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David Rance[_3_] · 14-10-2012, 08:16 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 13/10/2012 14:46, wrote:

I have grown runner beans for years - always very successful. I have always
used bought beans as seeds. This year I have left some beans unpicked - they
are quite long and quite big beans inside them now.

I intend to harvest, dry and us as seed for next year.

Have the pods dried out and are the beans mottled dark brown? If
not, they aren't ripe enough and you may as well cook them. A
rule of thumb that I use for French beans is that, if they shrivel
when I dry them out properly, they aren't ripe enough to germinate.

A retired colleague of mine does that with runners, but I do it
mainly with berlotti and pea bean.

I read this only an hour or two after having picked some runner bean
pods that were still green!

For twenty years and more I've followed the advice you gave above but
this time I thought I would try before they get to that dessicated stage
just to see what happens. They weren't green green, but were beginning
to show signs of discoloration so I thought I'd give it a try. The seeds
were full and fat and don't seem to show any sign of shrivelling yet.
I'll see what happens over the next months.

However, based on what you said above, I'll leave the rest until they
are truly dried out!

David

--
David Rance writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France
http://rance.org.uk