Runner Bean Seeds

No vegetable garden is complete without the distinctive sight of runner beans towering over the rest of your patch. Even if you don’t have a dedicated vegetable patch, you can still sneak in some runner beans for their climbing habit, attractive foliage and beautiful flowers. Runner beans are now one of the most widely grown vegetables, but they’ve also long been grown as an ornamental climber in many countries, also going by the names of ‘Dutch case-knife bean’ and ‘scarlet runner’. Native to the tropical uplands of Central America, runner beans do best in a warm spot, which also encourages pollinating insects. They prefer a sheltered, location in a rich, well-drained soil. Most runner beans can either be started indoors from April to early May or sown straight outdoors in May or June. If sowing outdoors, sow two seeds close together 5cm (2in) deep, at internals of 20cm (8in). Runner beans require support and it is best to have this in place before you sow. Rotate the location where you grow runner beans at least every 3 years to avoid issues with root-rot diseases. Runner beans are delicious as part of a Sunday roast dinner, Italian runner bean salad, smoked haddock and runner bean risotto, runner bean bhaji and more dishes.