RUNNER BEAN

Phaseolus multiflorus



Runner beans need generous cultivation and will amply repay for the most

liberal treatment. The main point to be borne in mind is that the plant

possesses the most extensive root-system of any garden vegetable. Deep

digging and liberal manuring are therefore essential where the

production of the finest crops is aimed at. If possible the whole of the

ground to be allotted to Runners should be deeply tilled and well

manured in autumn or winter. But where this is inconvenient, trenching

must be carried out in March or early April. Remove the soil to a depth

of two feet, and the trench may be two feet wide for a double row of

Beans. Thoroughly break up the subsoil, half-fill the trench with

well-rotted manure, and restore the surface soil to within a few inches

of the level.



Time of Sowing.--It is seldom advisable to sow Runners in the open

before the month of May is fairly in, for they are less hardy than Dwarf

Beans, but as late supplies are everywhere valued it is important to sow

again in June. Of course these late crops are subject to the caprices of

autumnal weather, although they often continue in bearing until quite

late in the season. In districts where spring frosts are destructive,

and on cold soils or in very exposed situations, plants may be raised in

boxes for transferring to the open ground, as advised for Dwarf Beans,

but in the case of Runners allow a space of three inches between the

seeds.



Distances for Rows, &c.--Frequently the rows of Runner Beans are

injuriously close, and the total crop is thereby diminished. On deep,

well-prepared soils, single rows generally prove most productive, and

they should be not less than five feet apart. But where the soil is

shallow and generous preparation is not possible, and in wind-swept

positions, double rows, set nine inches apart, are more satisfactory.

Between the double rows allow a space of from six to eight feet, on

which Cauliflower, Lettuce, or other small-growing subjects may be

planted out. Two inches is the proper depth for putting in the seed, and

it is a wise policy to sow liberally and eventually to thin the plants

to a distance of from nine to twelve inches apart in the rows.



Staking.--It will always pay to give support by stakes, but where

these are not available wire netting or strands of stout string make

efficient substitutes. Immediately the plants are a few inches high,

insert the sticks on either side of the rows and tie them firmly to the

horizontal stakes placed in the fork near to the top. The means of

support should be decided upon and erected in advance of planting out

Runners which have been raised in boxes, thus avoiding any risk of

injury to the roots.



But Runners make a good return when kept low by topping, and without any

support whatever, a system adopted by many market gardeners. For this

method of culture space the plants one foot apart in single rows set

three feet apart. Pinch out the tips when the plants are eighteen inches

high and repeat the operation when a further eighteen inches of growth

has formed.



General Cultivation.--As slugs and snails are particularly partial to

the young plants, an occasional dusting of old soot, slaked lime, or any

gritty substance should be given to render the leaves unpalatable to

these pests. During drought copious watering of the rows is essential,

especially on shallow soils; spraying the plants in the evening with

soft water is also freely practised and this assists the setting of

flowers in dry weather. A mulch of decayed manure will prove of great

benefit to the plants and will prolong the period of bearing.



In some gardens Runners are grown in groups running up rods tied

together at the top, and when these groups are arranged at regular

intervals on each side of a path, the result is extremely pleasing. This

mode of culture interferes to a very trifling extent with other crops,

and the ornamental effect may be enhanced by growing varieties which

have white, red, and bicolor flowers.



Preserving the roots of Runners is sometimes recommended. We can only

say that it is a ridiculous proceeding. The utmost care is required to

keep the roots through the winter, and they are comparatively worthless

in the end. A pint of seed will give a better crop than a number of

roots that have cost great pains for their preservation.



Runner Beans for Exhibition.--Although fine specimens fit for

exhibition may frequently be gathered from the general garden crop, a

little extra attention to the cultivation of Runner Beans for show work

will be well repaid. When staged the pods must possess not only the

merit of mere size, but they should be perfect in shape and quite young.

Rapid as well as robust growth is therefore essential to success. Select

the strongest-growing plants in the rows, and for a few weeks before the

pods are wanted give alternate applications of liquid manure and clear

water. Pinch out all side growths, and limit the number of pods to two

in each cluster.