French Bean Rocquencourt

What French Bean Rocquencourt is

French Bean Rocquencourt (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an annual vegetable of the Legume family (Fabaceae). One of the best and earliest yellow-podded green bean varieties, with a flavour that is truly incomparable.

Heavy crops of long, slender, oval, yellow, stringless pods with black seeds are produced on sturdy dwarf plants.

It can be sown successionally until mid-July, as it is one of the hardiest to cold of all.

You can preserve it, or cook it soon after harvest.

Beans are a good source of vitamin C, folate and iron and are high in fibre.

French beans are easy, quick and very productive — about 55–65 days pass from sowing to first harvest. Dwarf varieties need no support, while climbing ones cover fences and crop for longer.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 89%
• Pack size: 10 g
• Seed origin: China
• Sowing: April and May; direct
• Harvest: July and August
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow French Bean Rocquencourt

French Bean Rocquencourt seeds are sown in April and May. The crop is harvested in July and August. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow French Bean Rocquencourt

• Sowing method: direct
• Depth: 3–4 cm
• Spacing: 8–10 cm in the row, 40–50 cm between rows (dwarf); 20–25 cm with support (climbing)
• Germination: 6–10 days at 18–25 °C
• Position: sunny spot

Early sowings can be made in a greenhouse at a temperature of 16°C, sowing 3 seeds per 8 cm pot filled with seed compost. Outdoor sowings can be made from May onwards in the growing position at a depth of 5 cm. Sow 2-3 seeds every 20-30 cm. apart, with rows 60 cm apart. apart. The plants are hungry, so the soil should be well prepared and fertilised the previous autumn. Use well-drained, warm soil in full sun. Seedlings sown indoors should be hardened off gradually before planting out in late May at the spacing above, once all risk of frost has passed.

Sow directly when the soil is above 12 °C — in cold soil the seeds rot. Do not feed with nitrogen: beans supply their own. Water during flowering and pod set.

Harvest and use

Pick the pods young and crisp, every 2–3 days — this encourages the plant to set new ones.

Frequently asked questions

When should French Bean Rocquencourt be sown?

The recommended sowing months are April and May. Sowing method: direct.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 89%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.

When are beans sown?

Directly outdoors from late April to July, once the soil has warmed up. For a long harvest, sow in 2–3 batches every 3 weeks.

Do beans need to be soaked before sowing?

Not necessarily; a short soak (2–4 hours) speeds up germination, but a longer one can crack the seeds.