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When to plant
french beans in the UK
Dwarf varieties need no support. Pick every few days — once they start producing, they don't stop (unless you let pods go to seed).
What french beans need
Sun. Sheltered spot. Decent soil.
Varieties to try
Stringless bush variety, very reliable
Climbing, prolific, keeps going for months
Purple pods — kids love picking them
Where to buy french beans seeds
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Other crops to grow
Pinch out the growing tips once the first pods form to discourage blackfly. They
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Beautiful and productive. Pick outer leaves and it keeps going for months. Rainb
Harvest when golf-ball sized for the sweetest flavour. Leave them too long and t
Drop seedlings into deep holes and just water in — no need to fill the hole. The
Cut the main head first and you'll get side shoots for weeks. Purple sprouting i
Different varieties for each season — spring, summer, autumn, and winter types.
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Grow through summer, harvest from autumn through winter. Flavour improves after
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Slow to germinate (3-4 weeks) — don't give up on it. Soak seeds overnight in war
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Start early — they're slow growers. Pinch out the first flower to encourage bush
Need heat to germinate — use a propagator or the warmest windowsill you've got.
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Build a strong frame — they get seriously heavy. Pick every 2-3 days or they go
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Pinch out flower buds to keep leaves coming. Harvest from the top to encourage b