Urglers,

This year I have grown two lots of runner beans on wigwams. The seeds
we- Unwins "Scarlet Emperor" at £1.99 a packet and their "Polestar" at
£2.79 a packet. The raised bed in which the beans were grown was treated
with farmyard compost before planting out the greenhouse grown plants. They
have been well and regularly watered. The growing methods I used this year
were no different to those I have used for many years in various gardens.

To tell the truth, my wife and I are very disappointed with both beans, for
although they germinated well, produced prolific stem, side shoots, leaf
growth and plenty of flowers, the beans are short. badly shaped and they
certainly lack taste. In fact, I would go so far as to say that their taste
is akin to the cash crop almost tastless runner beans we get early in the
year from some African countries which are a pleasant change of veg. in the
late winter, but make me look forward to tasty beans from our garden. I
will not grow these beans again.

I would be interested to know others' opinions of these beans and if anybody
can recommend a runner bean with tons of taste . . . . . .

Regards

Ron

"Ron" wrote in message
...
Urglers,

This year I have grown two lots of runner beans on wigwams. The seeds
we- Unwins "Scarlet Emperor" at £1.99 a packet and their "Polestar"
at
£2.79 a packet. The raised bed in which the beans were grown was treated
with farmyard compost before planting out the greenhouse grown plants.
They
have been well and regularly watered. The growing methods I used this
year
were no different to those I have used for many years in various gardens.

To tell the truth, my wife and I are very disappointed with both beans,
for
although they germinated well, produced prolific stem, side shoots, leaf
growth and plenty of flowers, the beans are short. badly shaped and they
certainly lack taste. In fact, I would go so far as to say that their
taste
is akin to the cash crop almost tastless runner beans we get early in the
year from some African countries which are a pleasant change of veg. in
the
late winter, but make me look forward to tasty beans from our garden. I
will not grow these beans again.

I would be interested to know others' opinions of these beans and if
anybody
can recommend a runner bean with tons of taste . . . . . .

Regards

Ron

Have you tried "Painted lady"?

We're growing these this year and they seem ok. Actually I think they were a
freebie with one of the mags, so not bad for nowt.

Steve

I would be interested to know others' opinions of these beans and if
anybody
can recommend a runner bean with tons of taste . . . . . .


Have you tried "Painted lady"?

No, but I might. Which company produce them?

Ron

I am growing White Emergo 89p from Wilkinsons. I haven't had a large
crop yet bur they taste good. They have the following disadvantages:

- Shaded by a Jersey Kale that grew faster than expected
- Sandy, low humus soil
- Only got 3 plants up a tripod
- It's been very dry
- Hessayon's book suggests I'm not into the main harvest season yet.

I suggest patience :-)

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

"Ron" wrote in news:bfld5e$r4p$1
@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk:



I would be interested to know others' opinions of these beans and if
anybody
can recommend a runner bean with tons of taste . . . . . .


Have you tried "Painted lady"?

No, but I might. Which company produce them?

Painted lady is a heritage variety: I think Unwins do them. I've grown
them in the past and found them very easy, slug-resistant, good flavour,
but perhaps just a bit stringy (maybe I didn't harvest them young enough).
The flowers are particoloured red and white, so quite decorative too.

I recommend *against* 'Princess Di' who is a sad wet feebleness of a bean,
and attracts every slug for miles about.

I gave up on her and grew some 'Red Rum' instead; the plants seem much more
robust, but as I started them late they aren't quite cropping yet, so I
can't speak to flavour.

Victoria

On Tue, 22 Jul 2003 20:38:08 +0100, "shazzbat"
wrote:


"Ron" wrote in message
...
Urglers,

This year I have grown two lots of runner beans on wigwams. The seeds
we- Unwins "Scarlet Emperor" at £1.99 a packet and their "Polestar"
at
Snip

I would be interested to know others' opinions of these beans and if
anybody
can recommend a runner bean with tons of taste . . . . . .

Regards

Ron

Have you tried "Painted lady"?

We're growing these this year and they seem ok. Actually I think they were a
freebie with one of the mags, so not bad for nowt.

Steve


I had 'Painted Lady' (sorry, can't remember where I got them) last
year. The beans were good fresh, but tasteless frozen without
blanching. I didn't try blanching any, so can't comment on those
frozen after blanching. Also, they don't make long pods, if that
matters to you.


Regards, VivienB

In article , Ron
writes
Urglers,

This year I have grown two lots of runner beans on wigwams. The seeds
we- Unwins "Scarlet Emperor" at £1.99 a packet and their "Polestar" at
£2.79 a packet. The raised bed in which the beans were grown was treated
with farmyard compost before planting out the greenhouse grown plants. They
have been well and regularly watered. The growing methods I used this year
were no different to those I have used for many years in various gardens.

To tell the truth, my wife and I are very disappointed with both beans, for
although they germinated well, produced prolific stem, side shoots, leaf
growth and plenty of flowers, the beans are short. badly shaped and they
certainly lack taste. In fact, I would go so far as to say that their taste
is akin to the cash crop almost tastless runner beans we get early in the
year from some African countries which are a pleasant change of veg. in the
late winter, but make me look forward to tasty beans from our garden. I
will not grow these beans again.

I would be interested to know others' opinions of these beans and if anybody
can recommend a runner bean with tons of taste . . . . . .

For many years I have grown 'Enorma', which is a highly recommended
runner bean for flavour if the pods are not allowed to get too big. We
normally pick them at about 6 inches long.

Sadly this year they have been a disappointment, but this is down to
vermin attacking the plants after they have been planted out, rather
than any shortcomings of the variety.
--
Roy Bailey
West Berkshire.

On Thu, 24 Jul 2003 08:22:32 +0100, Roy Bailey
wrote:

~In article , Ron
writes
~Urglers,
~
~This year I have grown two lots of runner beans on wigwams. The seeds
~we- Unwins "Scarlet Emperor" at £1.99 a packet and their "Polestar" at
~£2.79 a packet. The raised bed in which the beans were grown was treated
~with farmyard compost before planting out the greenhouse grown plants. They
~have been well and regularly watered. The growing methods I used this year
~were no different to those I have used for many years in various gardens.
~
~To tell the truth, my wife and I are very disappointed with both beans, for
~although they germinated well, produced prolific stem, side shoots, leaf
~growth and plenty of flowers, the beans are short. badly shaped and they
~certainly lack taste. In fact, I would go so far as to say that their taste
~is akin to the cash crop almost tastless runner beans we get early in the
~year from some African countries which are a pleasant change of veg. in the
~late winter, but make me look forward to tasty beans from our garden. I
~will not grow these beans again.
~
~I would be interested to know others' opinions of these beans and if anybody
~can recommend a runner bean with tons of taste . . . . . .
~
~For many years I have grown 'Enorma', which is a highly recommended
~runner bean for flavour if the pods are not allowed to get too big. We
~normally pick them at about 6 inches long.
~
~Sadly this year they have been a disappointment, but this is down to
~vermin attacking the plants after they have been planted out, rather
~than any shortcomings of the variety.

I'll second that - I grow Enorma and lost a lot last year (slugs got
all the leaves below about 2' off the ground) and this year took a
slightly different approach by a) sowing indoors, but later (May 6th
as against April 17th) b) putting them out when smaller but
well-hardened off so they grew tougher and c) combining them with
sweet peas to provide an extra barrier as well as bee-attractor. They
are just starting to crop really heavily :-)

Baked buttered marrow and runners for Sunday lunch this week with
homegrown new potatoes... yum.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

In article , nma
pson.co.uk writes
On Thu, 24 Jul 2003 08:22:32 +0100, Roy Bailey
wrote:
~
~For many years I have grown 'Enorma', which is a highly recommended
~runner bean for flavour if the pods are not allowed to get too big. We
~normally pick them at about 6 inches long.
~
~Sadly this year they have been a disappointment, but this is down to
~vermin attacking the plants after they have been planted out, rather
~than any shortcomings of the variety.

I'll second that - I grow Enorma and lost a lot last year (slugs got
all the leaves below about 2' off the ground) and this year took a
slightly different approach by a) sowing indoors, but later (May 6th
as against April 17th) b) putting them out when smaller but
well-hardened off so they grew tougher and c) combining them with
sweet peas to provide an extra barrier as well as bee-attractor. They
are just starting to crop really heavily :-)

I sow mine quite early in deep boxes outside and transplant them into
the final rows. I think it was pigeons that had mine this year.

Baked buttered marrow and runners for Sunday lunch this week with
homegrown new potatoes... yum.
Yum indeed. We are having some delicious courgettes, Red Epicure broad
beans and Maris Bard potatoes.
--
Roy Bailey
West Berkshire.