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Climbing "Yardlong" Beans (Fagioli Rampicanti)
New Allotmenteer
Posts: 33
in Fruit & veg
Hello All,
I bought some Yardlong bean seeds from the Thompson & Morgan Vita Sementi Taste of Italy range and have been sowing them in pots. After hardening off about a dozen seedlings at 5-7 inches high I planted them out in a sunny spot but they have all died off - shriveled and brown.
Is this likely to just be the temperature killing them off?
The packet instructions are thoroughly unhelpful and contradicting.
Advice appreciated...
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Posts
I imagine it's the low temperatures - from what I can find out their ideal growing temperature is between 25 - 35C
I've not grown them - it's tough enough growing runners and french beans in the UK and occasionally I grow Borlotti beans.
I think Yardlong beans are a challenge too far for me
I wonder if they'd be happy in a polytunnel - has anyone tried?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hmmm.. maybe I will have to grow them on in a greenhouse and try planting out when they've reached a decent size and the weather has finally improved!
We can only grow them at the bottom end of the poly-tunnel where it gets very warm. Have grown them for a few years, but they definitely would not crop outside here, too cold.
I tried them outside. They didnt grow very well and there was no crop. I've gone back to climbing french beans. This year I'm growing cobra and s. Anna.
They failed in my polytunnel last year. I tried sowing some more in mid June when the first lot died and they also failed when planted into (a different section of) the polytunnel. I thought about trying the greenhouse instead this year but have no room. I suspect they are just too fussy for the UK climate and Dove may have hit the nail on the head with those temperature requirements.
Cobra have always done well for me fidget.
Cobra and sultana are my tried and tested. S. Anna is a new one to me.
I'm trying sultana for the first time this year so glad you mentioned that fidget.
I dont think its right for companies to be selling seeds/plants etc knowing they wont grow in this country. The clue is in the name, if they need Italian climate, they are not going to find it here.
Its a shame that people buy them, not knowing, they should have some sort of warning that they may not grow in the UK
That said, I wouldnt even think of hardening off beans at 5 to 7 inches Whatever they were.
Fingers crossed.