Hugh Jampton wrote:
I've been growing them for years - no problems.

My neighbour (new to veg growing) tells me that an *expert* in a garden
centre told him that he should leave the roots of his runner beans in the
ground at the end of the season and they will grow again next year up the
same canes - he won't have to plant new ones.

I've suggested that he's misheard what he's been told and probably he's
just been told to leave the roots in the ground. But *no* - he insists that
what he's told me is correct !

Can't be so - can it ? (not that I'd ever dream of doing it)

TIA.

I didn't cut mine off until Winter last year and left the roots in. They
got rotorvated back into the ground. Despite having a really hard Winter
I was surprised that a few of the roots had survived the Winter and came
back up again in May, along with lots of self set runner beans from
seeds that had been shed onto the ground! I moved the volunteers - they
helped to fill the odd gap in my runner bean patch this year. I think
they could probably only generally be kept year to year in frost free
climates; the majority of mine died over Winter, there were only a few
survivors.

--
David in Normandy.
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