Runner Beans

During summer 1997 a competition sponsored by D T Brown Ltd was run by Peter Seabrook in The Sun. Readers were challenged to predict how five varieties of runner bean would perform when grown under cover. Prizes were on offer to those who could predict which of the five varieties would be first to reach 2 metres, the first to show flower colour, the first to produce a 15cm pod, which variety would produce the longest pod and which would produce the heaviest yield.
Background to the game

Its seems very odd that the runner bean, a plant normally growing as a perennial half way up a mountain in Central America has become a typical British vegetable grown as an annual and normally recommended to be planted outdoors in a deep fertile soil to which plenty of organic matter has been added. What affects the way runner beans grow in the UK and how do you make sure you get a good yield? The scarlet runner bean was first introduced to Europe around 1633 and for 120 years was grown as a decorative plant, for garlands and posies and for covering balconies and defects in fences. Since the mid 18th Century however we have grown the runner bean mainly for its succulent pods.

The varieties and how they were grown

The five varieties compared in the trial were:

  • Scarlet Emperor
  • White Emergo
  • Lady Di
  • Fergie
  • Painted Lady

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    		Seed of each variety were sown on May 24 in a propagation compost and seedlings were transferred to 8 inch diameter plastic pots with saucers, one plant per pot in a mixture of two parts loam topsoil to one part Levington Multipurpose Compost. Pots were placed in a large net-sided polytunnel and watered according to demand. Six weeks after sowing an NPK fertiliser (7:7:7) was applied as a top dressing at the rate of 10 gm to each pot. Plants were pinched out when they reached the top of the 2 metre supporting canes. Pods were picked once on August 28.

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