Climbing French beans
Growing suggestions for climbing French beans
Direct sow climbing French beans from May until the beginning of June, when the soil has warmed up. If sown when the soil is too cold and/or wet the beans may rot. We recommend building the climbing structure first (poles distanced 65cm between rows and 40cm within the row) and then planting four beans at the base of each pole 4cm deep. This way you will know exactly where the beans have been planted and you won’t damage the roots when building the structure.
Climbing French bean growing calendar
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Crop history
The French beans belong to the Fabaceae family and are a highly variable species that has a long history of cultivation. Its origins are in North and Central America. Beans were probably first cultivated along with squash and maize (corn). The three crops constitute the “Three Sisters” which is a way of companion planting integral to indigenous American agriculture.
French beans were brought over to Europe after the Spanish conquest. Today, they are a major crop worldwide thanks to their nutritional properties and particularly as a good protein and energy source.
Showing all 5 results
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Climbing French Beans – Cobra (Organic)
£3.10 – £5.80 Add to basket This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageClimbing French Beans – Cobra (Organic)
Prolific and reliable climbing bean with stringless pods of marvelous taste. Cobra is an extremely popular and very reliable French bean variety and an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. It’s got everything you’ll want from a bean. It produces an early crop of stringless round green pods that have the most delicious flavour.
The showy violet-purple flowers will stand out in your garden and you’ll be surprised at how long your beans will keep coming.
We love them cooked and tossed in vinaigrette when still warm, adding raw onions and a touch of grain mustard.
Approximate seed count: see packet size
£3.10 – £5.80 -
Climbing French bean – Borlotti (Organic)
£2.95 – £5.50 Add to basket This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageClimbing French bean – Borlotti (Organic)
Produces gorgeous bright pink-dappled pods with beans to be used either fresh or dried. Borlotti is one of the most beautiful climbing French bean varieties available. The pods have a stunning colour with dapples of bright pink and white. The bean itself is creamy white with maroon speckles.
We love them for their excellent taste, colour and versatility. Either eat the young pods raw or cooked, or the beans when matured. Just shell and use like a dry bean.They are one of the most popular heritage varieties in Italy and our favourite in the Vital Seeds 2019 bean trials.
£2.95 – £5.50 -
Climbing French bean – Blauhilde (Organic)
£2.95 Read moreClimbing French bean – Blauhilde (Organic)
A stringless, climbing French bean from Germany producing lots of very dark purple pods that turn green when cooked. We like to grow a variety of different colour beans as they are such a versatile crop. Blauhilde can be grown outside or indoors and makes an excellent market garden variety as it’s productive, disease resistant and exquisite in taste.
(Approximate seed count – 80)£2.95 -
Climbing French bean – Golden Gate (Organic)
£2.95 Add to basketClimbing French bean – Golden Gate (Organic)
A vigorous climbing French bean producing bright golden yellow pods and dark green foliage. A heavy-cropping pole bean variety that we really enjoy for the buttery, smooth textured beans that will stay tender and stringless even as they get larger. A great addition to your other green and purple beans.
(Approximate seed count – 75)£2.95 -
Climbing French Beans – Pea Bean (Organic)
£2.85 Add to basketClimbing French Beans – Pea Bean (Organic)
Stringless flatish pods followed by plentiful fresh beans that turn maroon and cream once dried. This pretty heritage variety of bean has been passed through the weathered hands of generations of gardeners since the 16th century. It’s the ultimate all-rounder providing plentiful flat smooth skinned green pods. As the pods fill out with beans and dry they develop a delightful maroon and cream pattern, great for long storage and comforting winter stews. An easy to grow climbing bean with great drought tolerance and plentiful abundance.
(Approximate seed count – 60)£2.85
Showing all 5 results