Garden calendar for the kitchen garden - vegetables and herbs. See what to plant right now and for next month.

Growing Climbing beans, also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners

(Phaseolus vulgaris)

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
P								P	P	P	P

(Best months for planting Climbing beans in Australia - temperate regions)

P = Plant direct in garden where they are to grow.

September: sow after frost

Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 16°C and 30°C. (Show °F/in)
Space plants: 10 - 20 cm apart
Harvest in 9-11 weeks.
Compatible with: Sweetcorn, spinach, lettuce, summer savory, dill, carrots, brassicas, beets, radish, strawberry, cucumbers, zucchini
Avoid growing with: Alliums (Chives, leek, garlic, onions), Florence fennel

A few young Scarlet Runners
Purple climbing beans

Grow beans up fences, trellis, sweet corn, trees. Almost anywhere can be 'vertically productive'.

Keep well watered and pick regularly to encourage new flowers. Watch out for snails, as they will eat through the stems near ground level, and will completely eat newly sprouted beans. If you have nice new beans plants one day, and none the next, then it is probably slugs or snails.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Climbing beans

Use young in salads - blanch and cool. Will freeze well.

Your comments and tips

17 Jan 12, frank kroeger (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): why didnt my scarlet runner bean get any beans.had plenty of flowers and after that nothing.thank you frank
Reply or Post a new comment
05 Jan 12, Amy Mitchell (Australia - temperate climate): I’m growing climbing beans in a pot. I have put in stakes for support but haven’t tied them to it yet. I had someone look after my garden while I was away on holiday for a week and when I got back all the leaves are yellow and there’s a lots of little white flying bug things on them. Is it because of the heat that they are going yellow? And what are these bugs?
Reply or Post a new comment
18 Dec 11, Joseph (Australia - cool/mountain climate): Good question How long is a piece of string, but seriously climbing given a frame to climb over they are almost limitless, if they have plenty water and nutrients. Just keep harvesting the beans and the bounty should be great, also you may curse them like me with so many beans to harvest, plus they are great hiders behind the foliage, so look hard when picking. Cheers Joe
Reply or Post a new comment
17 Dec 11, alby (Australia - temperate climate): How tall Climbing Beans Grow?
Reply or Post a new comment
20 Sep 11, Joan Roberts (Australia - temperate climate): Where can I buy runner beans to eat?
Reply or Post a new comment
19 Jun 11, ARTHUR (Australia - temperate climate): Maddy 11th May.You can extend the support Maddy.Remember you have to pick them.Atrhur (the mad gardner).
Reply or Post a new comment
23 May 11, Naomi (Australia - tropical climate): is anyone able to help I have been stalks with no flowers? they are dwarf broad beans.
Reply or Post a new comment
05 May 11, Maddy (Australia - temperate climate): My climbing beans have reached the end of their trellis and I can't make it taller. Will that affect their growth?
Reply or Post a new comment
13 Apr 11, Diana-Adelaide (Australia - temperate climate): I grow the purple King and snake bean here in Adelaide. They do much better in partial shade during summer.
Reply or Post a new comment
19 Feb 11, (Australia - temperate climate): My beans are about 45 cm and getting bigger the plant is apprrox 7 ft high
Reply or Post a new comment

Post a question, comment or tip about Climbing beans

Your name:

Where are you?

Email address (if you would like us to email you when your comment is listed):

Your question, comment or tip:

All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting may not appear immediately

See planting calendar for these countries and climate zones

Australia - arid, Australia - cool/mountain, Australia - sub-tropical, Australia - temperate, Australia - tropical, New Zealand - cool/mountain, New Zealand - sub-tropical, New Zealand - temperate, South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical, South Africa - Humid sub-tropical, South Africa - Semi-arid, South Africa - Summer rainfall, United Kingdom - cool/temperate, United Kingdom - warm/temperate, USA - Central West Coast, USA - Maritime Northwest, USA - Mid-Atlantic, USA - North East, USA - South East and Gulf States, USA - South West, USA - Upper Midwest

Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About Gardenate | Contact us

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.

Site design and development by Hutchinson Software