Plant: late May to end June

Harvest: July to end October

Considered by some to be horrible and stringy, fresh-picked, young runner beans will soon convince otherwise.

Grow in a sunny place and keep your beans really well-watered for a successful crop. The soil can be mulched to help keep it moist.

Sowing

Plant in a sunny spot. Beans don't like acid soils, so add lime if yours is (if you live in an area of rhododendrons and camellias, it is acid).

Sow any time from late May until the end of June. Plant about 5cm/2" deep and 23cm/9" apart. For earlier beans, plant in 10cm/4" pots and keep indoors in a bright place then plant out 23cm/9" apart at the end of May once all risk of frosts has passed.

Most runner beans need support. It's easiest to plant 2 parallel rows 45cm/18" apart so the canes from adjacent rows can be tied together to form a long 'wigwam': use 2.4m/8' tall bamboo canes and fix a horizontal cane along the top where the 2 rows cross.

Plant one bean per cane and loosely tie in the plants after planting, they should then continue to climb without help. Nip out the top once the beanstalk reaches the top of its cane.

Harvesting

Pick when beans are about 15cm/6" long and before the beans inside swell. Pick regularly to stop beans maturing so the plant continues to flower and produce more beans.

Troubleshooting

Protect plants from slugs when young - starting them off indoors is a good option.

Varieties to try

• Desiree - stringless pods with thick fleshy walls
• Hestia - dwarf variety that doesn't need support
• Aintree - mid season type with sweet-flavoured pods
• Celebration - high yield of good pods, decorative pink flowers
• Red Flame - reliable, red-flowered variety