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

MonthJFMAMJJASOND
Sow
Transplant
Harvest

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.

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