Organic Dwarf French Bean Seeds

Bean (dwarf french) Cantare 20 Organic Dwarf French Bean Seeds £0.90 123

• Cantare produces high yield, dark green pods.
• Good disease resistance.
• Pods grow to around 11cm.

Sowing Instructions

Dwarf French beans are easy to grow and require minimum care.

Sow: March to April under glass, or, as they are very frost tender, May to July (depending on your area) directly into well prepared soil, to a depth of around 5cm.

Plant out: from May, when all risk of frost has passed in your area, 30cm (1’) apart in a sunny and reasonably sheltered spot, in well drained, fertile soil.  Dwarf French beans are also suited to container growth.

Aftercare: Continue to water until they are established, then only in dry conditions.  Water more frequently again once flowers appear.  To help the plant support itself, earth up to the lower leaves.  At this time, you could also feed with an organic tomato plant food every couple of weeks and add a mulch of organic matter around the base of the plant.  Dwarf varieties produce compact bushy plants and grow to 30-45 cm in height.  They don’t normally require much staking, but you may wish to support with a couple short twiggy sticks. If the weight of the beans is pulling them to the ground, you could add a layer of straw.  If slugs are a problem in your garden, protect young plants by popping a plastic bottle with the base cut off over them.  Help larger plants ward off a slug attack by circling them with a ring of crushed eggshells or course grit.

Harvest: June to October while the bean pods are young and tender.  They should be picked when they are slender and smooth, before you can see the outline of beans inside.

Tip: Regular picking will encourage the plant to continue producing and extend the season.

Cooking Tips

Top, but leave on the tiny curly tail, rinse, then boil or steam for 8-10 minutes.

Drying Tips

Haricot beans are dried French beans.  If you have a glut of beans, leave the pods on one or two plants until they turn a golden yellow-brown.  If the weather is dry and warm, just leave the plants in-situ until the pods have dried completely and are crisp and brittle.  In cooler, wet weather, simply lift the plant and hang under cover to finish the drying process.  Shell the beans, spread over a sheet of newspaper and dry for another couple of days, before storing in an air-tight container and enjoying in warm winter stews. Soak overnight to rehydrate and boil for 10 minutes to remove toxins before consuming.