Dwarf French Bean Stanley Vegetable Seeds

Dwarf French Bean Stanley is a cracking little plant, producing masses of long, smooth, round slender straight pods (14cm x 1cm) and top quality french beans. It produces white flowers and the green pods are filled with white seeds and as excellent flavour. Extremely high yields and good resistance to disease.

The dwarf plant requires little staking, is quick to crop and is suitable for early or late planting. It is also disease resistant to Halo Blight & Anthranose.

An excellent top quality French bean that seems perfect!

Sowing: 

Sow indoors for surest results April-May, 2.5cm (1") deep into individual pots of compost. Water well and place in a warm position. A temperature of 15-20°C (60-68°F) is ideal. Outdoors in late May to July.

Even when temperatures are not below freezing, cold air can damage bean plants, so don't plant too early. Plant outdoors only after the last frosts, May onwards
Sowing seeds early indoors gives a faster and more reliable germination rate. Beans sown directly outside often germinate poorly or get attacked by slugs.

Avoid problems by sowing seeds in late April and May in pots or root trainers in the greenhouse. Robust young plants will be ready to plant outside within about 5 weeks, growing away far quicker than outdoor sowings.
Sow a single bean seed, 4cm (1.5in) deep, in root trainers or into a 7.5cm (3in) pot filled with multipurpose compost. Water well, label and place on a sunny windowsill to germinate. Seedlings will be ready to plant out after about three weeks. Before planting, put in a cold frame to acclimatise.

Alternatively, beans can be sown directly in the soil between the second half of May and the middle of July. Plant two seeds next to your support about 5cm (2in) deep. Water well. After germination remove the smaller and less robust of the two young plants. As they grow, ensure the plants continue to twine around their canes.

Delay sowing if soil is cold or waterlogged. Sow two seeds together, 30cm (1') between each position. Allow 45cm (18") between rows. Thin to leave stronger plant. Water well until plants are established. Harvest: June-October.

Keep moist. Seedlings usually appear in 7-14 days. Gradually accustom plants to outside conditions (avoid frosts), before planting out 25cm (10") apart, during May-June when frosts are over. Allow 45cm (18") between rows. Or sow outdoors May-July for ease, where they are to crop, 5cm (2") deep, directly into finely-prepared, well-cultivated, fertile soil, which has already been watered.

Harvesting: 

Ready to pick in 65 to 70 days. The more you pick, the more they produce. Most should bear pods from late July and cropping of all types can continue until the first frosts, or longer if plants are protected. When boiled, don?t be too disappointed if the pods lose some of that beautiful purple colour, as they tend to turn to a deep green.

Suitable for the vegetable garden, allotments and containers.

Be prepared to water well and supplement feed with high-potash feed during season. Regular feeding is recommended.