pea and bean family

French beans

Phaseolus vulgaris · Easy

Fast summer beans available as compact dwarf or space-efficient climbing varieties.

Sow

Sow under cover in April–May or direct outdoors from late May into July.

Plant out after the last frost.

July to October with regular picking.

Practical growing notes

Fast to crop and very productive when pods are picked often.

Cold soil and frost can kill young plants; climbing types need firm support.

Keep the bed moving

A quick cool-season leaf crop for spring and autumn, with repeat pickings from small sowings.

A succession-friendly salad crop, especially useful as loose-leaf or cut-and-come-again types.

A compact peppery leaf crop that can be harvested repeatedly and grows well in containers.

A low-maintenance overwintering crop planted as named, disease-free cloves.