Scarlet runner bean, red-flowering

Phaseolus coccineus - Red Flowering

The pods of scarlet runner beans are long. The tendrils are intertwined like vines. They are grown as annuals for their striking flowers and their edible young pods. These must be heat-treated before consumption, otherwise they can be poisonous. Native to tropical and subtropical regions of America, they are now cultivated almost worldwide. They reach a height of 1 - 4 m. The flowers are two-coloured - the standard petal is red, the wings are white. They can also be single-coloured - fiery red, white, or pink spotted - 20 to 25 mm long. They bloom from July to September. They are grown in beds or planters not only for their fruit, but also as an ornamental climbing annual suitable for covering walls, fences or pergolas.

How to Grow Beans

• This is a heat-loving plant, so we plant it in a sunny location that is protected from wind. During flowering, beans need temperatures between 20-25 degrees Celsius. Beans require regular watering, the soil must not dry out, but at the same time it must not be waterlogged! All types of beans need support. Ornamental varieties will look great on pergolas, fences or in containers with structures for climbing. Edible varieties are planted next to stakes, or we create a place for their tying with string. Loosen the soil around the plant and keep it weed-free. Regular harvesting of pods encourages the formation of more fruit.

• Seeds are sown in March. Seeds are planted in permeable nutritious substrate and placed in a bright location. Beans require warmth for germination, so a greenhouse or cold frame is suitable. At the final location, beans are sown after 15 May, when there is no risk of frost.

  Bush varieties are sown 3-4 seeds in prepared holes about 5 cm deep, spaced about 20 cm apart.

  Climbing varieties are sown about 5 seeds in holes 5 cm deep and, depending on the type of support, up to one meter apart.

• Lighter sandy-loam soils with sufficient soil microorganisms and nutrients are suitable. Ideal pH around 6.5.

• We use NPK fertilizers with a low nitrogen ratio. In spring, it is recommended to add 3 kg of nitrogen per m2, 3-4 kg P2O5/m2 and 11 kg K2O/m2 to the bean site in a single application. If beans are grown in nutrient-rich soil, fertilizers may not need to be applied at all.

• The most serious disease of beans is anthracnose. Browning, enlarging spots appear on young pods, the mycelium penetrates inside the pod and attacks the seeds, forming yellow-brown to red-brown spots on them. Control is carried out with chemical preparations - fungicides and elimination of post-harvest residues.

  Beans are also attacked by other fungal or bacterial infections, such as grey mould, brown leaf spot, bacterial blight, bean rust and others.

  The seedcorn maggot is a fly whose larvae attack germinating cotyledons and the growing tip of the plant while still in the soil, especially in cooler, wet weather. Suitable protection is seed treatment with insecticides.

  A small, dark beetle - the bean weevil attacks seeds in which it overwinters. This leads to crop degradation. Suitable protection is to store shelled seeds in the freezer (at a temperature of -10 °C, beetles die in 10-14 days, at -17 °C frost in just 8 hours).

• Harvesting for seeds is done when the pods are drying out and the seeds are firm, well ripened and fully coloured.

  For culinary use, we harvest the still immature pods, which will snap when lightly bent.

  EXPIRATION: 12/2022