Climbing French Bean Seed 'Blue Lake'

Despite the fact that French Beans are sometimes known as String Beans, Blue Lake is actually stringless!

These defy any Summer drought and remain sugar sweet and tender when cooked; eaten raw they make a tasty and crunchy addition to Summer salads. But their versatility doesn't end there as they are perfect for freezing - and any left at the end of the season can be dried and the pure white beans use as haricot beans!

Grow against a trellis or bean rack or up netting - interplant with peas or runner beans.

An excellent variety to grow in cold greenhouse or polytunnel.

• For Growing In Rows
• Sow April - early July, 2 seeds per station 4" (10 cm) apart in rows 30" (75 cm) apart. Sow in 2" (5 cm) deep drills.
• Provide support for these to climb up to a height of around 6 - 8 feet (1.8 - 2.4 metres) using netting, a bamboo cane structure or similar.

• For Climbing French Bean Wigwams
• Using a dustbin lid or similar as a template, drive into the ground six eight foot canes and tie together at the top to produce a wigwam effect.
• Plant 2 seeds 2" (5 cm) deep at the foot of each cane.

• Top Tips
• These thrive in warm conditions and so are an ideal crop to grow under protection - greenhouse or polytunnel.
• Whilst they will prove drought tolerant, good watering from flowering time onwards will ensure maximum pod development.
• Mulch around the stems in early Summer.