Runner beans stages

[Vicy]

Hi, my runner beans are about 3-4 weeks old and growing like crazy.

I can't put them outside until mid May, do I need to start supporting them with sticks?? Also a little unsure how to maintain them right now, when I grew sweet peas I had to pinch certain stalks off..

 

[Oliver Buckle]

No need to pinch out like the sweet peas, you were a little bit early, but they will be okay, it looks like you have decent size pots.
Get a trench dug and fill it with all the kitchen waste, old egg cartons, half rotted compost, anything vegetable base you can find, then cover over, they will love it. Then get your sticks up, I know it is three weeks or so before you get them out there, but all these things take time.
If you use jute or hemp garden string to hold it all together you will just be able to strip everything straight off into the compost heap come Autumn.
You can let them run free, but you will find they start twining round each other if you are not careful, take note which way they grow round and introduce them to the sticks in the same direction when they go out and they will quickly grab hold.
Fresh picked runners from the garden, a taste you will never get from any shop.

 

[YumYum]

Man that is some good looking green bean plants. I don't know about your neck of the woods but green beans are easy to sprout here and usually sprout in 5 days or so. I would just plant the seed in the ground when time comes instead of trying to transplant each green bean plant. Here in my area I can plant green beans twice in the same spot each year if I wanted.

 

[Vicy]

Unfortunately I don't have actual earth in my garden so everything is planted in grow bags. I have a huge round one for my courgettes, then I do the beans usually in a taller one with trellises.

Yes runner beans grow so quickly it's hard to keep up with them!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Unfortunately I don't have actual earth in my garden so everything is planted in grow bags.

So no digging trenches then The thing all that organic stuff does is maintain a continuous water supply, so nice and regular with the watering. I have just been to visit my daughter, she is in the same position, but has quite a garden growing in pots and bags.

 

[headfullofbees]

Put them out & cover them if frost threatens, with horticultural fleece or old net curtains or fleece blanket.
Definitely support them.
Your runner beans will grow anti-clockwise; they always grow anti-clockwise.