Our detailed growing guide will help you with each step in successfully growing French Beans.
French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are an easy-to-grow crop, ideal for every size of garden, with both climbing and dwarf types to choose from. Grow them in the ground or in containers in a warm, sunny spot for summer harvests of delicious stringless pods. Dwarf French beans take up little space and start to crop in just eight to ten weeksThere are compact, fast-cropping dwarf varieties, ideal for containers, and larger climbing varieties for growing up tall supports, providing a crop over a longer period. Both are easy to grow from seed in late spring or summer. Keep plants well watered, especially once they start flowering, and they should give a generous crop with little fuss. Just remember to pick regularly to encourage more pods to form.
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There are two types of French bean – climbing and dwarf. Dwarf beans (up to 45cm/18in tall) are perfect for small spaces, growing well in containers and in the ground. Climbing beans (2m/6ft tall) need tall supports and do best in the ground, but can also be grown in large containers. As they grow vertically, climbers produce a large crop in a relatively small area. Dwarf beans are quick to grow, but only crop for a few weeks, so you need to make repeat sowings or sow cultivars with different cropping periods for a summer-long supply. Climbing beans take longer to reach cropping stage, but will then produce beans over a longer period, from mid-summer to early autumn if picked regularly. There are many varieties to choose from, producing green, yellow or dark purple pods, the latter two adding decorative colour to the garden, as well as being easier to spot when picking. Varieties with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) are an ideal choice – see our list of AGM fruit and veg and our Recommended Varieties below. You’ll also find an array of beans growing in the veg areas of the RHS gardens over the summer months, so do visit to compare varieties and pick up growing tips.
A huge range of varieties, both dwarf and climbing, are readily available as seed in garden centres and from online retailers. If you don’t have the time or space to grow from seed, young plants can also be bought from garden centres and online suppliers in spring and early summer, ready for planting outside. However, the choice of varieties may be fairly limited.
Choose a warm, sunny growing site with well-drained soil. Weed the area thoroughly, then fork in plenty of home-made garden compost or well-rotted manure – at least two bucketfuls per square metre/yard – to improve moisture retention in the soil. Ideally do this a few weeks before sowing or planting out, to allow time for the ground to settle. Alternatively, if you're practising no-dig, mulch the soil ahead of sowing or planting directly into the mulch.
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You can sow French beans either indoors or outside. Sowing outdoors is easier, but you need to wait until temperatures warm up in late spring or early summer. Sowing indoors in the warmth gives plants a head start, so they will crop earlier, particularly climbing varieties. Of course, you can do both – sow an early batch indoors, then sow more outdoors a little later, for the longest possible harvest.
For an early crop, sow indoors from late April onwards. Sowing indoors usually produces better germination rates, gives the plants a head start, and keeps them out of reach of slugs and snails until larger and more robust. Use small pots or trays of deep modules filled with moist peat-free multi-purpose compost. Sow one bean in each, 5cm (2in) deep. Place in a propagator or on a warm, sunny windowsill to germinate. For more sowing tips, see our guides below.
French bean seedlings grow rapidly when given good light and regular watering. Young plants can be moved outside once the risk of frost has passed, usually in late May or early June – see Planting, below.
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French beans can be sown outdoors once all risk of frost has passed and the soil is warming up – usually in late May or early June, depending on your local climate. Before sowing, prepare the site carefully and put supports in place for climbing varieties – see Preparing the Ground, above. Warming the soil with plastic-free fleece or cloches for a few weeks before sowing can aid germination, and if left in place, they’ll also give the seedlings extra protection. Climbing beans – sow seeds 5cm (2in) deep, one or two at the base of each bamboo cane, then thin out the seedlings if necessary to leave just the strongest one.
Dwarf beans – sow 5cm (2in) deep and 15cm (6in) apart in blocks or double rows, so plants support each other. Sow a few extra at the end of the rows to fill any gaps if some don’t germinate. Make several sowings from late spring to mid-summer to provide harvests over a longer period. Also consider sowing through plastic-free weed-suppressing membrane to reduce the need for weeding and prevent the pods being damaged by contact with the soil. Related RHS GuidesSowing veg outdoorsSow outdoors – step by stepSuccessional sowing
You can sow French beans in late spring/early summer, either in small pots outdoors for transplanting into the ground later, or into large containers as their final growing site. Use peat-free multi-purpose compost. Small pots – sow one bean per small pot, 5cm (2in) deep, then place in a coldframe or a warm, sheltered position, protected with plastic-free fleece or cloches. Once the plants reach 8cm (3in) tall and all risk of frost has passed, plant out into their final positions (see Planting, below). Large pots – both dwarf and climbing beans can be grown in large containers in a sunny, sheltered spot, making attractive and productive additions to patios and small gardens. For dwarf beans, choose a pot 30–45cm (12–18in) wide and sow the seeds 5cm (2in) deep and 15cm (6in) apart – no supports are needed, as these look great cascading over the sides. For climbing varieties, choose a container at least 75cm (30in) wide, 45cm (18in) deep, and heavy enough to keep it from toppling over once the beans are growing up their supports. Insert a wigwam of 2.5m (8ft) canes (see Putting up supports, above), then sow two seeds 5cm (2in) deep at the base of each cane, to allow for losses. Thin out the seedlings if necessary to leave just the strongest one.
Plant dwarf French beans at least 15cm (6in) apart, in blocks or double rowsWait until after the last frost before planting indoor-raised or bought young plants outside. Harden them off to acclimatise them to outdoor conditions and make sure your planting site is prepared and supports are in place in advance (see Preparing the ground above). Water the plants well, both before and after planting, and space them 15cm (6in) apart. Plant dwarf varieties in blocks or double rows, so they support each other. You can also add twiggy sticks to help keep plants upright so the pods are off the soil. With climbing beans, plant one at the base of each bamboo cane, then loosely tie the shoots to the cane to get them started. If planting in a container, choose peat-free multi-purpose or loam-based compost. Containers should be at least 30–45cm (12–18in) wide for dwarf beans, and 75cm (30in) wide and 45cm (18in) deep for climbing beans. Dwarf beans need no support when growing in containers, as they will simply trail over the side.
Beans are thirsty plants, so water them during dry weather, especially once they start to flower and form pods. Regular watering is particularly important for plants growing in containers, which dry out quickly. Try to keep the growing site weed-free to avoid competition for water. For water-saving tips, see our guides below.
Spread a mulch of garden compost or well-rotted manure around your bean plants after planting to help hold moisture in the soil, reduce the need to water and deter weed germination.
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French beans don’t need feeding when growing in the ground. However, in containers, feed every fortnight with a high potassium liquid fertiliser, such as tomato feed, once the first flowers appear.
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With climbing varieties, tie in any shoots that come loose from the canes, especially in windy sites. Once the plants reach the top of their support, cut off any extra growth. This should encourage side-shoots lower down, keeping the crop within reach and helping to stop plants becoming top-heavy.
Harvest young pods regularly to encourage the plants to keep on croppingPick the pods at 15–20cm (6–8in) long – they’re ready when they snap easily and before the individual beans can be seen through the pod. Regular harvesting stimulates plants to produce more. Check carefully among the leaves, as the slender pods can sometimes be tricky to spot, especially green varieties. Dwarf French beans will crop for several weeks (if successionally sown) and climbing varieties for much longer.
French bean flowers are self-pollinating, so plants grown from saved seeds are likely to be true to type. At the end of the cropping season, leave a few pods to fully mature, then pick once dried. Remove the seeds from the pods, then store in a labelled paper bag somewhere cool and dry over winter, to sow the following spring.
Once harvesting has finished, cut plants down to the base and compost them. However, as legumes (peas, beans and related plants) fix nitrogen from the air at their roots, leave these in the ground to boost soil nitrogen levels.
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French beans are easy to grow and generally trouble-free, but seedlings and young plants are vulnerable to slugs and snails, while black aphids can colonise the shoot tips. For more on spotting and tackling issues, see Common problems, below. Related RHS GuidesControlling problems without chemicalsPreventing problems
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