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Climbing beans.

ellell Posts: 1
in Fruit & veg
This year I have acquired four (4) different climbing beans to grow on my allotment. Can I safely save seed or will they cross- pollinate? Thanks in anticipation 

Posts

  • Green MagpieGreen Magpie Posts: 806
    They won't necessarily cross pollinate, as they're partly self pollinating, but even if they do, I think I'm right in saying that even if they do cross pollinate, that won't affect this year's crop, it would only matter if you intended to save the beans for seed.


  • Hampshire_HogHampshire_Hog Posts: 1,089
    They will cross pollinate occasionally but have to say in my experience of growing different beans on an allotment saved seed tends to be OK. and you never know you could just come up with a new strain.

    "You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    It depends what sort of climbing beans they are.

    French beans rarely cross pollinate, according to my book. They suggest inter-cropping with a row of something else or leaving a few metres gap, but they are fine on the same plot.

    Runner beans, on the other hand, will cross pollinate very readily with beans on the same allotment and with your neighbours' runner beans. That's often not a problem, as HHog says. Lots of people save runner bean seed. If you are careful in the seeds you select to keep and choose the strongest ones, in a few years you'll have your own strain that is particularly adapted to your plot's micro-climate and you will have added to the biodiversity of runner beans generally - which is a Good Thing.
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
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