How to Grow Runner Beans
Phaseolus coccineus
When to Start
Start seeds indoors 3 weeks before your last frost date. Transplant outdoors once night temperatures stay above 10°C and soil has warmed to at least 11°C.
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Growth Stages
Approximate days from start
Care Essentials
- Rarely needed — fix their own nitrogen. Mulch well and keep soil moist.
- Need tall supports (2m+). Mist flowers in hot weather to aid pollination. Soak seeds overnight before sowing.
Companion Planting
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Growing Conditions
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- Sow indoors
- —
- Transplant out
- —
- First harvest
- —
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Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 18 cm |
| Row spacing | 50 cm |
| Sow depth | 5 cm |
| Mature height | 250 cm |
| Mature spread | 30 cm |
Space seeds along a support structure (like a teepee or A-frame). The row spacing is the path between support rows.
Care Guide
- Feeding
- Rarely needed — fix their own nitrogen. Mulch well and keep soil moist.
- Watch for
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- Slugs on young plants
- Blackfly
- Halo blight
- Flower drop in hot weather
Pests & Diseases
Pest Black Bean Aphid (Blackfly)
Identification: Dense clusters of black aphids on growing tips and flower stems; sticky honeydew; sooty mould; distorted shoot tips
- Pinch out the top 10cm of each plant once it reaches the top of its support — this removes the soft growth blackfly prefer
- Spray with insecticidal soap, targeting colonies directly
- Encourage ladybirds, hoverflies, and lacewings
- Spray with a contact insecticide containing pyrethrins; avoid spraying open flowers to protect pollinators
Pest Slugs and Snails
Identification: Seedlings eaten off at ground level overnight; ragged holes in young leaves; slime trails around plants
- Apply organic slug pellets (ferric phosphate based) around newly planted seedlings
- Hand-pick at dusk; use beer traps
- Protect individual plants with cut plastic bottles as cloches
- Apply ferric phosphate slug pellets around vulnerable plants
Pest Red Spider Mite
Identification: Fine stippling on upper leaf surfaces; leaves turn bronze and dry; fine webbing visible between leaves in severe infestations
- Mist plants regularly to raise humidity — mites dislike moist conditions
- Introduce the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis under cover
- Spray with insecticidal soap
- Spray with a miticide or fatty acid-based product
Disease Halo Blight Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola
Symptoms: Dark spots surrounded by a yellow halo on leaves; water-soaked lesions on pods; greasy-looking patches on stems
Treatment: Remove and destroy affected plants; do not save seed from infected crops
Prevention: Use certified disease-free seed; avoid working among wet plants; rotate beans on a 3-year cycle; do not compost infected material
Disease Rust Uromyces appendiculatus
Symptoms: Small, dark brown or orange-brown raised pustules on leaves and stems; leaves yellow and drop prematurely in severe cases
Treatment: Remove badly affected leaves; improve air circulation; apply a sulphur-based fungicide
Prevention: Space plants well for airflow; avoid overhead watering; rotate crops; clear plant debris at end of season
Disease Grey Mould (Botrytis) Botrytis cinerea
Symptoms: Fuzzy grey mould on flowers, pods, and damaged stems; soft, brown rotting patches; flowers may fail to set pods
Treatment: Remove affected plant parts promptly; improve air circulation
Prevention: Avoid overcrowding; ensure good ventilation; remove spent flowers; water at the base
Growing Conditions
| Min. soil temperature | 11°C |
| Germination temperature | 12–22°C |
| Base growth temperature | 10°C |
| Min. daylength to start | 10.5h |
| Photoperiod sensitivity | day neutral |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How far apart should I plant Runner Beans?
- Plant Runner Beans 18cm apart with 50cm between rows.
- When can I harvest Runner Beans?
- Runner Beans is ready to harvest approximately 60 days after transplanting.
- Is Runner Beans frost hardy?
- Runner Beans is classified as Tender.
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