French Beans
 

How do you tell if the above are ready to harvest?

French Beans
 

Broadback wrote in news:ktfu6t$qi9$1@dont-
email.me:

How do you tell if the above are ready to harvest?


It all depends how you want to eat them.
Some people like the pod (with tiny developing beans inside)
Others like them with small beans inside.
Others like the whole pod and mature bean.
Others like just the mature bean inside the pod and dry them for stews I
think.

What state are yours in? How do you like them?
Mine are long gone, we have eaten them all.

Hope this helps.
Baz

French Beans
 

On 02/08/2013 13:17, Baz wrote:
Broadback wrote in news:ktfu6t$qi9$1@dont-
email.me:

How do you tell if the above are ready to harvest?


It all depends how you want to eat them.
Some people like the pod (with tiny developing beans inside)
Others like them with small beans inside.
Others like the whole pod and mature bean.
Others like just the mature bean inside the pod and dry them for stews I
think.

What state are yours in? How do you like them?
Mine are long gone, we have eaten them all.

Hope this helps.
Baz

Smallish pods at the moment. I wish to eat them in the pod, however I
know that runner beans go coarse and stringy if left for long, are
french beans similar?

French Beans
 

In article ,
Broadback wrote:

Smallish pods at the moment. I wish to eat them in the pod, however I
know that runner beans go coarse and stringy if left for long, are
french beans similar?

Yes. I recommend picking them just as the actual beans start to form,
but you will have to decide by trial and error. Pick a couple of the
oldest-looking and see.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

French Beans
 

Broadback wrote in
:

On 02/08/2013 13:17, Baz wrote:
Broadback wrote in
news:ktfu6t$qi9$1@dont- email.me:

How do you tell if the above are ready to harvest?


It all depends how you want to eat them.
Some people like the pod (with tiny developing beans inside)
Others like them with small beans inside.
Others like the whole pod and mature bean.
Others like just the mature bean inside the pod and dry them for
stews I think.

What state are yours in? How do you like them?
Mine are long gone, we have eaten them all.

Hope this helps.
Baz

Smallish pods at the moment. I wish to eat them in the pod, however I
know that runner beans go coarse and stringy if left for long, are
french beans similar?


No, I don't think that they go stringy. The pods go tough though. So I
would grab some now and cook to sample them.
Leave 6-10 pods on a plant for seed next year if you save seed.

Good luck.
Baz

there's two types, round pod and flat pod. The answer depends on which type you grow. I grow the round pod ones, and I pick them when they're fat and round and distinctly bumpy. I've never known them to be anything but tender.

French Beans
 

Baz wrote:
Mine are long gone, we have eaten them all.

Blimey, you must have got them in early. Mine have been in for ages
and only just started being anywhere near ready

French Beans
 

In article ,
says...

How do you tell if the above are ready to harvest?

As soon as they are big enough to eat, about 3" long. The harder you
pick them the more beans they produce so don't hold back.

Janet.

French Beans
 

In article ,
Janet wrote:
In article ,
says...

How do you tell if the above are ready to harvest?

As soon as they are big enough to eat, about 3" long. The harder you
pick them the more beans they produce so don't hold back.

In warm, damp weather, they remain excellent until much larger
(depending on the variety) - I typically pick mine at 6-9",
when the beans inside are just visible when they are broken
but don't show as lumps. Also, it's mainly the climbing
ones that keep cropping, and even they stop when there is
a dry or cold spell :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

French Beans
 

Janet wrote:
How do you tell if the above are ready to harvest?
As soon as they are big enough to eat, about 3" long. The harder you
pick them the more beans they produce so don't hold back.

That seems to be true for runner beans, and I'm sure it's been true
about my french beans in the past, but this year I seem to be picking
and then they don't do any more. :-(
(possibly also related to more of them than should have been are looking
like they are dwarf ones rather than climbing)

French Beans
 

On 02/08/2013 22:15, Victoria Conlan wrote:
Janet wrote:
How do you tell if the above are ready to harvest?
As soon as they are big enough to eat, about 3" long. The harder you
pick them the more beans they produce so don't hold back.

That seems to be true for runner beans, and I'm sure it's been true
about my french beans in the past, but this year I seem to be picking
and then they don't do any more. :-(
(possibly also related to more of them than should have been are looking
like they are dwarf ones rather than climbing)

The easy answer is to go into tesco and look at the french beans they
sell, then you will have an idea of how yours should be when you pick them.

French Beans
 

In article , says...

Janet wrote:
How do you tell if the above are ready to harvest?
As soon as they are big enough to eat, about 3" long. The harder you
pick them the more beans they produce so don't hold back.

That seems to be true for runner beans, and I'm sure it's been true
about my french beans in the past, but this year I seem to be picking
and then they don't do any more. :-(
(possibly also related to more of them than should have been are looking
like they are dwarf ones rather than climbing)

I only grew runners this year (three sorts).. slow to get going but
they grew well, flowered well, all that's missing is pollination :-(
They flower but very few form beans. At this rate i'll get a lousy
crop. Yet peas have done really well.

I've only seen 2 honeybees this year, which might explain lack of
pollination but there are a LOT of bumble bees about.

Janet

French Beans
 

Victoria Conlan wrote in news:b62bkiFrge1U1
@mid.individual.net:

Baz wrote:
Mine are long gone, we have eaten them all.

Blimey, you must have got them in early. Mine have been in for ages
and only just started being anywhere near ready


I always sow them inside in April, and then plant them out in a full sun
position, after hardening them off, in the middle of May. That gives a
month head start I think, as opposed to sowing the seed outside.
I do exactly the same with runner beans, but the French beans are always
pickable way before the runner beans.
We have had runner beans for about a week now. We like them young, just the
pod 6" long.

Baz

French Beans
 

Janet wrote:
I only grew runners this year (three sorts).. slow to get going but
they grew well, flowered well, all that's missing is pollination :-(
They flower but very few form beans. At this rate i'll get a lousy
crop. Yet peas have done really well.

Ours seem to have been late polinating, but are setting beans now.
Peas are also doing very well (And sweet peas)

I've only seen 2 honeybees this year, which might explain lack of
pollination but there are a LOT of bumble bees about.

Tonnes of honey bees on the lavender, but it does seem to be a bumbley
kind of year this year. Don';t see why the bumble bees wouldn't be
polinating your beans, though

French Beans
 

Martin wrote:
I've seen one honey bee and two wasps. Only one of the two wasps is
still alive the other one committed suicide by crawling into an open
tin of beer and drowning. We've never seen so many bumble bees in our
garden as we have this year.

I've not seen a single wasp this year, although Nick says he's had
a wasp invasion of one of his hives, so they are definitely around