When should i plant runner beans indoors for outside sowing?
I usually put mine in a little luke-warm water, overnight around the middle of April. Keep them indoors till the seed leaves have well-formed and the true shoot is about 3 inches above that (lifts it a little higher from slug damage!). Put your sticks or strings up first, then plant. Keep an eye on weather forecasts and protect the plants if there are any frost warnings (I usually tie an approx 12″ high strip of bubble wrap around the whole bean trench) The idea of the bean trench, which you can start early is that beans are gross feeders – dig your trench and throw in every yummy thing on which plants might feed till half full, then replace the soil. Another tip – beans also need a lot of water so the trench, if full of humus is water-retentive. If you like watercress, buy a bunch from the supermarket and root 3″ sprigs in a glass of water. Plant these in the bean trench; two for the price of one!
