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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19 Jun 11, ARTHUR (Australia - temperate climate)
Maddy 11th May.You can extend the support Maddy.Remember you have to pick them.Atrhur (the mad gardner).
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23 May 11, Naomi (Australia - tropical climate)
is anyone able to help I have been stalks with no flowers? they are dwarf broad beans.
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05 May 11, Maddy (Australia - temperate climate)
My climbing beans have reached the end of their trellis and I can't make it taller. Will that affect their growth?
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13 Apr 11, Diana-Adelaide (Australia - temperate climate)
I grow the purple King and snake bean here in Adelaide. They do much better in partial shade during summer.
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19 Feb 11, (Australia - temperate climate)
My beans are about 45 cm and getting bigger the plant is apprrox 7 ft high
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12 Jan 11, Rukia (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Im currently growing alot of things, i have carrots, basil and beans growing (although i have chives growing that wont sprout after 3 weeks scince planting.) but somehow within the pot i have my basil in i have somehow got 3 climbing bean shoots. So far they are about 5cm tall and im worried they will ruin the basil and with the amount of rain im also worried they will drown. Tips or help please?
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21 Dec 10, Jeff B (Australia - arid climate)
Scarlet beans Tried them here in Port Augusta Magnificient growth, healthy and green Lots of flowers 1 bean pod... Planted early when it was cool obviously too hot???
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22 Dec 10, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Jeff, if they are still flowering - or next time - try spraying the the flowers with water. For some reason, scarlet runners like some rainfall, real or artificial to set their beans.
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11 Dec 10, Martin (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Graham, I had the same problem in Adelaide, great flowers no beans. I attributed it to Adelaide being too hot. My father-in-law in Warrnambool used to hose his runner beans with cold water to try and trick them into setting.
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02 Dec 10, Graham (Australia - temperate climate)
I have Scarlet runner beans growing and they appear to be very healthy there are lots of flowers and they are not dropping off.However they are not setting any beans in any worth while quanties, very few bees visit the flowers. Are there any suggestions as to what the cause may be.
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Showing 241 - 250 of 268 comments
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Since I'm from North America, my answer is a "canned/typical" answer. MANY people use the 3 sisters planting here -- -- The "Three Sisters" planting method is a traditional Indigenous companion planting technique using corn, beans, and squash together in clusters. Today’s gardeners will want to keep in mind that Indigenous cultivators who originated Three Sisters farming would have been growing dent, flint, or flour corn rather than sweet corn. The corn stalks serve as a living trellis for their sister beans. Although you can grow sweet corn as a substitute for the flint type, avoid popcorn. The stalks of these plants are short enough that they might be overwhelmed by the other plants. Don’t attempt to substitute bush beans for the pole type, as the former won’t climb. You can choose whichever type of squash or pumpkin suits your fancy for this sister planting. Keep in mind that summer squashes tend to grow more bushy than vine-like, so they don’t make the best groundcover. In addition to the Three Sisters, you may also want to sow other tall plants, like sunflower, Jerusalem artichoke, or amaranth, in the spaces between the hills. There, squash vines will provide groundcover for them. In addition to attracting pollinators, these extra plants can produce a crop, too. Sow them at the same time you sow the corn to give them a head start on the squash vines. This planting creates a symbiotic system where corn provides a stalk for beans to climb, beans add nitrogen to the soil, and squash covers the ground to retain moisture and suppress weeds, offering a balanced, sustainable food source. The sequence involves planting corn first, then beans a few weeks later, and squash after the beans have started to grow, ensuring each plant supports the others as they mature. Plant the corn and beans on a mound -- and the squash around the mound -- plant the additional plants (if desired) between the mounds (sunflower, Jerusalem artichoke, or amaranth, or other tall plant). So in your case : 1. build your mounds & plant your SWEET corn in the middle of the mound (also plant the additional plants between the mound if desired - don't forget the boron for the corn), give it a couple of weeks, then 2. plant your POLE beans (or Green bean, string bean, snap bean), once the beans are going, 3. plant your WINTER squash around the mound. IF YOU ARE IN A VERY ARID AREA -- mounds dry out quickly, so you'll need to water MORE OR skip mounding and plant this formation flat.

- Celeste Archer

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