Runner Bean, Meesher seeds
I am a huge fan of runner beans and I never give up trying to grow them no matter where I am because they are my favourite eating bean, the flavour is second to none, but they do need the right conditions and we don’t have those on our land. Dry hot and windy summers are not what runner beans like. Most years I try growing Scarlet Emperor and have managed some meagre crops over the years particularly from overwintered plants. This year I am tried some new varieties, one is Meesher. I originally ordered Inchely’s White from the Heritage Seed Library because it is said to do well in hot dry conditions but I got Meesher instead so I gave it a try but sadly had even less success.
Runner Bean Phaseolus Coccineus var. Messher (10 seeds)
Black seeded bean, with seed coat not wrapping the whole seed. Flowers are scarlet. History according to HSL this bean was developed by Oldrich Misa in the 1970′s
Cultivation Notes
Sowed June 7th in pots x 10 Germination poor only 4 = 40% germination.
Set out 4 plants at the back of the cucurbit bed.
Flowers dropped without setting in the dry heat.
Pigs then got into the garden and turffed up the plants so that’s the end of that no crop, no plants and no seed for next year.
2 Comments
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Sorry felicity -missed replying to you. I sow the long beans in March so they need to extra heat then. I do think they like the tropical conditions in the tunnel (hot and humid I meant to day) but according to Vilmorin in The Vegetable Garden they were traditionally grown in the South of France, Provence especially outdoors so you must be able to give them a try. They grow very tall over 15ft in my tunnel. Vilmorin says the long beans were grown following the same method as for Tall Kidney Beans, in a sheltered spot with a climbing frame and preferably in front of a wall. The wall would radiate extra heat so worth trying I know it make a hugs difference to my chillis planted in front of a wall..
1. Christina wrote:
So disappointing. I’m sorry it didn’t grow well for you!
10/9/09 8:52:57 PM email website
2. Felicity wrote:
I’m so glad you can’t grow runner beans either! If you can’t I don’t feel so pathetic! I put up another square of hopeful poles this year and tried Scarlet Emporer but they just don’t like the dry in the Dordogne and since I am trying to grow without masses of watering I’ve failed again. Mind you the morning glories I grew up the same poles are fantastic.
I will search your blog for yard long beans and maybe give them a go next year.
10/12/09 4:28:34 AM email
It is so awful when you keep failing at growing something but at least when others do too it does not feel so bad. My neighbours think you cannot grow any climbing bean on this mountain because of the wind – and they think i am mad to try but I just have to keep trying – I had 2 varieties of runner AND a climbing flat green bean this year- all hopeless and no crop.
3. Laura Hudson wrote:
Glad to be of service felicity
A word of caution the long beans grow fantastically in my 15ft high polytunnel – hot and dry but well watered roots. I’ve not tried growing them outdoors. I think it is the wind that effects them the most so if you can find a sheltered spot then they may do ok. I should have enough seed to share if you would like to try some of my seed.
10/12/09 9:12:36 AM email website
4. Felicity wrote:
We don’t get the wind, I think it’s just the lack of water. And that’s just me experimenting on what will do without. A surprising number of things have been fine and produced fruit with only being well watered when planting in very well composted soil and well mulched. It’s a new garden and the soil is awful to non existent, Him Outdoors has been drilling the chalk to make deep enough holes to plant a hedge of eleagnus ebbingei!
Is your tunnel just to protect the beans from the wind or do they need the extra warmth?
10/13/09 2:23:48 AM email