[star]

Your doing this year exactly what I do GW, Im sure you will have a much bushier outcome :D

[springbok]

I have sowed two per pole direct in the soil.  They about 4 inches tall now.

[Tatiana]

Do you leave both in? I thought it was two per pole to start with but then leave the strongest one in (vague memory from Gardener's World I think!)? I'll be planting shortly so after advice too!

[glosterwomble]

Cool, thanks both. I'd like to sow mine indoors in the loo rolls as mentioned, do people think 2 beans per loo roll would be too cramped?

[springbok]

i followed gardeners world method too, a wigwam like carol klein did.

I was going to pull out the weaker plant but found that both seedlings were thriving and thought what the heck :) so leaving all of them in. 

Just see what happens.

However I have also done one seed per toilet roll in my cold greenhouse which have all germinated.

[asbean]

I put my poles close together  ;) ;) ;)

[Tatiana]

I know what you mean - it feels like waste to pull out a perfectly good plant  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'm going to plant two per pole, but the slugs tend to have a beanfest with them until they get established, so I wouldn't promise that I'll end up with two.

[Paulines7]

I plant 1 in each loo roll then when planting out put one either side of the pole.

[Vortex]

I plant mine in rootrainers. Grow the first batch and plant out, then sow again and plant a second batch 6 weeks later to give 2 per pole but a delay to the second crop but a longer season as a result.

[jesssands]

I do mine indoors to start.... well in the outhouse.
one bean per pot, when big enough, in bout 4/5 weeks time, put them out side.
2 plants to a stick.
Last year did 24 plants(maybe more), supplied my own needs and my parents and in laws.
And sold a 1lb and a half of beans in a bag for a quid, for my dog rescue charity. Coupled with cooking apples being wasted in a nearby garden I also sold for 50p for 5lb. I raised £27 in total, which would kennel a dog for 5 days.
;D      ;D       ;D      ;D       ;D

[petengade]

Nipping off the growing tip at two foot gives you a bushier plant as the bean throw's up more growing tips, as I found by accident.

[Ishard]

I too plant 2 per pole but I germinate 1 in the ghouse and sow 1 direct so I get a continuous supply of beans.

I dont wait untill the beans are 2 foot tall before pinching out the tip I do that after 3 sets of leaves. They do get much bushier and crop more.

[tim]

The correct spacing is 9" between plants & 18" between rows.

[PurpleHeather]

Tim is correct. 8" X 18" is plenty of space.

I have grown runner beans since before the Beatles became famous and It saddens me to see people planting them so far apart as 12"X 24". They yield better being closer (honestly).

I do not waste precious loo rolls to start them. They will grow in pots easily and the roots soon fill the pot so use big ones if you are starting now, indoors.  You do not even need to use compost, just sieved good soil will do. But they will grow by being planted directly into the ground, about mid May.

I actually think the wigwam is a waste of space. The top bit is too narrow. As they grow they need more area on top to expand and produce the beans than they do at the base. The idea originated when they were grown for decoration, pretty red flowers.

I do not link the poles either. I train each bean up it's own pole and then if it gets windy when they are full and heavy each sways and stays in place. I have seen whole rows, linked together collapse after a strong gust and when they are full it is a lot of weight to lift back in to place.

They can be hungry feeders and will enjoy manure which is not as well rotted as it needs to be for other plants. I mulch around the base with quite fresh stuff when they are half way up the canes and they take no harm at all.

Later on to make sure your beans are not stringy and it is NOT the variety that matters, (people try for years to grow a variety of string beans which  are not stringy then brag about the length their beans grow to). Keep them well watered. Pick them small, when the pods are still flat. Once they bulge, either keep them to grow full size to harvest the inner bean or discard.

If it has been very hot for a few days, then an evening misting from either a hose pipe or use a spray of water.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'm not so sure about runners (don't grow them) but there's no problem growing climbing french beans in wigwams. Last time I grew runners, I had them in a wigwam, and had no problems that I can remember. The reasons for using wigwams rather than rows of poles are that I don't grow that many, and the wind resistance is less.

[Tulipa]

I always think wigwams cast less shade on to other veggies too, so tend to use several small ones so the sun can at least peep through the gaps.

T.

[chappy]

Later on to make sure your beans are not stringy and it is NOT the variety that matters, (people try for years to grow a variety of string beans which  are not stringy then brag about the length their beans grow to). Keep them well watered. Pick them small, when the pods are still flat. Once they bulge, either keep them to grow full size to harvest the inner bean or discard.

Yep, that's where I've bean (excuse the pun :) ) going wrong.  I've only grown runners for 2 years and last year had loads of beans off them, but I always left them to grow to the size they are usualy sold in shops.

But even though I trimmed the edges before cooking the actual skin of the beans was stringy.

I will definitely be picking them nice and small this year.

Can't have been too little water last year. I thought I was gonna need to build an ark the way it rained last year.

What do you recommend doing with the inner bean if they do get too big?  Do you just eat the bean like you would a broad bean?  or dry them? or what?

[Robert_Brenchley]

You can dry them, but once it's ripened a few pods, the plant stops producing. Doubtless you can eat them like broadies. If you want dry beans, it would make sense to pick them until, say, the end of September, then leave the last lot to ripen.