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Runner bean growth


How To Grow Runner Beans

Runner beans are delicious, nutritious and easy to grow. When picked young, they have great flavour, texture and succulence – so different to the stringy beans you find in the shops. They’re also pretty enough to grow as an annual climber in the flower border.

How to grow runner beans at home

To grow runner beans you need a good, moisture-retentive soil, bamboo canes or similar support, and some twine to tie the bamboo canes together. Plant seeds in pots, root-trainers or old toilet roll tubes in April for planting out in late May, or sow seed direct in the ground in May and early June.

Growing runner beans: jump links

More advice on growing runner beans:

How to grow runner beans from seed

How to grow runner beans - sowing runner beans

Runner beans need a sunny spot in rich, moisture-retentive soil with plenty of well-rotted compost or manure added. You can prepare the soil for planting in autumn or spring, it doesn't really matter. Dig the area thoroughly to remove weeds and add a generous amount of well-rotted garden compost or manure.

By sowing indoors in April, in deep pots, you'll get better germination and an earlier crop of beans. Sowing in pots first is also a good way to protect young plants from slugs and snails. Well-developed seedlings can be planted out after the last frost, usually around late May. You can make later sowings outside in May and June, but these won't start cropping until July or August.

If space is limited, grow runner beans in containers for an attractive and edible display – try 'Painted Lady', with its pretty red and white flowers.

When growing in pots, it's especially important to keep plants well watered. Choose as large a container as possible to help stop the compost drying out too quickly. Add a thick layer of mulch to the compost surface to hold in moisture, and on hot days move the pot out of direct sun if possible.

Where to buy runner beans online

How to care for your runner bean crop

How to grow runner beans - planting out runner beans

Runner beans need a strong support, such a wigwam. Use four or more canes, up to 3m long, and push the end of each one firmly into the soil in a circle, spacing them evenly. Tie all the tops of the canes together to form a wigwam. Then plant one runner bean at the base of each cane. As the plants grow, help them to get a good grip by tying new shoots to the canes.

More like this

When your runner bean plants reach the tops of the canes, pinch out the growing tip of each one to encourage bushier growth. Beans are thirsty plants so water regularly, especially when in flower, and mulch the soil surface around the roots, to lock in moisture.

Growing runner beans: pests and diseases

Young runner bean plants are particularly susceptible to slugs. It's a good idea to grow more than you need, and then plant them out when they're as large as possible, to help them cope with any mollusc attacks. Use wildlife-friendly slug pellets, place copper rings around the stems of young plants or cover the soil with crushed eggshells or other similar dry, gritty material, to deter slugs and snails.

You may spot green shield bugs on your runner bean plants. These are harmless bugs and will not damage your crop.

Video: Why do my runner beans have white leaves?

Harvesting runner beans

How to grow runner beans - harvesting runner beans

Runner beans are ready to pick 12 to 16 weeks after sowing. The bean pods are at their most tender at 15-20cm long – any longer and they become stringy. Regular picking encourages the plants to produce more flowers, and therefore more young beans. Don't leave old beans on the plants as this will stop the plants flowering.

How to store runner beans

How to grow runner beans - storing runner beans

Runner beans freeze well. Top and tail them and remove any ‘string’. Slice beans into short lengths, blanch in boiling water for two minutes, drain, cool, pop into plastic bags and freeze.

How to prepare and use runner beans

Runner beans are delicious lightly steamed with a knob of butter. Cold, cooked beans are good in salads. Never eat them raw.

Advice on buying runner beans

Where to buy runner beans online

 

Great runner beans varieties to grow

How to grow runner beans - varieties to grow

How to Grow Runner Beans

, written by Ann Marie Hendry

We all know that beans are a musical fruit, or good for your heart, depending on which version of the rhyme you learned when you were a nipper, but in the UK at least no vegetable garden or allotment plot is complete without a wigwam foaming with scarlet-flowered runner beans.

The reason? Well, not only do they make a delectable vegetable, they are drop-dead gorgeous too.

Sowing and Growing Runner Beans

Runner beans - a type of pole bean - were traditionally planted atop filled-in trenches dug the previous autumn and stocked with well-rotted manure or shredded newspaper. Kitchen waste will work too, because the main reason for doing this is to provide a deep, moist root run that will help runner beans to resist drought. Drought is a major enemy of beans, so avoid this at all costs.

Start sowing runner beans in spring and keep sowing every couple of weeks until early summer to spread out the harvest. Exactly when to sow will depend on your climate, so check out our Garden Planner for customized advice. The earliest seeds can be sown in modules or seed trays in a greenhouse, tunnel or on a sunny windowsill for transplanting later on.

Runner beans dislike cold soil, so wait until the soil has warmed to at least 10ºC (50ºF) before planting them out. You can warm soil a week or so in advance of sowing or planting using cold frames, cloches, row cover tunnels or even just sheets of plastic.

Later sowings can be made directly where they are to grow, but beware of hungry slugs and make sure to protect seedlings from wind damage. Covering them with a cloche (even a recycled plastic bottle will do) will provide all the shelter they need until they establish.

In cool or windy locations you can protect plants and boost pod production by growing them to maturity in a greenhouse or tunnel – just make sure to ‘stop’ the plants, or pinch out the growing tips, when they near the roof.

While closely-related French beans are self-pollinating, runners need help from pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds, so yields will be hampered by a wet, cold summer when insects are unlikely to be flying. A dry summer is bad news too, so make sure to water during rainless spells and mulch to preserve that moisture.

Beans are usually pretty trouble-free, but keep an eye out for black bean aphids infesting the growing tips. If this happens, clip off the tips and dispose of them.

Supporting Runner Beans

Get supports in place before planting your runners. Any frames or trellis need to be sturdy enough to support these lanky beans, which grow to well in excess of 2m (6.5 feet) tall and which will become extremely heavy when laden with pods. Netting is often used along with canes or poles to allow the vines to clamber about freely.

Bean wigwams look just as attractive in the flower garden as they do in the vegetable garden. Runner beans were originally grown purely as ornamental plants, so you can find exciting flower color choices such as ‘Scarlet Runner’ or the ravishing red-lipped white flowers of ‘Painted Lady’.

You may need to tie young plants in to their supports initially, but once they’ve got a grip they should manage on their own. If they’re catching the wind they may need to be tied in at intervals.

When the plants reach the top of their supports, pinch out their growing tips to help divert energy into flower and pod production – and to avoid the plants turning into a jungle of tangled stems and foliage.

Such tall, leafy plants will cast shade, so plan your garden to include shade-loving crops behind your towering beanstalks.

Harvesting Runner Beans

Keeping up with weeding, watering and mulching is important while the beans are growing. Apply an occasional liquid feed too. Harvesting will commence around midsummer and continue until the first frosts. Runner beans will crop slightly later than French beans, so for variety and to extend the season it can be worth growing both.

Pick your beans while they’re still quite small to avoid any stringiness, though having said that modern cultivars are usually bred to be stringless. Pick at least every other day, because you’ll be astounded at how rapidly a bean pod can grow – they seem to go from flat to fat in the blink of an eye!

If you’re going to be away during the summer, invite friends and neighbors to help themselves to your beans to encourage continued cropping for when you return. Alternatively you could use the break as an opportunity to switch from producing fresh pods to maturing beans for drying. Gluts of the whole fresh pods can be chopped, blanched if you wish (I never do, I can’t tell the difference!) then frozen.

Beautiful, productive, and delicious – what more could a vegetable gardener ask for? Share your runner bean growing tips or favorite varieties with us in the comments section below.

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from seed to adult plant, life cycle

Beans are considered a popular member of the legume family. It is a thermophilic and sensitive plant. However, most gardeners can grow crops in the middle lane. Beans are characterized by a different structure. Its fruits differ in taste, color, features of use. For successful cultivation of crops in the garden or at home, it is important to study the features of the formation and stages of germination of beans.

Content

Growth of bobic seeds

1 9000 plants have a number of characteristics. The optimal temperature regime for seed germination is +15…+26 degrees. In more severe conditions, seed germination deteriorates and the development of pods is disturbed.

It is important to choose the right timing for planting this crop. This is best done a week after the threat of frost has passed. Beans are recommended to be planted at intervals of 5-7 cm. This helps to provide them with optimal nutrition and enough space.

Important! It takes an average of 2-3 months for the beans to reach full maturity. In this case, the specific period is determined by the variety, climatic conditions, soil conditions.

Beans need moist soil that has good drainage. At the same time, the pH parameters should be 6-7.2. Untreated soil or high humidity can cause beans to rot.

It is important to ensure that the soil does not have a high moisture retention capacity. Excess water can cause rotting of grains or sprouts. Don't use too much fertilizer. This plant does not need a lot of feeding. It develops well in normal soil. However, to improve its quality characteristics, organic is suitable.

Nutrient soil is required for good seed germination

Germination stage of leguminous seeds

Favorable conditions are required for the development of beans. The bean germination phase begins at a temperature of +15…+26 degrees. In this case, they begin to sprout after 2-3 days.

Observation of the germination of bean seeds shows that the beans include 2 cotyledons and a root, which subsequently transforms into a complete root system. Also at this stage of germination, a plume appears, forming a shoot, and a hypocotyl, which subsequently develops as a stem. All these fragments are in the seed coat.

The germination process begins at the stage of swelling of the beans. This happens under the influence of moisture. As a result, a rupture of the seed coat is observed and a root appears.

Important! This stage of bean growth is important. Sprouting seeds helps to get strong sprouts that help to endure a drop in temperature and develop into a powerful plant.

Before starting the process, it is necessary to select the highest quality seeds. In this case, damaged, moldy or shriveled grains must be removed. There are several sprouting methods. However, they all boil down to providing the bushes with enough moisture and light. This helps to soften the tough skin and speed up the swelling of the seeds.

The process of seed germination depends on a number of factors. These include the following:

Popular options for sprouting beans include:

Please note! Sprouted beans can not only be planted in the ground, but also eaten. It saturates the body with useful substances and improves its functioning.

Bean seeds require a damp cloth to germinate. This element connects the spine to the drain. The direction of growth of this part of the bean depends on the sunlight.

Under its influence, it begins to grow upwards and straightens up. This results in a change in orientation. Thus, the sprout rushes to the top and develops into leaves. Cotyledons gradually degenerate and fall off. At the same time, after 6 weeks, the beans become a mature plant. This completes all stages of germination of bean seeds.

The bean growth stage has a number of characteristics

The bean reproductive stage

Legumes have male and female reproductive organs. The stamens, which include filaments with anthers, form the male reproductive organs. Carpel contains the brand, style and ovary, and therefore refers to the female reproductive organs.

Male gametes are formed in special sacs in the anther structure. They are called pollen grains. In this case, female gametes appear in the ovary.

Pollination and fertilization stage

After the formation of male and female gametes, the stage of pollination begins. Pollen grains fall on the stigma of the flower, which entails a number of processes.

After the pollen grains are attached to the stigma, they germinate and form a pollen tube. It passes into the ovary and provides a pathway for the movement of sperm. As a result, they penetrate the ovary. There, the fertilization process takes place, which contributes to the formation of the endosperm and zygote.

Green bean stage

Nutrients from the endosperm promote the development of the zygote in the ovary structure. Subsequently, they transform into beans, and the ovary enters the pod. At this stage, the bean pods are green in color and have a delicate texture.

Young pods and grains gradually lose moisture as they mature. This entails scattering the beans in the pod. Such grains are fully prepared for the start of a new cycle. They can be used to get the next bean bush.

Please note! Beans are an annual crop that completes its life cycle in 1 growing season.

At the green bean stage, the pods have a delicate texture

For self-cultivation, you need to know the development of the bean seed by day, which is shown in the table: Features of development 1 Beans should be wrapped in damp gauze. 2 Beans swell. 3 The grains break and roots appear. 4 Roots develop rapidly. 5 The stem appears. 6 Beans need to be planted in a pot with soil. 9 Sprouts appear. 11 Leaves appear. 12 It is necessary to install a support and observe the further development of the bushes.

Watching beans germinate every day is considered quite an exciting process. Before planting the plant, it is advisable to germinate the seeds. This will significantly speed up the emergence of sprouts and help shorten the life cycle of the plant.

Influence of external environmental factors on seed growth (by the example of beans)

Konovalova S.M. 1

1MBOU gymnasium No. 2 of the city of Krasnogorsk

Pastukhova N.V. 1

1MBOU Gymnasium No. 2 of the city of Krasnogorsk

The author of the work was awarded a diploma of the winner of the III degree

Diploma of a student Certificate of the head

The text of the work is placed without images and formulas.
The full version of the work is available in the "Files of the work" tab in PDF format

Introduction

Actuality: The world of wildlife is diverse and wonderful, necessary for the life of every living creature on our planet, which appeared long before man appeared. But at the same time, every time we can discover something new and amazing in it.

The choice of this topic of the project was interesting for us because we need to investigate what conditions are most favorable for plants, using the example of bean seed. It is necessary to preserve the conditions of the habitat so that life on our planet can continue.

A plant begins its life from a seed. A tiny seed falls into the ground, begins to grow, a root appears, then leaves, flowers and fruits. But for this it is important that there are optimal conditions for seed germination.

This was the basis for the study of the creation of our project. Among the variety of plants, there are those that are not very whimsical to environmental conditions. Since beans are grown all over the world, it can be assumed that beans do not require special environmental conditions.

In the conditions of significant human influence on the world of wildlife and changing climatic conditions on our planet, it is very important to study plants that do not require special conditions for their growth.

Purpose: Investigate the influence of environmental factors and identify the most favorable conditions for the germination of the bean seed.

Tasks:

1. Review the literature on growing conditions for plants.

2. Study the conditions necessary for the germination and growth of seeds at home.

3. Experiment with the germination and growth of beans at home.

4. Summarize the results obtained and draw conclusions.

Object of study: germination and growth of a plant of the legume family.

Subject of research: germination conditions of bean seed.

Research Hypothesis: It is assumed that optimal environmental factors have a positive effect on plant germination and growth.

Research methods:

Literature review;

Surveillance;

Conducting an experiment.

What do I know about beans

Common beans

(lat. Phaséolus vulgaris) -

species of plants from the genus Beans of the leguminous family.

Beans are one of the oldest crops in the world. The place of origin is considered to be South and Central America. In Russia, beans appeared around the 17th century, first as a decorative flower crop, and since the 18th century they have firmly taken their place in the kitchen.

Beans are among the top ten most useful vegetables in terms of nutritional value. In terms of protein content, beans are second only to meat.

Beans come in many varieties and varieties. Varieties differ from each other in the shape and color of leaves, flowers and fruits. Both seeds and beans (pods) are used for food.

"There are many types of beans
And it grows on the field
Or weaves along the top
Where it is necessary, as it is necessary.
It's good when in the garden
She will be delicious sweet
In vinaigrettes and salads
Rich in vitamins.

2.1 Structure of beans

The bean fruit is a bivalve bean (not a pod), straight or curved. The bean contains, as a rule, from 4 to 10 seeds, the longer the pod, the more oblong the fruits have. In short beans, the seeds are usually rounded, while in flat beans, they are flattened.

All flowering plants propagate by seeds. The seed contains everything needed for the growth of a new plant.

The main part of the seed is the embryo , which is the germ of a new plant. In order for the embryo to develop, the seed contains a supply of nutrients. The seed is covered on the outside by a seed coat, which performs a protective function.

The embryo is the germ of the future plant.

It consists of germinal root, germinal stalk, germinal bud and cotyledons.

Embryonic root - the beginning of a new root. When a seed germinates, it develops first, breaks the seed rind and fixes itself in the soil.

Germinal stalk - the beginning of a new stem. It is located between the germinal bud and the germinal root.

Leaves, branches, flowers of the plant develop from germinal buds .

Cotyledons are the first leaves of the embryo. The number of cotyledons in a plant seed is an important feature. It is used when dividing all flowering plants into two large groups: monocots (the seeds of which contain one cotyledon (rye, wheat, oats, corn, onions, etc.) and dicots (the seeds of which contain two cotyledons (cucumbers, pumpkins, peas, beans) , apple, daisies and etc.)

Germination of seeds, the process of transition of seeds from a state of dormancy to intensive life activity, as a result of which the embryo starts to grow and a seedling is formed, from which a young plant develops. Germination of seeds occurs only when they are sufficiently provided with moisture, oxygen, at a certain temperature, and sometimes even light conditions. With a lack of oxygen, for example, when the seeds are immersed in water for a long time, substances harmful to the embryo (ethyl alcohol, lactic acid, ammonia, etc.) accumulate in them. The effect of temperature on seed germination is associated not only with the entry of moisture into the seeds and the activation of metabolism, but also with a change in the ratio of various growth regulators in them.

An interesting fact is that the germination of bean seeds lasts for 700 years.

2.2 Beans

String beans can be both bush and climbing , it has excellent decorative qualities, therefore it is loved by gardeners.

Curly legumes:

Curly bean lashes can be up to 5 meters long, so it is most often grown near fences, walls of houses or other buildings. When grown in an open garden, climbing vines require support at least 2 meters high. The advantage of the variety is a significant saving of space on the site - from one square meter it gives a bountiful harvest.

The vegetative period of varieties of curly beans is longer than that of bush forms.

Bush

Bush bean is a low plant with a bush height of no more than 60 cm. Since it does not require support, it is grown in farms and for industrial purposes. Most varieties of this subspecies are characterized by early maturity, unpretentiousness, cold resistance and high yields.

Vegetable and grain beans

Beans can be classified according to the way they are eaten:

- grain

- and vegetable, that is, ripe beans or shoulder blades are used for food along with unripe grains.

Grain beans.

In the grain variety, only the seeds are edible. Before use, the beans are shelled, hence another name for this variety - shelled beans. Beans (pods) of such beans have a hard wax coating, they are tough and tasteless. But the beans themselves are excellent in taste, have a varied appearance and special nutritional value.

Vegetable beans.

It differs from the grain one in that not only the grains, but also the pods themselves are edible. For this reason, vegetable beans are often referred to as green beans, asparagus, or sugar beans.

2.3 Health benefits of beans

It has been established that the plant reduces blood sugar levels, therefore, in folk medicine, a decoction of dry bean leaves is used for mild forms of diabetes, as well as for chronic pancreatitis. Bean seeds increase the secretion of gastric juice. Due to the high content of potassium, beans are used for gastritis with reduced secretion of the gastric glands, for kidney disease and gout. Bean sashes are used mainly in the form of decoctions and infusions.

2.4 Use of beans in cooking

Bean dishes are very popular, in almost all countries of the world, where it is grown. Beans are cooked from soups to desserts.

Chili con carne with beans and tomatoes popular in Latin American cuisines

Pilaki

National dish in Turkey

Red bean lobio with eggs, meat, mushrooms, tomatoes, chopped nuts, pomegranate seeds and celery - a traditional Georgian dish

Chocolate Diet Black Bean Cake

Results of a study on sprouting beans

Preliminarily took one glass of bean seeds of one variety. Before sowing, bean seeds were soaked in warm water for one night (Fig. 1). Later, before germination, they were placed in a damp cloth, which was constantly moistened, but not so much that the beans floated in water (Fig. 2). On the fifth day, when the bean seeds germinated, 6 samples of germinated bean seeds were selected, approximately the same in shape and size of the seedling (Fig. 3). And on the same day, the samples were planted in the ground in cups (Fig. 4).

Fig. 1. Soaking seeds.

Fig.2. Soaked seeds in a damp cloth.

Fig. 3. Sampling.

Fig.4. Planting samples in the ground.

As mentioned above, 6 samples were selected for the experiment, 2 for each temperature and light conditions.

All specimens planted on October 28, 2019. By conducting the experiment, we will find out what conditions are best for the germination of beans.

Samples 1 - grew in the light and in heat. Moreover, one of them will be placed in a loosely closed, transparent jar.

Samples 2 - grew on a balcony (loggia) in the light at a temperature of +8 to -2 (depending on the weather in the autumn).

Samples 3 - grew on a balcony (loggia) in a dark place (in a turned off refrigerator) at a temperature of +8 to -2 (depending on the weather in the autumn).

The following photo (dated October 29, 2019) shows that the growth rate of plants is different, which was noted in the growth dynamics and was observed during the entire experiment.

10/29/2019

Fig.5

The seed on the window sill in the bank from all the samples gave the first shoots.

10/29/2019

Fig.6

Seed on the windowsill

10/29/2019

Fig. 7

Semen on the balcony (loggia)

10/29/2019

Fig.8

Seed on the loggia in the dark (refrigerator)

10/30/2019

Fig.9

Seed on the windowsill in a jar

10/30/2019

Fig.10

Seed on the windowsill

10/30/2019

Fig.11

Semen on the balcony (loggia)

10/30/2019

Fig. 12

Seed on the loggia in the dark (refrigerator)

10/31/2019

Fig.13

Semen in a cup on the windowsill and a seed in a jar almost the same height

10/31/2019

Fig.14

Semen in a cup on the windowsill and a seed in a jar almost the same height

10/31/2019

Fig.15

Seed on the balcony (loggia). Didn't germinate at all.

10/31/2019

Fig. 16

Seed on the loggia in the dark (refrigerator). Didn't germinate at all.

Fig.17. The seed in the cup on the windowsill and the seed in the jar became even, and after opening the lid, parallel growth of both plants was noted.

We have found that the process of germinating a bean seed can be divided into several stages:

stage - absorption of water;

stage - swelling of seeds;

stage - increase in the size of cell division;

stage - the appearance of the spine;

stage - the appearance of the embryonic shoot.

At the same time, we determined the optimal conditions for seed germination. So the combination of light, humidity and temperature conditions favorably had a favorable effect on seed germination. Whereas low temperatures, lack of light had a delay in seed germination. An interesting fact was revealed that the seed planted in a loosely closed transparent jar grew faster than all other samples. This allows us to conclude that in this case we created greenhouse conditions that are the best for seed germination, but when the lid of the jar was opened completely, growth slowed down, and then the same growth of plants was noted (Fig. 17).

Thus, the conducted experiment on the germination of beans for 10 days allows us to conclude that the optimal environmental factors have a positive effect on the germination and growth of plants.

Conclusion

By placing bean seeds, initially at approximately the same stage of development, under different conditions, we traced the mechanism of bean seed germination and established what factors influence this process. Investigating the influence of external conditions on seed germination, we carried out a series of experimental work, as a result of which we were convinced in practice that bean seeds need water. Seed germination is impossible without light. Heat affects the rate of germination. Conducting a study on seed germination, we fulfilled all the tasks and goals set, namely, in practice, the role of the seed in the individual development of plants was considered using the example of germination of bean seeds.

Thus, it can be concluded that for plant growth it is very important that there is enough sunlight, heat and moisture. When all three environmental factors are observed, then the sprout very quickly becomes stronger in the soil and opens its leaves in a matter of hours. From this point on, the plant can independently absorb nutrients along with water through the root system and receive energy through photosynthesis in the leaves, which ensures the growth and development of the plant.

References:

Biology. Bacteria, fungi, plants. Grade 6: textbook. for general education institutions / V.V. Beekeeper. - 14th ed., stereotype.

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