"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
Last year, I dug up 3 runner bean plants, trimmed them to 3" of stem,
planted them in a pot of multipurpose compost, put it in an unheated
bedroom and left them. They died.

This year, a have them in a pot with about a dozen leaves still attached
and I'm hoping to improve :-)

- Should I chop them down to 3" again?
- Should I water them once a month?
- Keep them warm/cold/wet/dry/light/dark?

You don't, you sow new seed every year.