Phaseolus coccineus 'Firestorm'

Runner Beans, or Scarlet Runner Beans, are climbing perennials grown as a half hardy annuals, producing lots of fleshy pods from early summer to the first frost. There are two main types of runner bean - tall climbing runner beans which require support in order to grow well, or dwarf forms which are much smaller and do not need additional support. The former climbing forms are the more traditional way to grow runner beans, whereas the dwarf forms are more suited to those with less space for growing or constructing supports. They are naturally a climbing plant with green leaves, and they produce flowers traditionally of scarlet red, but now white, pink or even bicolor cultivars are available. The bean pods appear after the flowers, and it is the flat pods which are usually eaten cooked. They will produce beans in most types of soil, but do best when planted in ground that has lots of compost, peat or well rotted farmyard manure. Runner beans are deep rooted so they need plenty of space as a root run to grow well. Do not add nitrogen rich fertiliser, or a lot of leaf growth will result and fewer beans. Use high potash feeds. Runner beans fix the soil with nitrogen from nodules in their root system. so when finished producing, cut them down at soil level and leave the roots in the ground till spring when other veg. should be planted following the beans (rotational growing). Although they are botanically perennials, they are sensitive to frost and are usually grown as a half-hardy annual. It is possible however to lift an store roots over winter in a frost free place and plant out again next spring after the last frosts. 'Firestorm' is a tall climbing runner bean and produces red flowers and string-less beans.

Contributed by @LornaS

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  Full sun

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  Frequent watering

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  Not Frost hardy

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  Moist and fertile