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French beans are actually dwarf!

myclayjunglemyclayjungle Posts: 162
in Fruit & veg
The packet says 6ft tall, French beans from Suttons, but they have only grown into a dwarf variety.  I have all the trellis there ready.  It it too late to plant 'real' French beans or maybe runner beans next to the dwarf ones?
Coastal Suffolk/Essex Border- Clay soil

Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Have they grown to their full potential already?  Mine are cobra,  climbing beans I expect 6’ from them but in this heat and drought they just stopped growing,  as have the runners.
    Maybe yours have down the same.  Are you giving them loads of water,  every day? 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    I'd check what variety you actually have if possible.- dwarf French beans will normally get to around 3 feet but climbing French beans ( such as Cobra as @Lyn describes ) will easily reach 6 feet.
    Also depends when you sowed them.  As you say they have only "grown into a dwarf variety ", I assume they have reached their full height and are now flowering and beginning to produce ?  My Champion ( classed as dwarf French ) are producing now.
  • myclayjunglemyclayjungle Posts: 162
    Thanks both. According to the packet, they are Carminat, Monte Cristo and Monte Gusto varieties, all of which should reach 6ft.  Next to them are the runner beans- which are already 7ft tall. Both sets were planted at the same time, but the 'French beans' are only 25cm (9 inches) tall and already have flowers/beans on.  I did plant some onion sets at the front- would they hinder growth if added a month after the beans?
    Coastal Suffolk/Essex Border- Clay soil
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I can’t see anything wrong,  mine are no where near that size yet.  I didn’t sow them to mid/late May.
    If they are only 9” they aren’t dwarf either,  if they were mine,  and this is what I do,  is pick off the first flowers and let them grow up bigger before I let them flower again. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • war garden 572war garden 572 Posts: 664
    onions can effect French beans but it could also be case of the wrong seed in the packet.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    @myclayjungle Just to set the record straight............I said in my earlier post that my dwarf french beans can get to 3 feet...........more like 12 - 15 inches when they are regularly producing beans.........my apologies........put it down to too much sun affecting my brain  ;)
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