Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Once picked, enzymes in the beans begin to lock up sugars as starch, so cook
them as quickly as possible. They may be frozen (after blanching for two or three
minutes) or dried. Frozen beans lose some of their texture, and should be
plunged straight into boiling water without thawing first, then drained as soon
as the water comes back to the boil. Some varieties selected specially for podding
and drying are available; these make a handy smaller alternative to kidney beans
in the store cupboard, with a short cooking time.
Problems
Moulds
,
slugs
and
aphids
. Sticking to the suggestions on spacing will help air
flow around foliage, allowing it to dry quickly and reducing the chance of botrytis
and other moulds getting started. It also helps to avoid little pockets of damp,
shaded soil that slugs enjoy.
Beans, French
Varieties:
'Cherokee Trail of Tears', 'Eva'
Climbing French beans are sown and grown in exactly the same way as dwarf
varieties and give bigger harvests, but need to be grown up cane supports or
strings (see Chapter 6, page 51), which the plants find easier to grip. If using
canes, these are best linked together to provide some stability, traditionally by
putting them in pairs leaning in towards the middle of the double row with a
horizontal cane tied along the top. In the close confines of a tunnel it is better to
arrange the canes in threes or fasten three strings to the same point on a horizon-
tal wire to make a row of tripods; this minimises shading but gives all the stability
of a 'wigwam' arrangement without so much crowding at the top. Build the tri-
pods before transplanting modules or sowing seeds directly, 5cm deep, at the
base of each, and pinch out the growing tips when they reach the top.
Climbing beans can get extremely tall if you let them - 2.5 metres not being
unusual in a tunnel - and so they should be placed on its north side to avoid
shading other plants. If this is not possible in a particular year, use the shaded
area for plants that welcome it in the heat of the day, such as beetroot and lettuce.
Warning:
It is very easy to accidentally poke a hole in the tunnel cover with
bamboo canes, particularly when you pull them out of the ground.
