runner bean trial report 2013 - royal horticultural...

Runner Bean Trial Report

2013

Karen Robbirt:

Trials Office, The Royal Horticultural Society Garden, Wisley, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB

Final Report for Trial No. 1953 – Runner Bean (Phaseolus coccineus) 2013 1

RHS Trial of Runner Bean 2013

Introduction: There were 28 entries in the trial submitted by various seed companies in the UK. The objectives of the trial were to assess a range of cultivars; to recommend the Award of

Garden Merit [AGM] to outstanding cultivars for garden use and to demonstrate the cultivation of this crop. Judging and Recommendation for the Award of Garden Merit: The over-arching criteria for recommendation of plants for the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) are:

Excellent for ordinary use in appropriate conditions

Available

Of good constitution

Essentially stable in form and colour

Reasonably resistant to pests and disease

Members of the Vegetable Trials Assessment Forum were looking for a range of essential

qualities, with only the best performing cultivars receiving the RHS Award of Garden Merit . Criteria for assessment were: taste, texture, colour, other pod qualities (lack of stringiness, uniformity and length), yield and resistance to pest and disease. Cultivation: The trial was hosted at RHS Garden Wisley and duplicated at RHS Garden Rosemoor. At Wisley, seed was sown under glass during the week of April 29th, two seeds per jiffy pot, and kept at a constant temperature of 15 °C until germination 5-7 days later. The plants were hardened off in a cold frame for a week prior to planting out in prepared beds on May 28th. Wigwams of 4 bamboo canes formed a frame for each entry with two plants per cane, spacing plants 60cm apart, and 1.20m between each wigwam. Plants were loosely tied to the bamboo canes until they established and then stopped on reaching the end of their support cane. Regular checks were made for pest and disease. During the summer, all plants received a top dressing of nitrogen and were sprayed twice to help protect against aphid. Irrigation was by drip-pipe and harvesting commenced mid July and continued twice weekly until late September.


The Forum recommended the Society's AWARD OF GARDEN MERIT (H2) to:

‘Moonlight’ AGM (H2) 2013. [Trial No 23].

Sent by and available from Mr Fothergill’s Seeds Ltd, Gazeley Road, Kentford, Suffolk, CB8 7QB www.mr-fothergills.co.uk

Hybrid of runner and French bean parentage; grown commercially. Very high yielding. Easy to pick; leaves pedicel behind on picking. Smooth, fleshy pods, of good length. Self-setting.

Available from seed catalogues in the UK

‘Snowstorm’ AGM (H2) 2013. [Trial No 25].

Sent by Tozer Seeds, Pyports, Downside Bridge Road, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3EH. www.tozerseeds.com Available from Thompson & Morgan, Poplar Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP8 3BU www.thompson-morgan.com

Hybrid of runner and French bean parentage. Very smooth, fleshy pods. High yielding. Long straight, uniform pods; especially good for the show-bench.


‘Stardust’ AGM (H2) 2013. [Trial No 26].

Sent by and available from Marshalls Seeds, Alconbury Hill, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 4HY http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk

Hybrid of runner and French bean parentage. Very smooth, fairly fleshy. High yield, long, straight pods. Available from seed catalogues in the UK

http://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/

http://www.tozerseeds.com/

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/

http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/


‘Firestorm’ AGM (H2) 2013. [Trial No 8].


Hybrid of runner and French bean parentage. Excellent yield, slender, smooth-skinned, fleshy pods. Self-setting.


‘Flavourstar’ AGM (H2) 2013. [Trial No 22].

Sent by Tozer Seeds, Pyports, Downside Bridge Road, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3EH www.tozerseeds.com .

Available from Johnsons Seeds, Kentford, Suffolk, CB8 7QB www.johnsons-seeds.com

Hybrid of runner and French bean parentage. Relatively late cropping. Pods of mid-length, fairly broad, smooth texture, good colour and quality. Good yield.

The following entry has been recommended for the AGM (H2), SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY.

‘Firelight’ AGM (H2) 2013. [Trial No 6]. Sent by Tozer Seeds, Pyports, Downside Bridge Road, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3EH. www.tozerseeds.com Hybrid of runner and French bean parentage. Excellent yield, early, fleshy straight pods with smooth skin. Self-setting.



http://www.johnsons-seeds.com/



The Forum re-confirmed the Society's AWARD OF GARDEN MERIT (H2) to: ‘St George’ AGM (H2) 2006. [Trial No 19].


Bicolour variety; prized for ornamental value. Some French bean parentage. Popular commercial variety; ‘easy pick’ - which tends to leave pedicel behind when picked. Slender beans, straight, pale green. Available from seed catalogues in the UK

‘White Lady’ AGM (H2) 1999. [Trial No 27].

Sent by and available from Thompson & Morgan, Poplar Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP8 3BU www.thompson-morgan.com

First variety to be bred with some French bean parentage. Sets well, fairly high yielding. Fleshy pods.


‘Celebration’ AGM (H2) 2006. [Trial No 17].


Salmon-rose flowers. Some French bean parentage. High yield, pods not smooth-skinned. Available from seed catalogues in the UK





‘Aintree’ AGM (H2) 2006. [Trial No 1].


Good yield. Benchmark cultivar, grown commercially, relatively straight beans.


‘Benchmaster’ AGM (H2) 2006. [Trial No 3]. Sent by and available from D T Brown, Western Avenue, Matrix Park, Chorley, Lancs, PR7 7NB http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/

Long, fairly straight beans, good yield.


‘Red Rum’ AGM (H2) 1999. [Trial No 12].


High yielder and early to harvest, will set at moderately high air temperatures, fleshy pods.


‘Wisley Magic’ AGM (H2) 1999. [Trial No 16].


Good yield of long, fairly fleshy pods



http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/




Entries, Senders and Awards AGM = RHS Award of Garden Merit H2 = Tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen. Except in frost-free inner-city areas or coastal extremities requires glasshouse conditions. Can be grown outside once the risk of frost is over. Vegetable Trials Forum Members: J Barker, C Randel, Dr P Dawson, M Day, J England, Dr M Fletcher, I Gillott, T Hewitt, D I Jeffery, S Mercer, C Moncrieff, B Smith, S Wain, R White. RHS curatorial staff: Emma Pearce Index of Plants in the Trial

Number Name

AGM

Sender

1 Aintree 2006 Marshalls Seeds

2 Armstrong Johnsons Seeds

3 Benchmaster 2006 DT Brown

4 Black Doulting Beans & Herbs

5 Enorma 1999 Marshalls Seeds

6 Firelight Tozer Seeds

7 Firestar Tozer Seeds

8 Firestorm Marshalls Seeds

9 Galaxy Unwins

10 Greshen Mr Fothergills Seeds

11 Polestar Marshalls Seeds

12 Red Rum 1999 Thompson & Morgan

13 Scarlet Emperor Unwins

14 Streamline Unwins

15 Windsor Johnsons Seeds

16 Wisley Magic 1999 Thompson & Morgan

17 Celebration 2006 Marshalls Seeds

18 Sunset Improved Unwins


Number Name

AGM

Sender

19 St George 2006 Marshalls Seeds

20 Tenderstar Tozer Seeds

21 Equator Unwins

22 Flavourstar Tozer Seeds

23 Moonlight Mr Fothergills Seeds

24 Snowstar Tozer Seeds

25 Snowstorm Tozer Seeds

26 Stardust Marshalls Seeds

27 White Lady 1999 Thompson & Morgan

28 White Emergo 1999 Unwins

Contact details of senders:

D.T Brown: 0845 371 0532; www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk

Bean & Herbs: www.beansandherbs.co.uk

Johnsons: 0845 658 9147 www.johnsons-seeds.com

Marshalls: 0844 557 6700 www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk

Mr Fothergills’ Seeds: www.mr-fothergills.co.uk

Shelley Seeds: 01244 317165

Thompson & Morgan: 0844 573 1818; www.thompson-morgan.com

Tozer Seeds: 01932 862059. www.tozerseeds.com

Unwins 0844 573 8400; www.unwins.co.uk

Source: Horticultural Trials and Relations, RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB

Tel: 01483 224234 & Email: [email protected]

More information about RHS Trials and other Trials reports can be found on the RHS Website at www.rhs.org.uk/trials

http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/

http://www.beansandherbs.co.uk/

http://www.johnsons-seeds.com/


http://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/



http://www.unwins.co.uk/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.rhs.org.uk/trials

runner bean trial report 2013 - royal horticultural...

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