Forum home› Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

How early can I plant out runner beans?

Bf206Bf206 Posts: 234
in Fruit & veg

This isn't me getting too overexcited at the first prospects of spring, more that I may have planted my runner beans a bit too early. They're indoors, in 3" pots, but they're about 20-30cm tall already and the roots are beginning to creep out. It seems crazy to repot them though and I'd don't really have room indoors to put them if I do have them in bigger pots. I've got a coldframe that they could go in - although it's small and they're probably too big for that already!

It's surely too early to put them in the ground (although I'm in central London and temperatures are forecast to be 18C by sunday...) but I'm not sure what to do?

Posts

  • figratfigrat Posts: 1,619
    It's not advised to plant thm out till the risk of frost os over, and with this weather who knows?



    But hopefully things are finally on the turn, maybe you could help warm up the proposed planting area with cloches/ plastic covering and keep an eye on the forecasts.



    I'll be sowing mine next week.
  • lazy gardenerlazy gardener Posts: 317
    Bf206 wrote (see)

    This isn't me getting too overexcited at the first prospects of spring, more that I may have planted my runner beans a bit too early. They're indoors, in 3" pots, but they're about 20-30cm tall already and the roots are beginning to creep out. It seems crazy to repot them though and I'd don't really have room indoors to put them if I do have them in bigger pots. I've got a coldframe that they could go in - although it's small and they're probably too big for that already!

    It's surely too early to put them in the ground (although I'm in central London and temperatures are forecast to be 18C by sunday...) but I'm not sure what to do?

    Even in London at the earliest -Mid-May

    Afraid to say-you did get too excitedimage

  • Mummy Muddy PawsMummy Muddy Paws Posts: 671

    Could you cover your bean wigwam with horticultural fleece?  If you've not room to keep them inside, this is what I'd do.  I normally sow my runner beans in pots outside (so the slugs don't get them), then when they germinate, wait until they've a few inches tall, plant them round my wigwams.  After all, if they've germinated, it must be warm enough outside for them.  Have you any seeds left you can do this with?  Hedge your bets!

  • Woodgreen wonderboyWoodgreen wonderboy Posts: 2,322

    You could plant out, say in 2/3 weeks time and take the risk, and start some more as a back up. I haven't started mine yet. End May is still 7 weeks away They are really quick growing when it is warm,  so it's always best to do late rather than early. Late sown ones are usually better germinators too.

  • stoner0208stoner0208 Posts: 1

    ive planted about 20 beans into pots and are now about 4" tall  ive been leaving them out in the day and bringing them into the garage on the window seel at night dont no what to do now should i plant them outside or wait a while  

  • lazy gardenerlazy gardener Posts: 317

    Sown too early-you can take a chance-but...........

  • Juli2Juli2 Posts: 1

    I always plant my tender veg out after the Chelsea flower show! However, if you erect a fleece wrap around the bean poles you may get away with it.

Sign In or Register to comment.