How to grow Climbing beans in your pot and garden
The graceful climbing bean is an excellent choice for any garden. Sometimes referred to as runner beans, pole beans are available in a range of green-podded and yellow-podded wax varieties. They require very little space, yield good harvests, and are naturally resilient to diseases that thrive in wet conditions, as their leaves will dry more easily on the vine.
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A prolific climbing bean that offers a long-running harvest of delicious, scrunchy beans that are often so good they just have to be eaten raw. The basketball player of the vegetable garden, a climbing bean can scale heights of up to ten feet. Kids love planting them for their ‘Jack and the beanstalk’.‘Scarlet Runner’, an old variety of climbing beans, was first used as an ornamental plant when they were introduced from their native Mexico to Europe around 400 years ago.
How do you grow Climbing Beans?
Dwarf or Runner? Many gardeners have a preference for dwarf or bush beans and the same goes for tomatoes and peas. An important factor for gardeners wishing to grow taller varieties of beans is simply due to vertical space – is there enough climbing space to allow your beans to run?
Personally, I prefer growing the climbing varieties – more beans. A bigger harvest can be achieved with fewer plants. Having a small garden, I’ve created as many trellises as possible to facilitate this. I find threading the growing vines up the frames a satisfying job and it never ceases to amaze me how the plant’s tendrils curl around the framing.
Soil
Rich soil, well-drained but with plenty of organic matter to retain moisture.
Position
Sun or partial shade.
Frost tolerant
No.
Feeding
Rarely required.
Companions
Sweetcorn, Lovage, Marjoram, Parsley, Pumpkin, Squash, and Sunflower.
Spacing
Single Plants: 25cm each way (minimum)
Rows: 15cm with 35cm row gap (minimum)
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Sow and Plant
Sow direct into the ground from spring after the risk of frost has passed.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant, and harvest for your area.
Notes
Strong supports are needed for climbing varieties. Supply plenty of water to the roots from flowering through to harvest.
Harvesting
Pick pods young before they get stringy.
Troubleshooting
Scarlet runner beans prefer cooler temperatures than regular beans, high temperatures can result in a low pod set.
Planting and Harvesting Calendar
Want to find out when you can plant this in your garden? We use historical data from your local weather station to calculate the best range of planting dates for your location.
