Climbing french bean recomendations?

[coznbob]

Have just spent the day down the plot with the sprogs and have managed to construct the bean poles for this year (plus aquired a very deep splinter ::))

Now I know I want the usual runners, but kids have requested that I don't just grow the furry beans (ie. runners) I grew some lovely climbing french beans a couple of years ago, but their name is long forgotten in the midsts of time. Last years were different and just weren't the same, so I apologise if this question has been already covered, but could anyone recomend their favourites so I can get ordering pronto, as am about to drown in a sea of work and coursework very soon and want to sort this out.

Thank you....


Corinne

[coznbob]

[galina]

Hope your splinter is out and has stopped hurting.
There are literally hundreds of climbing French bean, but the one that is mentioned most often seems to be 'Cobra'.  Lots of stockists.  This is quite a modern, recently bred green pencil podded type and has won merit awards.  It is very heavy bearing.

For something a bit different and a bit of fun for the kiddies, perhaps Blauhilde (purple pods, cooking to green) or Neckargold for yellow pods.  Both from Organic Catalogue.

[RobinOfTheHood]

Blue Lake always seem to do well for me. As do Cobra.

[goodlife]

I love cosse violet...never fails me..never stringy, even if left to grow bit larger..
loverly deep purple colour(doesn't keep when cooked)..yum ;D

[saddad]

My favs are Cherokee Trail of Tears (black seeds in green pods)
Blue Coco (brown beans in purple pods)
Blue Lake (white seeds in green pods)
although Ryder's Top of the pole... white/green, Kentucky Wonder (same) Mr Fearns (black seeds) are good too...
If you pm me I could send you a goody bag of say 10 each for them to try...

:)

[Jeannine]

Fortex is my new favourite,it is a dual bean, at maturity  beans are very long 10 " and very slender and they can also be picked as younger beans 5"  long then they are a french filet beans. i It is a good alround bean with a super flavour,XX Jeannine

[Digeroo]

I quite like MERAVIGLIA DI VENEZIA but have found it is not keen on early cold so later planted ones do much better.  Depends whether your children like yellow.

[BAK]

I used to grow Blue Lake but had problems with bean rust, particularly in damp summers. 2007 - a dreadful summer - made me change.

I now grow Cobra which are excellent, as indicated by others.

[manicscousers]

I have a spare dig in pack of blue lake if you'd like them, just sowed mine  :)

[earlypea]

If I grew one bean it would be Cosse Violette - taste, vigour, longevity.

[shirlton]

Cherokee Trail of Tears for me. Have some spare if you want to try. Always save our own seed.

[antipodes]

Yes I had Cobra last year and have bought some more, Alan Romans sells them very cheaply (they might all have gone now though). Even if the pods get quite big they are edible, and they produce very well. Fine taste.  They grow about 150-200cm tall, I had them up poles.

[Wilder]

would love to try some of these if anyone is generous enough to offer! (have been encourged in another thread to be a bit cheeky and simply ask!) I mean of course after coznbob (happy birthday!) who first posted this.
I'd particularly like to grow some of the blue ones.

Happy to do a good turn in exchange when I can!

[lancelotment]

Like you Antipodes, got my Cobra from Alan Romans last year and did pretty well so I've gone back to him again.  I've also grown outdoor cuc's with my climbing beans the last couple of years just for a bit of extra interest.  Lance

[Squash64]

I love cosse violet...never fails me..never stringy, even if left to grow bit larger..
loverly deep purple colour(doesn't keep when cooked)..yum ;D

I agree, it's a lovely bean.

[Pesky Wabbit]

Can I put another vote in for Cobra. Available widely.

[Bugloss2009]

my packet of Cobra was the last thing i ever bought from Woolworths

[Pesky Wabbit]

my packet of Cobra was the last thing i ever bought from Woolworths

You'd better get planting them then, before they get too old.  ;)

[coznbob]

Thank you very much everyone.... am going to take up saddad's offer of the goody bag and go to alan roman's site to get some cobra.

Manics - I got the dig in seeds so must already have blue lake, will need to dig them out and check, put them in one of my famous safe places to hide them from the OH and his eye rolling at the sight of yet more seeds. Thanks v. much for the offer though.

Shirlton, also big thanks for the offer, I think saddad mentioned trail of tears so I will not be greedy and steal yours too ;D

Corinne

[chriscross1966]

Cobra did well for me last year and although I never used to be much of a green bean fan I loved it adn will be growing it this year though in the garden, my main allotment will be growing a lot of other beans but all for shelling.....

chrisc