Organic Beans (runner) Painted Lady

Runner Bean: Painted Lady
Phaseolus coccineus
Approx. 800-1000 per kilogram
Runner beans are easy to grow and have an unbeatable unique flavour.
The plants require support as they grow. We suggest a wigwam of canes tied at the top for the beans to climb up.
Flowers appear in the summer and require pollination by bees and other insects. We give the bees extra encouragement by growing sweet peas in with our runners.

Painted Lady is an old, traditional variety that is still considered to be one of the tastiest beans available. It is renowned for its very attractive bi-coloured flowers in red and white so makes a colourful addition to the vegetable garden making it a popular choice for home gardeners. 

How to grow:
Start the seed off in 8 cm pots or deep modules in April undercover or plant them direct into the growing site in May.
Prepare the site by forking over the soil. Dig a trench about 30cm deep and fill it with organic matter like compost or well rotted manure. Runner beans like a moist, rich soil. Plant the seeds 3cm deep and allow 15cm between.
Remember to harden off plants that have been grown undercover to acclimatise them to outside conditions and plant them out at the same distance. Pinch out the growing tips when the plants reach the top of their supports.
Harvest runner beans from July onwards when the beans are young and tender. Pick regularly to encourage production and before the beans inside swell and the pods become stringy.
Pests and diseases:
Runner beans are prone to slug damage when young so use an environmentally friendly slug killer if necessary.
Blackfly can be a problem. We sometimes wash them off with a hosepipe but prefer to leave them for the beneficial insects like ladybirds and their larvae.
How to cook:
Top and tail the beans and remove the seams of the pods on both long sides with a sharp knife, then cut into your preferred shape.
We like to boil runner beans in a little salted water to really bring out their flavour. They can also be steamed.