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Runner beans are a delicious veg plot staple – they’re one of the easiest crops to grow and produce an abundance of long green pods over several months. Most varieties are climbers, grown up tall canes, producing large harvests in a small area. A few dwarf varieties are also available, ideal for large containers. Pick when young, for tasty stringless beans.
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Sow
Runner beans are tender plants that won’t survive frost, so for an early crop sow indoors in late spring. You can also sow outdoors in early summer. Alternatively, young plants can be bought from garden centres and online suppliers in spring, ready for planting outside.
Most runner beans are climbers – they need tall, sturdy supports and do best in the ground, but can also be grown in large containers. As they grow vertically, climbers produce a large crop in a small area of ground. There are also some dwarf varieties – these are quick to grow, but produce a smaller crop. They are useful for raised beds and containers, and for gardens in exposed sites. Climbing beans take longer to reach cropping stage, but produce beans over a longer period, from mid-summer to early autumn if picked regularly.
Runner beans are attractive as well as productive, with red, white or bi-coloured flowers, depending on the variety.
You’ll find a huge range of varieties available as seed in garden centres and online. Look in particular for varieties with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which shows they performed well in trials – see our list of AGM fruit and veg.
Sow indoors
If you have space, start runner beans off indoors – on a sunny windowsill, in a propagator or in a greenhouse – from mid-April to May. This will give you an earlier crop. Choose pots 7–8cm (2.5–3in) wide and fill with moist multi-purpose compost. Sow one bean into the centre, 5cm (2in) deep, and water well.
Keep in a warm, bright place, at over 12°C (54°F). Seedlings will grow rapidly and need watering regularly.
The young plants can be transplanted outside once all risk of frost has passed, usually in late May/early June – see Plant outside, below.
Sow outdoors – in containers
You can sow seeds outdoors into pots of multi-purpose compost in spring – either into small pots for transplanting into the ground later, or into large containers as their final growing site.
Sow one bean per small pot, 5cm (2in) deep, and place in a coldframe or sheltered position. Once the plants reach 8cm (3in) tall, in June or July, plant them into their final positions – see Plant outside, below.
Alternatively, sow into large containers, positioned in a sheltered, sunny spot, as their final growing site. For dwarf beans the container should be 30–45cm (12–18in) wide, and for climbing beans 75cm (30in) wide and 45cm (18in) deep – a large tub or half-barrel is ideal.
Simply sow the seeds direct into the container, spacing them 15cm (6in) apart. Insert a wigwam of 1.8m (6ft) canes to support climbing varieties (see Grow below), and choose a heavy container to keep it from toppling over. Dwarf beans don’t usually need support and look great cascading over the sides.
Sow outdoors – in the ground
Runner beans thrive in rich, deep, fertile soil in full sun. If possible, it’s best to improve the soil with organic matter the autumn before sowing. Alternatively, it can be done a couple of weeks beforehand, to give time for the ground to settle. A pH of 6.5 (slightly acid) is preferable – add lime if your soil is more acidic.
Seeds need warm conditions to germinate, so wait until all risk of frost has passed and your soil has reached 12°C (54°F) – usually by mid-May in the south of the UK, and two weeks later in the north.
If your soil is heavy and wet, it can be pre-warmed in early spring by covering it with clear plastic or cloches for about four weeks before sowing.
It’s also best to put the supports in place first – usually tall bamboo canes in a wigwam or double row (see Grow below).
Sow the large seeds individually 5cm (2in) deep – two at the base of each cane, which should be spaced 15cm (6in) apart. Thin to one seedling per cane, and protect plants from slugs and snails.
When sowing dwarf runner beans in the ground, allow 30cm (1ft) between plants and 50cm (20in) between rows.
If you sow one batch early (indoors in April/May), you can also sow a later batch outdoors in July, to prolong your harvests, allowing you to gather beans until the first frosts.
Plant outside
Wait until after the last frost before planting indoor-raised or bought young plants outside. Then harden them off to acclimatise them to outdoor conditions for a couple of weeks, either by putting them in a coldframe or placing them in a warm, sheltered spot, covered with fleece.
If planting in the ground, enrich the soil with well-rotted manure or garden compost – ideally at least two weeks before planting, to give the ground time to settle. Even better, do it the autumn before planting. When growing in rows, the traditional method for preparing the soil is to dig a bean trench:
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Mark out a line, then dig a trench 90cm (3ft) wide and 60cm (2ft) deep. Loosen the soil in the base by forking it over
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Scatter well-rotted manure or home-made garden compost in the base of the trench and mix with the soil from the trench. Return the improved soil to the trench
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Add pelleted poultry manure at the manufacturer’s recommended rate
With climbing beans, it’s also best to put the supports in place before planting – see Grow, below.
Once your bean plants are hardened off, plant them into their final growing position, in the ground or in a large container, in a sunny, sheltered spot.
Water the plants well, both before and after planting.
Plant one climbing bean plant at the base of each cane, and loosely tie their stems to the canes to get them started. When planting dwarf beans, space them 30cm (1ft) apart.
If planting in a container, choose multi-purpose or loam-based compost. Containers should be at least 30–45cm (12–18in) wide for dwarf beans, and 75cm (30in) wide and 45cm (18in) deep for climbing beans.
Grow
Supporting runner beans
Runner beans need tall, sturdy supports to climb up. The traditional method is to grow them up a double row of bamboo canes (1.8m/6ft tall), with 45–60cm (18in–2ft) between the two rows. Space the canes 15cm (6in) apart within each row and slope them inwards, then tie near the top to a horizontal cane, to form a sturdy A-frame. If growing more than one double row, allow 1.5m (5ft) between them.
Alternatively, create an X-frame by sloping the canes at a sharper angle so they cross in the middle.
Tie them at the centre, and add a horizontal cane to link them all together and increase stability. An X-frame takes up more space, but picking is easier and cropping is usually better.
If you don’t have room for a double row of canes, you can make wigwams. Again, use 1.8m (6ft) canes, four or five per wigwam, spacing them 15cm (6in) apart at the base. Tie the tops of the canes together – or use cane support rings or ceramic finials to hold the canes together. Wigwams make an attractive feature in a border or veg plot and also work well when growing in containers.
Loosely tie young plants to the canes to get them started – after that they will climb naturally. Remove the growing point once the plants reach the top of their support. This encourages side-shoots and prevents plants becoming top-heavy.
Another support option is to use 10cm (4in) polyethylene pea/bean netting, secured to tall posts or placed over a frame.
Dwarf beans don’t usually need support, although you can insert short twiggy sticks between them to keep them upright and lift the beans off the ground.
Watering and mulching
Runner beans are thirsty plants and crop best when watered regularly, especially once they start to flower and form pods. You will typically need to apply 5–9 litres (1–2 gallons) of water per square metre/yard every three to four days. Regular and generous watering is particularly important for plants growing in containers, which dry out more quickly.
Spread a thick mulch of well-rotted manure or mushroom compost over the soil in July to help hold in moisture.
Encouraging pods to form
Runner bean flowers sometimes fail to ‘set’ (produce pods) – there are several possible causes and solutions:
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Ensure the soil is constantly moist and doesn’t dry out. Add mulch after planting and water regularly and generously, ideally in the evenings.
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Flower set is better in alkaline, chalky soil. If your soil is neutral or acidic, try applying lime.
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If this is a recurring problem and you live in a mild area, try growing varieties with some French bean parentage, which set pods more easily in warmer summers.
Examples include ‘Firestorm’ and ‘Moonlight’.
More on problems with runner bean flower set
Harvesting
Cropping starts around mid-summer, depending on the variety and when the seeds were sown, and continues for eight weeks or more if harvested regularly.Pick pods when young and tender, about 15–20cm (6–8in) long. The pods should snap easily and the beans inside should still be small and pale in colour.
Regular harvesting – ideally every two to three days – is essential to prevent any pods reaching maturity. Once this happens, plants will stop flowering and no more pods will form.
Recommended Varieties
Common problems
Runner beans are one of the easiest vegetables to grow. However, a few pests and diseases can be problematic, one of the most common being black bean aphids. Young plants also need protection from slugs and snails.
Occasionally, fungal or bacterial diseases such as rust or halo blight can develop, while in warm, dry conditions red spider mites may get established.
The southern green shield bug is a relatively new pest found on runner beans and – although only in certain locations at present – is more serious than our native shield bugs, which do negligible harm to runner beans.
Black bean aphid
Sap-sucking aphids will disfigure plants and cause stunting to leaves and stems.
Remedy
In the case of broad beans, pinch out infested tips. On other beans, catch populations when small and squash.
Slugs and snails
These feed on the young seedlings and you'll see the tell tale slime trail on the soil around your crop, as well as on the leaves.
Remedy
There are many ways to control slugs and snails, including beer traps, sawdust or eggshell barriers, copper tape and biocontrols.
No/ very few beans
This is one of the most common problems of bean growing and is usually caused by lack of moisture and/or poor pollination by insects.
Remedy
Plant or sow beans into soil that has had plenty of organic matter, such as well-rotted manure added the previous autumn, as this will aid moisture and nutrient retention around the roots.
Plant in a sheltered site as this will encourage bees to visit and pollinate the plants.
Rust
A common fungal disease of many plants that can be recognised by orange, yellow or black spots or blisters that form on leaves, along with pale and distorted stems. Leaves can fall and in severe cases, plants will eventually die.
Remedy
Dig up badly infected plants and dispose of to prevent the spores spreading to other plants. Carefully check plants before buying to ensure they are healthy and show no signs of disease.
Recipes
Nigel Slater recommends serving runner beans with lemon and garlic crumbs, as a lovely side dish for grilled fish.
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Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.
Supporting Runner & Climbing Beans
Runner beans and climbing beans are very productive, making brilliant vertical use of space but they will require a support.
There are a number of ways you can do this.
Traditional Bean Frame
Runner Beans on Frame
The traditional bean support frame was constructed with coppiced poles, about 8 feet, 2.4 metres long and around 2”, 50mm thick at the base. Nowadays most people just use bamboo canes.
Ideally the frame should run in an east-west direction to equalise the light on both sides but in practice the direction doesn’t make a noticeable difference.
Traditional Runner Bean Support
Start by marking 2 lines, 18” (45cm) apart or 2′ (60cm) apart on windier plots which will give a little more stability. Drive the poles into the ground, at least 9” (22cm) to 12” (30cm) deep at an angle so that the poles cross about 2′ (60cm) down from the top of the poles. The poles should be spaced 9” (22cm) apart in the rows.
Lay a pole along the row across the base of the V created by the crossing poles and tie together with twine, keeping the same along the row spacing of 9” as at the base.
Finally drive stout stakes into the ground at both ends of the row and attach taut twine to the frame to stop it from collapsing along the row. Once completed the frame should be stable with no rock because, once the beans have grown up the frame it will suffer pressure from the wind.
The X Shaped Runner Bean Frame
This is basically the same as the traditional frame except the distance between the rows is wider, usually around 3′ (1 metre) and the angle of the poles is more shallow so that the poles cross about half way up.
The theory is that the beans are easier to locate and pick than in the traditional frame but slightly more effort is required training the beans to stick to their own pole.
The Runner Bean Tipi
Runner Bean Tipi Supports
These are simple and quick to build. Draw a circle with a radius of around 1′ (30cm) to 18” (45cm). The easy way to be accurate is to put a stick in the centre and attach another stick which is used as a marker to it with string.
Draw around by scraping the marker stick into the soil.
Space the poles as normal or a little wider (upto 12”) around the circle angled to meet in the centre. Tie this together with string. You can also buy plastic discs designed to hold the poles together which are very effective.
The drawbacks with tipi frames are that they are vulnerable to wind and it can be hard to find the beans in the centre. I’ve used them with good results, although one year they blew over.
The Dog Leg Frame
Runner Beans Hanging Down in Dog Leg Frame
I first heard about the dog leg frame method on my forums back in 2007 from member Muntjac and it has become quite popular since then. Its benefits are that:
- The beans are fairly easy to pick
- Because they hang down from the near-horizontal vines they tend to be very straight (ideal for show growers)
- It’s very productive, some report getting half as much crop again per plant as from traditional frames.
- The space under can be utilised for a catch crop such as lettuce or courgettes which benefit from the shade in hot summers
The drawbacks are that the frame takes a little more effort to construct than traditional frames and it also takes up a little more room.
There are various methods of construction but the one that seems easiest is this.
Dog Leg Runner Bean Frame Using Canes instead of Twine
First drive two stakes a foot (30cm) into the ground in a row about 6 to 8 feet (2 to 2.5 metres) apart connected by cross piece, rather like a football goalmouth. The stakes should be about 3′ (1 metre) high above ground. Another crosspiece is placed about 8” (20cm) above the ground. This doesn’t need to be very sturdy, bamboo cane will do.
The next row should be 6 to 8 feet (2 to 2.5 metres) away and again joined by a crosspiece. The stakes on this row should be about 6′ (2 metres) high above ground. The stakes and crosspieces should be sturdier than bamboo canes, treated 2×1 roofing battens are ideal and economical, available from builders merchants.
Next tie twine to the high crosspiece, stretch this across to the low cross piece, wrap it round and then down and tie to the low crosspiece. Repeat this every 6” (15cm).
The plants should initially be wound around the string and from then they should grow up the string and across to the tall crosspiece.
An alternative is to leave off the lowest crosspiece and just bury the strings under the plants as you plant out.
The ideal orientation is to have the plants growing from north-west to south-east but it isn’t critical
String Support for Runner Beans
A tipi shape can be made by inserting a sturdy pole in the ground and taking twine from the pole to the planting holes in a circle. In other words, replacing the bamboo canes in the tipi above with twine.
Growing Runner Beans - How to Grow Runner Beans
How to Grow Runner Beans - A Guide to Growing Runner Beans Runner Beans Runner Beans are a worthwhile crop, one of the most productive and pretty crops for small spaces. In fact they were first grown for their flowers in Britain and people thought...
Build Folding A-Shaped Bean Frame Instructions
An elegant and attractive frame provides a decorative support for climbing beans. This structure is simple and cheap to make, and folds flat when not in use, taking just a few minutes to erect again in late spring.
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Desperate runners: how to prevent a child from running away from home
The number of children who run away from home is constantly growing. Most of them are teenagers from 10 to 15 years old from quite prosperous families. About how to recognize a "runner" and prevent a child from wanting to run, what to do in a critical situation, we asked the specialists of the LizaAlert search and rescue team.
The reasons that push minors to such a desperate act can be different: conflicts with parents, aggression, unbearable living conditions, or just the romance of traveling. Sometimes the “trigger” for an escape is a bad grade at school or a ban on going out with friends.
But the volunteers of the search and rescue team "LizaAlert" are sure: it is possible to recognize the "runner" in advance and prevent him from leaving the house. To do this, parents should be more attentive to the behavior of a teenager in the family and properly show their concern for him.
How to understand that a "runner" lives in the house?
Having once run away from home, the child will repeat this act with enviable regularity. Knowing how parents are going through, he will blackmail them if something happens against his will, or try to get away from family and life problems in this way.
It is important to prevent such a situation and determine in a timely manner that an escape is planned. The first signal beacon may be sudden changes in the child's behavior. From sociable, he suddenly becomes closed, or vice versa. Awkwardness appears, the social circle changes, the attitude to familiar things changes.
Parents need to be extremely careful. Even an innocent fascination with travel books and dreams of seeing the world can turn into an escape.
Having noticed drastic changes in a teenager's behavior, one should not wait for the situation to resolve itself. It is necessary to build trusting relationships and educate in the child an understanding of the consequences of his act.
What should parents do if their child runs away from home?
When it was not possible to prevent an escape, it is important not to panic and act correctly.
1. Contact the police immediately, without waiting three days. Some parents hope that the teenager will return on his own. But at this time, he may be injured, suffer from hunger or cold, fall into the hands of intruders. In addition, delay reduces the chances of finding a child.
2. Call the teenager on the phone. If he does not answer, contact the teacher, friends, acquaintances with whom he communicates.
3. Leave a request for search by calling the hotline of the search and rescue team of volunteers "LizaAlert" 8-800-700-54-52. Tell about all the details and features of what happened, hiding nothing. Any little thing can be decisive and point to the trail of a runaway teenager.
4. Do not post orientations or photographs. The child may be afraid of the punishment for running away and will try to quickly leave the places where they can look for him.
5. Do not write ads or messages on social networks, do not post a photo of a missing teenager. It can track the actions of parents over the Internet, which will greatly complicate the search.
If a child has run away, trust the professionals to provide all the necessary information.
How to improve relations with a child upon return?
The whole difficulty of the situation with "runners" lies in the fact that after returning they fall into the same conditions of life. Parents perceive the child's escape as a mistake, which he must definitely realize, and expect everything to return to normal.
But this tactic does not work. Both parents and teenagers got a new experience. Based on it, conflicts may not only not disappear, but also become more frequent. What to do to prevent another child from leaving home.
- Try not to do anything that could make the situation worse.
- Do not scold, shout or punish.
- Parents should explain that they were worried, describe the consequences of the act, and ask them not to repeat it.
- After the child returns, take care of his basic needs: provide food, warmth, sleep.
- When the teenager calms down, talk to him in a calm tone, create an atmosphere of trust and try to find out what prompted him to run away.
- Rebuild relationships. Leaving home is a signal that the situation needs to be changed. If the parents were too strict with the child or excessively limited, it is necessary to ease the tension, making it possible to exercise independence within reasonable limits.
- Cultivate responsibility for one's actions. It is necessary to encourage a teenager to think about what each step leads to.
- Do not forget to show love, respect and understanding.
What are the characteristics of searching for teenage runners?
A runaway child is exposed to many dangers. The sooner it is found, the more likely it is to avoid troubles and accidents. But the whole difficulty lies in the fact that teenage runners do not strive to be found, and often change location, do not answer calls or messages on social networks.
Rescue teams have to be careful, making searches difficult. The choice of tactics of action is influenced by the probable reason for the escape, relations with parents and many other factors, about which service employees ask relatives and friends in detail.
Editorial:
The hard work of the volunteers of the LizaAlert search and rescue team is dedicated to the interactive web series FOUND_ALIVE, the second season of which will be released in the fall of 2021. In the new series, viewers will see the story of teenagers who ran away from home and will be able to feel like they are LizaAlert volunteers thanks to built-in interactive and educational elements.
The series, based on real events, will allow parents to take a fresh look at their child, and teenagers to feel the tragedy of the consequences of a rash act. The creators of the project believe that their brainchild will draw attention to the problem of "runners" and help to avoid the irreparable.
The second season will premiere on the found-live.rf website, in social networks and on Youtube in September 2021.
Interviewed by Anna Demina
Photo: Collection/iStock
Zip slider - a simple but important detail
- Sewing accessories
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- Zip slider - a simple but important detail
Lightning is a popular type of accessories for clothes, shoes, bags and other products made of fabric and leather. It can perform both a decorative function - to serve as an ornament, and a utilitarian one - when the zipper works as a mount on a jacket or shoes. slider it is used very intensively - clothes can be put on and taken off 3-4 times a day. Therefore, dogs for lightning often fail. This is due to several factors:
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Poor quality of fittings - dogs are made of thin metal or plastic,
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Excessive unfastening force - plastic runners usually suffer from this,
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Too intensive use for a long time.
Changing the slider is easy - you just need to choose the right type and size.
The slider consists of two elements: a slider - a handle for which the slider is led, a lock - parts of the lightning converge inside it. It is the size and shape of these two elements that distinguish different types of runners.
When choosing a slider, you need to pay attention to the type of lightning. Modern sewing production uses three main types of lightning:
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Tractor - fasteners and zippers are massive, deliberately rough. When fastening, the individual elements are connected into a strong lock,
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Spiral - the teeth are made of a synthetic thread twisted in a spiral. In finished products, this zipper can be completed with braid. It is more miniature and flexible than a tractor, but less durable,
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Metal - metal teeth, with increased strength, are connected into a lock when the slider passes through them.
You can tell which type of zipper a particular slider will fit by looking at the markings on the slider or by the shape of the sole of the slider, which can be seen from the wrong side of the zipper. If only seamstresses know the first way, then an ordinary person can understand by the sole of the runner whether you bought the right piece of fittings.
The shape of the runners for different zippers:
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Metal - the shape of a triangle on the wrong side,
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Tractor - oval or trefoil shape,
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Spiral - an elongated oval.
If the dimensions of the teeth allow, then the slider from the tractor lightning can completely close the metal one, but experts recommend installing the sliders of the exact type that was used by the manufacturer of the product. If you're putting a slider on a heavy-duty item, metal sliders are the best choice. They are more durable, while plastic products often break off the slider.
True, they also have a drawback: they are heavier and more massive, which often contradicts the general style of the product.
Types of sliders for zippers
Depending on the appearance of the zipper and the scope of use, there are several types of sliders:
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Automatic machines - when the slider passes through the teeth of the lightning, it can be fixed anywhere. Usually they are used for tailoring outerwear. Runners of this type are massive and durable.
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Semi-automatic - it is impossible to automatically block the course of lightning; for this, fix the slider with a stopper.
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Haberdashery - the main advantage of these dogs in their lightness and diminutiveness, so they are considered the most common in the clothing industry. It is impossible to fix the slider in any position with a zipper, but such locks have a smooth, easy move and an excellent appearance.
Choosing a slider
In addition to the type of lightning, the size of the links also affects the choice of slider.
This is indicated by the marking on the slider - if the width of the links in the connected state is 3 mm, the number 3 is applied to the slider. clothes with this dog, whether the slider fits comfortably in your hand. The slider is considered a consumable item, so sewing accessories companies offer a variety of colors and shades. Therefore, picking up a dog in the color of lightning is not difficult.
How to change slider
If, when unfastening or fastening, the slider on the clothes began to jam, chew the fabric or stopped closing the teeth, it's time to change it. You can try to first tighten the dog, if it is metal - press it a little with pliers. In this form, the slider can serve you for another couple of weeks.
If, when dressing, you still have a slider in your hands or the slider just crumbled in your hands, try changing it yourself. Pick up the slider according to the size and type of lightning, stock up on pliers and scissors.
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On one side of the zipper, you need to remove the limiter - without this, you will not remove the old slider,
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If the old dog chewed the fabric during the last fastening, gently pull it out with small scissors so as not to damage the fabric,
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On the braid from the lock, you need to make a small cut - it's easier to pull out the old slider,
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If the zipper sticks, lubricate it with soap or oil,
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Now the failed slider can be removed,
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In order for the new dog to fit well into place, it needs to be slightly unclenched and pulled over the teeth at a slight slope,
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To prevent the slider from popping out, slightly squeeze it,
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Then check how the zipper works and the new slider - fasten and unfasten the product several times,
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The incision on the braid can now be neatly sewn up,
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The limiter is installed in place and pressed.
