Organic French Beans Varieties

At the Organic Centre, we wanted to see how the different varieties performed and did a trial in one of our tunnels.

The beans Speedy, Royalty, Cantare, Helios and Maxi were sown on the 10th of June. Prior to sowing we added well-rotted compost to the bed to improve its water retention.

The beans emerged quickly and we were lucky enough – slugs did not damage the plants. Once the beans reached a height of 20 cm we built a frame with twine and sticks to prevent the plants from tumbling over.

We kept the plants well watered during their whole growing period. The variety Speedy was indeed the speediest to mature and was ready for harvesting a couple of days earlier than the other varieties.

All beans were ready for harvest on the 13th of August, two months after sowing. We had a yield of approx 1 kg per m2 from the first picking and hope we will harvest the same amount at least two more times in the following two weeks from the crop.

French beans are best picked when the pods are young and tender. Regular picking will encourage the growth of new pods.