French Bean Seeds

Advice for planting French bean seeds

French beans are among the easier produce to grow yourself no matter the size of your plot. Find everything you need to know about planting French bean seeds that will flourish.
The way you cater to dwarf French bean seeds differs slightly from climbing French bean seeds but with some care and attention, your harvest will thrive, leaving you with a good crop of beans to be proud of!

Planting

The key to successful French beans is plenty of sunlight but also shelter and fertile soil with the right amount of moisture.
We recommend sowing French bean seeds in mid-spring, starting indoors from early April and then planting outdoors as the frost departs in May and early June.
If you stagger your sowing, you could be harvesting French beans from early summer right up until the clocks go back in October!
Maintenance
Once French bean seeds have germinated, water your plant regularly but avoid flooding the pot – you just need to maintain a consistent amount of moisture in your soil.
The most important time to tend to your plant is when it is flowering. This means that your dwarf French bean seeds or climbing French bean seeds are the most active and need the most amount of care.

Harvesting

One trick that you will soon get that hang of is picking your beans as soon as they appear large enough to eat. Simply cut them from the plant with scissors. Keep an eye on plants that you've previously harvested from as French beans can crop several times.
If you wish to follow our general tips across seeds, vegetables, fruits, garden plants and more then please do familiarise yourself with our growing guides – they contain all of our essential advice to nurture hundreds of varieties.

What is the difference between dwarf French bean seeds and climbing French bean seeds?

You may be questioning which French bean seeds are the best to go for. The two different types are climbing and dwarf.

Dwarf

Dwarf French bean seeds are better suited to smaller spaces whether this be a little plot in your garden or allotment or a container where you are growing the beans indoors.

We sell a variety of dwarf seeds including the wonderfully unique Amethyst, iridescent Voltage and eye-catching Yin Yang variants as well as the more conventional Nautica or Faraday type.

Climbing

As the name implies, these seeds look to the sky, growing with tendrils that grab upwards. With that being the case, you will need to invest in some tall supports to ensure they grow successfully. We recommend planting your climbing French bean seeds in the ground or in a large container that can also house support.

You can get your hands on climbing French bean cobra seeds or distinctive Solista Borlotti varieties.

Why buy French bean seeds from Marshalls Garden?

• Our team of experts are dedicated to supporting you in the best way possible whether that be providing valuable advice on our website or answering your queries on your order. With over 75 years of experience under our belt, we are always happy to help.
• We are here six days a week (even on bank holidays!) should you ever need us. · Our express delivery means that you can get weekend delivery on orders placed up to Thursday each week and our sustainability focus means all of our packaging is fully recyclable.
• Our customers trust us. Check out our 'Excellent' rating on Trustpilot to see for yourself. · We back our products – French bean seeds and many more – with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Using your French beans

One of the most wonderful things about growing your own French bean seeds is the chance to find delicious recipes to add your homegrown ingredients into – it just tastes that little bit better!
French beans are the perfect side dish. You can sauté them with garlic and shallots for minimal effort but maximum flavour.

Something a little more adventurous would be a 'green bean mac and cheese' that is a unique way to add one of your five a day into your everyday routine. Focusing on using French beans when they're in season would make this pasta dish a lovely spring/summer addition for the whole family to enjoy