Runner Bean Plant 'Bench Master'

Where to plant:

Choose sunny, unobstructed spots with well-draining, rich soil to plant your Broad Beans. It's crucial to steer clear of cold or excessively damp soil. You can improve damp soil by adding in well-rotted garden manure or even some coarse grit. 

Soil Preparation: 

For optimal results, it's recommended to ready the soil a week or 2 before planting, giving it ample time to stabilize. But don’t be concerned if you haven’t, just follow the guidelines below. 

Incorporate well-decomposed compost or farmyard manure into the soil to enhance its texture and fertility. If dealing with acidic soil, introduce a lime application to elevate its pH level. 

To bolster nutrient content, consider applying a gentle layer of all-purpose fertiliser a couple of weeks before planting. Or spread over the soil at time of planting and mix in with the soil as you plant. 

How to plant: 

As these are already rooted and established, these can be planted in rows approx. 20cm (8 inches) between plants. Leaving approx. 45cm (18in) between rows.  

Use a tool to draw a rough line across the soil surface so you can see where to plant. No need to make a trench as you would with sowing seed.  

 A large dibber would be best to make a hole similar in size to the rooted plug. Try to plant so the soil surface is at the same level as the original level on the plug. 

Staking and Supporting: 

Tall varieties will need support from the moment you plant them, so have these prepared. For shorter growing varieties use twiggy sticks, as you would for peas. These can be from garden shrubs or small treesvthat have recently been pruned.  

Rectangular Support – if growing in 2 or more rows, then a perimeter support can be constructed by simply putting in 4 x  4ft or 5ft canes at each corner and running string around these from the base to around 3 – 4ft high. This will stop the outer plants flopping over and the inner plants will help support each other. Add higher runs of string as the plants grow. 

Single or Tripod Supports. – You can support each plant with its own cane and tie in with string as the plants grow or make a row of overlapping wigwam type canes, and plant at the base of each cane, again tying in as the growth dictates. 

Winter Protection: 

These varieties are suitable for Autumn planting and are winter hardy, though they will need some protection in the harshest of winter conditions. Apply fleece if it looks like it will be very cold or cold winds are forecasted.  

Pinching Out: 

Pinch out the growing tips once the lowest set of flowers have formed small pods. This will encourage the plant to direct all its energy into pod production, rather than vegetative growth. This practice will also discourage Black Fly as they do like the tender new tip growth. These tips can be eaten, either steamed or stir fried. 

Black Fly Control: 

These are aphids which suck the sap from the soft young growth. The often appear on the growing tips and will very quickly colonise the plant from the top down. Regular checking of the plant, looking for the first signs of aphids and removing them simply by squashing them between thumb and fingers. Try to build up natural predators, like Ladybirds, hover flies and earwigs. The choice is yours to use chemical controls, but a simply spray of soap or washing up liquid and water can help to reduce small populations. 

Harvest: 

Usually pods are ready to pick from late spring onwards. You can pick the pods at the early immature stage and cook whole. When pods start to swell, pick these are required. Small beans are sweeter and tender. Check the beans and where the line down the bean is white or green, these are ok to harvest. If this gets dark, then the beans become tough. 

Try to pick regularly as this encourages more pods to form. Pods will form earliest lower down on the plant, best to cut the pods off to avoid physical damage to the stems.  

After Harvest 

Broad Beans are very good for restoring the nitrogen level in the ground. Once all the harvest is done, then dig the whole plant back into the soil. The decomposing plant material will add in organic matter and the bacteria attracted to the roots will help ‘Fix’ nitrogen back into the soil 

Plants will arrive in paper bags and in boxes. 

Remove from the packaging and give the plug roots a spray of water or a quick dip in a shallow dish of water, trying not to dislodge any compost from the roots. 

Try and plant as soon as they arrive but if you can’t, keep them somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight but not too dark. A cool shed is ok if it has some light getting in. Ensuring the roots remain moist but now wet, at all times. 

Broad Beans need a rich, free-draining soil