How to Grow Your Food by Jon Clift Amanda Cuthbert

Author:Jon Clift, Amanda Cuthbert [Clift, Jon & Cuthbert, Amanda]
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780857840813
Publisher: Green Books (Perseus)

Try planting a winter variety, e.g. ‘Black Spanish Round’, in July or August for harvesting from October onwards.

Runner beans

Runner beans are very easy to grow and great value for money, with loads of beans on each plant, which keep on coming for several weeks if you pick them regularly.

Plant or seed?

Either start your beans off indoors from seed and plant out later, or sow direct into the ground, or take a short cut and buy plants that are ready to go. ‘Scarlet Emperor’ is popular, or ‘Hestia’ is a dwarf runner bean that does well in containers.

Sowing seeds

When and where: Sow late April in modules or pots indoors; May or June outdoors in the ground, or in containers as long as the danger of frost is past. Runner beans grow best in sunshine out of the wind. You can sow more seed 3-4 weeks after your first sowing to keep the beans coming into the autumn.

How: Indoors, one seed to a small pot, filled with peat-free compost. Sow 5cm deep, with the seed on its side.

Outdoors, they can be grown up tall canes, sticks, trellis or arches or you can grow them singly wherever you have a space. If sowing in rows, sow one seed 5cm deep either side of each support; stick the supports in the ground about 40cm apart – you can tie the supports up in a variety of ways, from wigwams to tent shapes (see here).

Planting plants

When and where: Once your indoor-grown plants are 2-3cm high, and the risk of frost is past in late May / early June. Plant at the same spacing as for seeds.

How: Harden off your indoor-grown plants before planting outside. Make a small hole with a trowel, carefully tip the pot upside down letting the plant hang between your fingers, then put the plant upright into the hole and plant to the same depth as before. Firm round the stem and water in.

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