Which Runner Bean?

pbff · April 2018

Hi all,
I generally always grow 'Scarlet Emperor' runner bean, with the exception of one year when I grew 'Firestorm', which I found didn't do very well for me.
I was wondering whether to go for something different this year, or whether just to stick to 'Scarlet Emperor'.
What do you think?
I also thought I'd try out this new poll feature!
These are the other varieties that I've looked at:

[Deleted User] · April 2018

'Painted Lady' (bi-colour)

The user and all related content has been deleted.

Dovefromabove · April 2018

'White Emergo' (white-flowered)

I've grown White Emergo in the past and preferred the flavour to Scarlet Emperor so that's the one I've ticked, but we didn't get a very heavy crop .

The best runner I've ever grown is Butler .... really good set, plants not too rampant, great flavour, cropped the earliest I've ever known and went on and on and on cropping for ever. These are the ones I'm growing again this year

http://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/Pea-and-Bean-Seeds/Runner-Bean-Seeds/Runner-Bean-Butler-Seeds.html#.WtBxivnwbIU

Lyn · April 2018

None of the above, I grow firestorm and this year the white equivalent, they are self pollinating and I never need to water them. Didn’t dig a trench last year they were just as good.

purplerallim · April 2018

Was fed up with the beans I had so switched to French beans last year. Grew Isabel and it performed great early crops vigorous but not rampant and easy to pick. Tasted good too.

raisingirl · April 2018

'Painted Lady' (bi-colour)

I've voted Painted Lady because it's been very reliable for me. Having said that I'm actually not growing it this year. I have Butler - agree with Dove it's very good - and Polestar which I've also found very reliable here. I grow more Gigantes and Borlottis - both delicious freshly podded and dried. I also grow a few French beans every year, just in case it's a hot dry summer - ever the optimist

fidgetbones · April 2018

'White Emergo' (white-flowered)

Butler, Polestar, both very good. I find white flowered ones can set better in a difficult year. I also grow climbing french beans, Cobra, which crops earlier and is usually a heavy cropper.

Allotment Boy · April 2018

Lyn said:

None of the above, I grow firestorm and this year the white equivalent, they are self pollinating and I never need to water them. Didn’t dig a trench last year they were just as good.

I agree the white one is starlight or moonlight I think, anyway all good for me. Like @raisingirl I also grow French Beans as I find in hot dry weather they do better & in cool damp weather the runners do better. I have room on Allotment for both so hedge my bets.

Lyn · April 2018

That’s the ones AB, can’t remember off hand the name but I know it goes hand in hand with firestorm, will be my first year of growing white flowered ones, won’t seem the same. I will alternate them.

cowslip2 · April 2018

Can I recommend another variety, as they grow really long. Benchmaster. 16", and more. Also a heavy cropper.

Busy-Lizzie · April 2018

Or just stick with 'Scarlet Emperor'

They are difficult to grow in SW France but we do because we love them. Scarlet Emperor does the best because if the summer is too hot and the flowers fall of it takes off again in the autumn. Next best is Firestorm because the flowers stay on best, but it wasn't very good last year and it doesn't do much of an autumn crop. Have tried some of the others, white flowered ones were very poor.

Amazing that Lyn doesn't need to water them, that's Devon for you. Here they need watering every 3 days all through summer.

Which Runner Bean?

Which Runner Bean? 13 votes

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