£2.95
Seeds Organically produced in Cornwall. Dwarf version of this popular colourful French bean. Pods are green streaked with red. Can be picked young or left to mature for excellent drying bean. Dwarf French beans do not require the tall supports like their climbing cousins. They grow to about 60cm tall and are tender, especially in late Spring and early Summer.
Sow the seed directly into growing site in April or May. Make sure the ground is well prepared or use a good Top Soil product. Sow 2 seeds, 5cm deep and 20cm apart. If both germinate thin leaving the strongest seedling. Just a few sticks and some wind protection will keep them upright. A small windbreak around the growing site – just 30-45cm high – will help them get established. They do not like very acidic soils and we tend to raise the pH where French beans are to be grown in the rotation. Adding a Peat-Free Fruit & Veg Compost to your beds will help raise the PH. You can start them off in pots or modules undercover from April and this can be useful to fill in any gaps in your direct sown rows. White or purple flowers give way to the young beans. Allow to grow until the pods are about 12cm 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.
Pests and diseases: Slugs can be a problem when the seedlings are small. Use an environmentally friendly slug killer if necessary. Use RocketGro Magic Mulch as a barrier to slugs by creating an edge to the planting area that has a good few inches of Mulch to stop the slugs from travelling over it into the planting area.
