£3.30
Seeds Organically produced in Cornwall. These seeds produce a colourful French bean with green pods streaked with red. Can be picked young or left to mature for an excellent drying bean. Known as Fire Tongue.
Sow the seed directly into your soil/growing site in May. Ensure the soils is finely worked or use a quality Top Soil. Sow 2 seeds, 5 cm deep and 20 cm apart. If both germinate, thin them leaving the strongest seedling. We have found that a small windbreak around the growing site – just 30–45 cm high – really helps them get established. They do not like acidic soils and we tend to raise the pH where French beans are to be grown in the rotation.
You can also start them off in pots or modules undercover from April using a good Seed & Cutting compost and this can be useful to fill in any gaps in your direct sown rows.
They need supports. Climbing French beans are great for growing up wigwams, canes, strings, or netting.
White or purple flowers give way to the young beans. Allow to grow until the pods are about 12 cm and harvest July onwards. Keep picking and try not to let the pods get too plump as they tend to go stringy. Succession planting will give you a continual supply all Summer long.
