Scarlet Runner Bean (Heirloom 80 Days )

The Scarlet Runner Bean is grown more as an ornamental than as a food crop, the young pods of Scarlet Runner are edible and very nutritious. Vines grow quickly and easily, and should be supported to a height of 8’. Blooms are a radiant, fiery color, somewhere between scarlet and orange, and are held in clusters on 12” stems that hold up very well as a cut flower. 

25 seeds

PLANTING

Phaseolus coccineus

Germination: 7-14 days

Germination Temperature: Optimum soil temperatures 60-75ºF

Seed Sowing Depth: 1” deep 

Starting Indoors: 2-3 weeks before the last frost. Sow 1-2 seeds per cell/pot.  Provide 70-80ºF soil temperature. Sowing into individual biodegradable peat/cow pots reduces root damage when transplanting. Transplant after last frost, 8-12" apart.

Sowing Outdoors: After the last frost with soil temperatures above 55-60ºF. Sow 4-6” apart, thin to 8-12". Planting in soil under 60ºF results in poor germination. 

How much does a packet plant: 8-10 foot single row 

Harvest: Young tender snap beans until they become fibrous; steamed, baked, boiled, or sautéed. Young seeds can be shelled and cooked like lima beans. Dried beans take a long time to cook and can be soaked 6-8 hours before cooking. Add the edible flowers to salads

Tips: Provide support with a trellis, fence, or poles. Keep beans harvested to encourage more flowers. Grow in light, well-drained soil, provide adequate, even moisture, especially at flowering time. Dry soil can result in low yields and fibrous pods. Do not over-fertilize the Scarlet Runner Bean with nitrogen, which results in a surplus of foliage and low, delayed pod growth. Adding inoculant at planting time aids in a larger harvest and more robust plants.