How to Grow Runner Beans
A highly productive summer crop of tasty beans are versatile and healthy. Being susceptible to frosts, their growing period outside is restricted to summer and they need to
grow fast to get the best results. You should expect to be picking your own crop between the end of July and the early October.
Soil and position
Most soils will give a reasonable crop of French green beans, but on the other hand, runner beans are more fussy. They will give disappointing results when planted in cold wet
clay and any soil that is poorly drained or short of plant nutrients. For best results with both sorts of beans dig in some organic matter such as well-rotted garden compost or Soil Improver.
If you are really keen on runner beans you may think about a traditional compost trench. Take out a spade depth of soil in a trench approximately 1 metre (3ft) wide and dig
into the bottom of the hole all the organic matter you can get hold of including well-rotted garden compost, Farmyard Manure, shredded newspaper and cardboard. Then improve the
nutrient level of the soil with a dressing of Plant Food
Seed and Plant Varieties
French Green Beans: Standard bush plants 30-40cm tall will be produced from varieties such as ‘The Prince’, ‘Tendergreen’ and ‘Opera’. If you want climbing varieties ‘Blue Lake’
or ‘Cobra’ will give reliable results.
Runner Beans: Plenty of varieties to choose from including traditional ‘Scarlet Emperor’, ‘Enorma’ and ‘Prizewinner’. For stringless pods ‘Lady Di’ or ‘Polestar’ are worth trying.
Supports
Climbing French beans and runner beans need supports to clamber up to a height of around 2 metres (6ft). As the stems and the resulting crop are heavy, the supports need to be sturdy
and held together so they are not blown down by the wind. A wigwam is an attractive shape and very stable if securely fasted where the canes meet at the apex. Similarly a double
row of inward-facing canes that cross at the top will be just as sturdy if a horizontal holding cane is placed just above the crossing point and secured to all the uprights.
Sowing Seeds
Indoors: For a really early crop, sow seeds in individual pots of Multi Purpose Compost in May. Seedlings will be ready for planting out at the end of May or early June.
Outdoors: Sow seed 3cm (2in) deep at the end of May in a shallow drill with a gap of 25cm (9in) between each seed and cover with fine soil. To minimise any damage to new roots it
is better to erect your wigwam or tent of supporting canes before sowing the seeds. Sow one seed at each cane or more if you throw a net over the supports. Water well.
Care
Tie in the emerging stems to each cane, after which the plant will climb naturally following the sun each day. Pick the beans regularly so seed is not set.
A liquid feed of Miracle-Gro All Purpose Soluble Plant Food applied over the foliage and around the roots every couple of weeks will ensure the plants are fed and watered at the
same time. If you’re using a hosepipe to water, try using a Miracle-Gro LiquaFeed Gun.
Pick the beans regularly and at the same time watch out for aphids on the underside of leaves. Spray with BugClear Gun! for Fruit & Veg whenever you see them.
Always read the label and use pesticides as directed.
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How To Grow Lettuce and Salad Leaves
While green lettuce, such as ‘Little Gem’, is a traditional main ingredient of any salad, the fancy leaves of ‘mustard’, ‘spinach’, ‘rocket’ and ‘mizuna’ provide extra colour,
texture and flavour to modern picnics. If you are not keen on tight heads of lettuce then the loose-leaf type that you can cut are well worth trying.
Soil and position
A bright sunny sight is best, although most lettuce will put up with light shade. Soil that has been fortified with some organic matter and supplementary plant food will grow a
good crop if kept clear of weeds that could otherwise swamp the seedlings. If you have little garden space to spare, you can grow salad leaves in a Vegetable Planter or a Grow Bag.
Simply cut open the bag and sow seeds.
Seed Varieties
There are hundreds of different lettuce varieties, herbs and greens to create a salad to your liking. Here are some lettuce names to conjure with.
Cos types: ‘Lobjoits’, ‘Little Gem’, ‘Winter Density’.
Crisphead types: ‘Webbs Wonderful’, ‘Iceberg’.
Butterhead types: ‘All Year Round’, ‘Buttercrunch’, ‘Avondefiance’.
Loose leaf: ‘Salad Bowl’, ‘Lollo Rosso’, ‘Bergamo’.
Herby leaves: ‘Coriander’, ‘Green Oak-Leaf’, ‘Rocket’, ‘Corn salad’, ‘Lambs lettuce’, ‘Parsley’, ‘Red Mustard’, ‘Spinach’, ‘Greek cres’s and ‘Mizuna’.
Sowing Seeds
Starting in April, sow seeds every 3 weeks to provide fresh salad throughout summer and autumn. Don’t scatter the seed over a wide area as you may not be able to distinguish
your salad crop from weeds. Unless you are sure of what things should look like when they germinate, grow mixed leaves in straight lines. Take out a shallow drill just 1cm
(½in deep and water immediately. Sow seeds thinly on this moist soil and then cover with more soil.
If you are using a gro-sac, or planter, place it on a sunny patio, take out enough compost to reduce the level by 1cm, and water the bag thoroughly. Scatter seeds over the
exposed compost area and then cover with the compost you removed initially. Water whenever the compost feels dry.
Care
Keep the soil moist at all times, but not soaking wet. To encourage fast growth that is tender and full of flavour feed plants in garden soil every 3 weeks with a solution of
Liquid Plant Food. Feed Giant Planters every 2 weeks starting 8 weeks after the seeds were sown.
Harvesting
Cut headed lettuce with a knife when they are large enough for the kitchen, but use scissors to trim the outer leaves of herbs and loose leaf-types of lettuce.
Always read the label and use pesticides as directed.
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