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Gorgeous peach blossoms top the vigorous 2m (6.5') vines of Sunset runner bean. Worth growing for the eye-catching blooms alone, it is equally rewarding to grow for its prolific harvest of beans that can be used as fresh green snap or dried shell beans that are lavender with black speckles. Enjoy the dried beans all winter in savory soups and stews.
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Latin
Latin
Phaseolus coccineus
Family: Fabaceae
Difficulty
Difficulty
Easy
We Recommend
We Recommend: Scarlet Emperor (BN127). Tall to the point of being massive, these vines just keep growing. Starting in mid-summer the plants are festooned in brilliant scarlet flowers β and then come the beans by the bushel.
Season & Zone
Season & Zone
Season: Warm season
Exposure: Full-sun
Timing
Timing
Direct sow fromΒ late spring to early summer. Try to plant during a warm, dry spell. Soil must be warm β if it is not warm enough, seeds will rot, especially our untreated seeds. Optimal soil temperature: 21-32Β°C (70-90Β°F).
Starting
Starting
Seeds can be started indoors, or sowed directly. Set seeds 7-10cm (3-4β³) apart and 3.5cm (1Β½β) deep at the base of a support. Plants will climb by twining around almost anything. Try rough poles, lumber, re-bar, or build a strong trellis 2-2.5m (6-8β²) tall. Seeds will sprout in 8-16 days, depending on soil conditions.
Growing
Growing
Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5. Well drained, warm soil in full sun is best. Use 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer for every 3m (10β²) of row. Too much nitrogen in fertilizer or manureΒ may cause poor pod set and delayed maturity. If beans flower but do not set pods, the cause can be zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with kelp based fertilizer. Wet leaves on crowded plants are subject to diseases. Thin plants to increase air circulation and avoid touching the leaves while they are wet.
Harvest
Harvest
Beans can be picked when plump-looking. You may dry beans to preserve them, or cook them soon after harvesting. You must ensure that you cook these beans thoroughly; raw runner beans contain lectin, a toxin that is removed by the cooking process.
Seed Info
Seed Info
In optimal conditions at least 75% of seeds should germinate. Usual seed life: 3 years.
West Coast Seeds is a family-owned company that embraces an organic lifestyle. A group of imagination catalysts and passionate educators, dedicated to producing products and services that better the environment. As part of our mission to repair the earth, we aim to inspire and empower people to take responsibility for the state of the planet. For us, organic is about much more than saying no to chemicals, it is about saying yes to building a healthy soil for the future.
For over 35 years, we have upheld our strong reputation as a leading seed supplier, seeking out the highest quality untreated seeds for organic growing and putting them through rigorous independent testing. We built our company on the exchange of generational wisdom in a masterclass community of newbies and masters alike. Our world may have changed, but our commitment to our people, our customers, and our planet has not.
Weβre a values-based business that has blossomed into a lifestyle ethos, with products that support seeders, feeders, keepers, and the tiniest of creepers. Our mission? To mobilize the next generation of gardeners with products that nourish soil and grow vigorous, sustainable gardens. We believe all plants should be grown without the use of chemicals, and that the seeds we supply are an important component of regenerative gardening.
We donβt just offer seeds, we offer experience, insight, and understanding. From timeless garden wisdom to new tech know-how, this is learning on the job: knowledge gleaned not from the pages of a book but from burying our fingers in the soil. We test, experiment, observe and adapt, never happier than when we get to share what weβve learned with others.
Gardens donβt just grow seeds. They grow minds and imaginations, people and communities. Our vision encompasses both the micro and the macro. We eat locally, protect pollinators, teach people to grow from seed, and support regional biodiversity. We think big but act small and deliver unexpected impact β always with community and purpose.
At West Coast Seeds we believe in the power of small and that little can be large. Like the tiniest seed germinates to evoke incremental change with massive potential, so to can our community of gardeners and growers together. Gardeners are the earthβs stewards, planting seeds of creative declaration. The soil provides the canvas, we provide the seeds.
Direct sow from mid-spring to early summer. Try to plant during a warm, dry spell. Soil must be warm β if it is not warm enough, the seeds may rot, especially our untreated seeds. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 21-32Β°C (70-90Β°F). The seeds should sprout in 8-16 days, depending on conditions.
Sow seeds 2-5cm (1-2β³) deep, 5-8cm (2-3β³) apart, in rows 45-60cm (18-24β³) apart. Thin to at least 15cm (6β³) apart in each row. If the weather is too wet, beans can also be started in pots indoors and set out carefully a few weeks later. For a continuous harvest, plant at 3 week intervals.
Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5.
Well drained, warm soil in full sun is best. Raised beds help with both drainage and warmth. Use 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer for every 3m (10β²) of row. Too much nitrogen fertilizer is often the cause of poor pod set and delayed maturity. IfΒ the plants flower but do not set pods, the cause may be zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with kelp-based fertilizer.
Days to maturity: From direct sowing.
In optimal conditions at least 75% of seeds should germinate. Usual seed life: 3 years. Per 100β² row: 800 seeds. Per acre: 232M seeds.
Pick beans regularly to keep the plant producing (if pods get fat with seed, the plant will stop flowering). The smaller the bean, the more tender they are.
Leafhoppers β Small, light green to grey insects that feed on the plant juices, causing stunted growth, and transferring viruses. No cultural control available.
