Runner Bean Westa

Runner Bean Westa — variety description

Runner Bean Westa (Phaseolus coccineus) is an annual vegetable of the Legume family (Fabaceae). This variety is usually grown for white, dry bean seeds.

It deserves its popularity thanks to its large seeds, which show great culinary value after cooking.

These seeds are long, broad, oblong and cylindrical. After drying they become white and glossy.

You can dry the beans to store them, or cook them soon after harvest.

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

The multicoloured (runner) bean is both a vegetable and an ornamental — it quickly covers fences and pergolas with bright colours and gives large beans and pods.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 95%
• Pack size: 10 g
• Seed origin: Poland
• Sowing: April and May; direct
• Harvest: July and August
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow Runner Bean Westa

Runner Bean Westa 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 Runner Bean Westa

• Sowing method: direct
• Depth: 4–5 cm
• Spacing: 20–30 cm, with support 2–3 m
• Germination: 7–12 days at 15–20 °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 after the last frosts beside a sturdy support. Water generously during flowering and pod set.

Harvest and use

Pods are picked young for green beans, and for dry beans when they turn yellow and dry out.

Frequently asked questions

When should Runner Bean Westa 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 95%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.

Can the multicoloured bean be used as a green bean?

Yes — young pods are picked and cooked like green beans; ripe beans are dried.