Growing Beans - climbing, also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners

Phaseolus vulgaris, Phaseolus coccineus : Fabaceae / the pea or legume family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
        P              

(Best months for growing Beans - climbing in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • 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 61°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 4 - 8 inches apart
  • Harvest in 9-11 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Sweetcorn, spinach, lettuce, summer savory, dill, carrots, brassicas, beets, radish, strawberry, cucumbers, zucchini, tagates minuta (wild marigold)
  • Avoid growing close to: Alliums (Chives, leek, garlic, onions), Florence fennel

Your comments and tips

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03 Jun 20, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Google it and read up about it.
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21 Apr 20, KATHRYN SMITH (Australia - tropical climate)
Problem growing Beans of any sort.. Dying just after one inch tall. Well watered once a day in the middle of the day when plants start to stress and getting second set of leaves.. Can it be too hot or is there a fungis in my soil? What can I treat the soil with? Planted Snake beans but only a few came up. Not growing really well. Climbing beans not producing beans Have been using Blood and Bone and Seasol. Grew Marigolds in the bed last year.
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02 Jul 20, Bec Care (Australia - tropical climate)
Hi Kathryn, I live in North Queensland and was having the exact same problem! Tried growing climbing beans in three different areas of the garden , sunny during April/May, all sprouted fine and then died after 2 or so weeks. Watered well. Some say fertilise, others don’t. Some say water well, others don’t. I should try growing them again now but a little hesitant. Did you end up getting a crop?
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18 May 20, Linda (Australia - tropical climate)
Just wondering if you could be experiencing an ant problem? So ants here in the tropics, especially ginger ants actually attack seedling and plants above and below the ground. They are very small and some times not so easy to detect. Just a thought from past experience similar to your problem. I didn't suspect them at first thinking they were just looking for insects but in fact they are eating/sucking the life out of my plants. In my case I used a product called Amdro at the nest site.
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22 Apr 20, M (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
When planting beans, wet the soil the day before planting them. Then plant them and cover over with soil. Do not water again for 4 days unless it is very hot. After 4 days give a very light watering if the surface soil looks dry. They should germinate within a few days. Little plants need little waterings. Good idea to water in the morning.
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22 Apr 20, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I suggest you buy a general gardening fertiliser. Blood and bone is not a complete all round fertiliser and seasol is not a fertiliser.
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22 Apr 20, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I don't grow them in the autumn, I grow them in the spring. The bean fly gets them this time of the year. Was told to put boron in the soil before planting.
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07 Apr 20, Don McLeod (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I bought a few years ago a different scarlet runner flowers white & red they have turned out to be a perenial not an annual like most modern runners . Query can I cut back while the leaves are green or do I have to leave and let die back so the root system gets more nourishment ? Thanks
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20 Apr 20, Claudia (Australia - temperate climate)
Scarlet runner bean aka 7 year bean is a perennial bean. It will die back in the cooler months and shoot up again when warm enough. You can cut them back, compost, seaweed solution and mulch. When it starts to shoot up again, it will need a good feed.
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08 Apr 20, anon (Australia - temperate climate)
My thoughts on this are, you paid $3-5 for a packet of seeds and they probably produced $20- 30 worth of beans. That is a pretty good investment. If you like, let a few mature and keep the seeds for planting in the future. Why bother messing around with old plants trimming them and looking after them for months. Your soil needs a good working over and resting and manure compost etc added to build it up for the next season of plants.
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Showing 51 - 60 of 261 comments
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I have had zero luck with climbing beans in zone 8B. I buy the seeds from a local greenhouse/starter and plant - diddly comes up. Next year I am going to start seeds in starter pots and I will transplant those that show up and are healthy. I think the seller of the seeds does not want to bother starting seeds and so keeps old seed around to sell to people who want climbing beans, aka rip off.

- Paul A'Barge

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