Broad Bean & Runner Beans

Both runner and broad beans are easy to grown , in a sunny well composted part of your garden . Both are tradionally grown up supporting canes and both produce attractive flowers prior to fruiting for those that fancy incorporating them into your flowerbeds .Runner beans usually produce a striking red flower while the broad bean produce a white/lilac flower. While both like a well composted sunny spot there are differences – broad beans can be planted out in November to get a head start for an early crop ,while its not advisable to plant out your runner beans until the last frosts have passed .

Runner Beans – Plant about 2” deep and 12” apart from mid-May onwards. If you can protect by using cloches you’ll be able to plant a month earlier. For earlier crops, plant seed from early March under protection of a glasshouse / window-sill and harden off your young plants (get them gradually used to colder temperatures) before planting out in the garden. I’m using a variety called “STREAMLINE” this year and as FLOWERS & FOLIAGE specialise in growing planted containers,I’m planting mine in 40cm pots and will support them with bamboo canes. 

If you’re going to plant them in the garden you might like to either plant two rows about 18” apart and use crossed cane supports or in a circle and have all the canes meet in the middle – rather like I’m doing with the pot grown ones only on a larger scale . Both add a very striking feature to either vegetable or flower garden , and even the pot grown ones can be placed into a “bald patch” in your flower beds to add height & interest. These should be ready to start harvesting end July onwards.

Broad Beans – sow your beans 9” apart and 3” deep. Again you will need to support the plant as it grows so it’s a choice again of you wig-wham crossed supports or circular. Once again I’m opting for pot growing but it’s just personal choice and of course it hasn’t been influenced by the fact I have a glasshouse at my disposal! When the broad beans are in full flower pinch out the tops, it has a number of benefits – producing an earlier bigger crop and reduces the risk of black fly attack (they like the softer young growth at the top). 

 Neither bean variety will benefit from being planted beside either beetroot or any of the onion family. Maize (corn) benefit from the nitrogen released by the roots of the broad beans. Rosemary also is a good companion plant for the bean family as it repels a lot of bean parasites, like bean beetle.

There are lots of garden centres and stores that are selling young vegetable plants, which you plant the same way as described for seed but will speed up the process.

 I tried both broad bean “DREADNOUGHT “and runner bean “STREAMLINE”. Both strips of young plants were to have 8 plants in them but I received a few more in each of them. They were strong healthy plants and I don’t foresee any trouble getting an early crop from them. It might tempt any of you would be growers, who are still worried about planting seed to give vegetable growing a try – go on!

 What ever way you decide to plant your vegetables this year , seed or young plants - happy gardening .