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 P            

(Best months for growing Beans - climbing in Canada - Zone 3a Temperate Short Summer 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
  • 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 Beans - climbing

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

Your comments and tips

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12 Nov 13, Georgia (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
just wondering, what pests and diseases climbing beans are prone to?
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09 Aug 12, (Canada - Zone 5a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
My Runner Beans look beautiful. Sadly I have only had a few beans and the little ones are withering away or are just little tiny stalks. The leaves have holes in them. I have captured two insects. One looking like an elongated Ladybug is brownish with black Spots and the other a reddish brown with spots. One almost triangular shaped beetle.hard as nails, brown on top and green underneath. Could it be humming birds eating the flowers? Any help with this would be appreciated. I live in Ontario Canada
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Hi Peter, I have had a similar problem with tree roots invading my vege beds. I put so much effort into making my soil rich and friable and next door's Pittosporum trees enjoy it all!!!! I have 4 raised vege beds and I have had some success with digging out all the soil, lining the bed with weed matting and then replacing the soil. It was very hard work though, so I have only done 2 beds so far. It has worked reasonably well, so I plan to do the other 2 beds this year. Another option is to grow all your veges in pots, so the tree roots don't invade. Good luck.

- Margaret

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