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oldpot

poles beans runner beans question

oldpot
14 years ago

until the other week i thought pole beans and runner beans was the same i am english now living in usa .

now can someone sort me out here is this right !!

are pole beans same as green/bush beans but a climbing varieties and do they set without pollination like nornaly bush/green beans do

OK runner beans are climbing beans and need bees etc to pollinate but do not do well in hot places as i here !!

i got some dwarf runner beans last years histria i think they called them)and they did not set flowers or nothing and was rubbish i live in Michigan about 30 north of Detroit(Shelby township)was that why they did not do well the weather he in michigen has anyone grown runnerbenas in michigan before !!

i am asking this as i bought (99 cents offer ) 3 pks of runner beans Desiree ,sunset and lady DI runner beans as i not grown runner beans here before (apartfrom the dwarf runners ones last year)also my Friend from UK sent me 2 lots of own seed of runner beans he used last 20 years and breed his own and wondering will i be OK with them here in Michigan to grown due to weather ??

he alsi sent me 2 lots of climbing dwarf beans (French/green) they be OK as well as they are self pollinator's like poles beans ?

any more help with them i would appreciate

ty

dave

Comments (9)

  • farmerdilla
    14 years ago

    Pole beans in the the common North America usage refers to the climbing version of the common bean P. vulgaris. It is the older version of this type of bean, predating the bush form. The name was derived from the common practice of yesteryear of sticking slim poles into the ground for them to climb upon. Some folks planted them in Corn (Zea Mays) hence an alternate name is cornfield beans. They are self pollinating and will grow in a wide range of climatic conditions.

    Most runner beans(P. coccineus) are climbing, but there are several bush forms, Hestia, Hammond Scarlet Bush, Stickless etc. These are somewhat limited by climate. They do like an English type climate and refuse to set in heat. Many folks in the northern part of the continent do grow them successfully. I would think that you could be successful in Michigan. Hopefully some Northern growers will chime in.

  • oldpot
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    ty farmer
    i will be trying them anyway i know we get hot weather here in july auguest but i got a few climbing beans for incase they do not give me a good crop

  • zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin
    14 years ago

    Oldpot, you can grow runner beans in Michigan; I grow them next door to you in Wisconsin. As Farmerdilla mentioned, they do poorly in heat... lots of blossoms, but few pods. Most years, they don't set pods until late summer, as temperatures begin to cool.

    Mine did great this year, due to our abnormally cool summer. Haven't grown the other two varieties you mentioned, but "Sunset" is tasty, as well as beautiful. You will probably have the best chance of success if you plant P. vulgaris beans (either bush or pole) for mid-summer snaps, and plan your runner beans for late summer/fall harvest.

  • oldpot
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Ty farmer and zeeman for your comments
    as i said before i will sow some pole beans as well to get me thought the summer and hope the rummer beans will do something i got 5 varieties to try so hope one will come and do something

    Ty again

  • jwr6404
    14 years ago

    ty
    I can send you some Insuk's Wang Kong Runner Beans if you think you might like to try them.
    Jim

  • drloyd
    14 years ago

    Insuk's Wang Kong has a reputation of doing better than other runner beans in hot weather.

  • cyrus_gardner
    14 years ago

    One pole(climbing vine) beans that I lik best is "Hyasinth".
    It starts flowering and producing beans from June till November(right now). It flowers and grows beans non-stop, and attracts bees. What is more is that it has the most beautiful fragrant purple flowers and beans. The beans can be harvested young or left to mature. The color and cluster of the beans also are very pretty. It is perhaps better than some mail box flowers or morning glories(which do not have fruits and the flowers are closed most of the time).
    This past summer I had another pole beans (orange color), Cypress vine, morning glories, passiflora Incarnata, all climbing on the same arch. I have been most happy with Hyasinth beans than the rest combined. I will not plant Cypress vine next year, although I have so much seeds of it. The passiflora will grow back and I will just plant Hyasinth Pole beans and maybe two wild morning glories(non-lobed leaves), which are much pretier than cultivated ones and flowers grow as a bunch.
    Back to climbing beans: My all time favorite:Hyasinth.

  • farmerdilla
    14 years ago

    Hyacinth beans (Lablab purpureus) are an exotic from southeast asia. In excess of a dozen named cultivars are available. In contrast to the runner bean, this is a warm weather plant. Also note, that it is listed as toxic. While we use quite a few toxic plants as vegetables, One must pay attention to proper preparation methods.

  • oldpot
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    jwr6404

    ty m8 i sent you a email can you let me know if you got it

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