How to grow beans

Beans prefer to grow in moist, fertile soil in a sunny, sheltered spot away from strong winds. Prepare the soil for planting by digging over and adding plenty of organic material, such as well-rotted manure or leaf mould - this will help to improve the soil's moisture-retaining ability and fertility. Many gardeners swear by preparing a bean trench in the winter and filling it with the rotted contents of the compost bin. Once covered with soil in late spring, the seeds can then be sown on top of the trench.

Beans can also be grown in pots. Choose pots at least 45cm (18in) in diameter and make sure there are plenty of drainage holes. Fill with a mixture of equal parts loam-based compost and loam-free compost.

Supporting plants

Before planting, create a support for climbing French and runner beans. Either make a wigwam with 2.4m (8ft) canes, lashed together with string at the top, or create a parallel row of canes, which have their tops tightly secured to a horizontal cane. Each row should be 60cm (23in) apart and canes spaced 15cm (6in) apart in the row.

Sowing seeds indoors gives a faster and more reliable germination rate, particularly for runner beans. At the end of April sow a single bean seed, 4cm (1.5in) deep, in a 7.5cm (3in) pot filled with multipurpose compost. Water well, label and place on a sunny windowsill to germinate. Seedlings will be ready to plant out after about three weeks. Before planting, put in a cold frame or a cool porch for a few days so that they can cope with the conditions outside.

Alternatively, climbing, runner and dwarf beans can be grown from seed sown directly in the soil between the second half of May and the middle of June. For dwarf French beans, plant two seeds, 2.5cm (1in) deep, next to your support and about 5cm (2in) deep for climbing French and runner beans. Water well. After germination remove the smaller and less robust of the two young plants. As they grow, ensure the plants continue to twine around their canes.

Aftercare

Regular and plentiful watering is vital. Runners should be watered particularly heavily, twice a week in dry weather, both when the flower buds appear and once they're open. Mulch around beans to help keep moisture in the soil when the conditions are dry.

Regular picking is essential - it's true that the more you pick, the more they produce. Most should bear pods from July and cropping of all types can continue until the first frosts, or longer if plants are protected.

Five to try

• 'Red Rum' - runner that is very easy to grow
• 'Painted Lady' - heavy cropping runner with red and white flowers
• 'Enorma' - long, tasty pods on this runner
• 'Polestar' - a foolproof runner with red flowers and stringless beans
• 'Lingua di Fuoco' - climbing borlotti bean with speckled seeds and showy pods

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