What's the earliest you can plant runner beans?

matt987106

i put mine out and last year we had a temp one night of 4 C ( no frost ) and they all turned grey and were dead inside the week

Yorkie1

Runner beans don't tolerate frost. This can occur when nighttime temps fall to about 3 degrees (i.e. need not be actually below zero).

They will also sulk if they get cold albeit not frosted.

I'm in Yorkshire and will not be sowing mine indoors until next weekend. I never put frost-tender plants out until the start of June.

Kikikickin

Yorkie1 wrote: »

Runner beans don't tolerate frost. This can occur when nighttime temps fall to about 3 degrees (i.e. need not be actually below zero).

They will also sulk if they get cold albeit not frosted.

I'm in Yorkshire and will not be sowing mine indoors until next weekend. I never put frost-tender plants out until the start of June.

I'm new to all this, so am experimenting. I planted some runner beans 3 weeks ago, and they are kept in a cold greenhouse. They have grown really well so far. :j

I'm in Sheffield

Dustykitten

I sowed a few in pots in the cold frame this week, not germinated yet. I'll do a few more indoors in a couple of weeks. I learnt last year that getting ahead just sets them back on a cold night, even with protection. Our soil (Herts) is really cold and wet atm.

the-mango

Mine are out, if they sulk, they sulk!

wallbash

All this rushing to sow veg early , might make the gardener's on here feel productive , but sowing a little later when the soil is warmer . days longer , I am betting my veg will easily catch up and we will all have the same weight of crops.

But listening to the 'drought' falling , there is no way I will even look at my veg patch for days.

PS had a new lawn laid 16 days before the hose pipe ban came into force.
My new lawn looks fantastic ......... but it really could do with a cut.

wellused

Longer days are good only 7 weeks until the summer solstice and then the nights will start to draw in again I can't wait.

ALIBOBSY

I have planted some in toilet roll inners a couple of weeks ago and they are in the greenhouse, and they will probably go out mid May as we rarely get a frost after the end of April (we are in the north, but pretty shletered and we seem to get our own microclimate around here-thats probably why just 2 mins up the road are fields and fields of crops lol. I will plant a few more in May to stagger the plants a bit and as a backup.

Mind the kids moan that we rarely if ever get snow. Even a couple of years ago when it was really bad in December we didn't get anything till eveyone else had had snow for weeks. This year we had no snow at all and haven't had a hard frost since mid Feb. TBH not even seen a bit of ground frost since March.

We have actually had some nice weather in April until this weekend. Had alot of those days where it was cloudyish in the morning then sunny in the afternoon. Although its pouring down today lol.

So I guess it depends on the area you live, one of the things I have noticed most now we are growing our own is a stronger awareness of my local climate and watching the weather.

Ali x