I am looking at growing green beans as a winter crop down here in the southern hemisphere (winter starting in a week or so) . I have found lots of info on people extending a summer season with green beans, but none on growing through winter. I do have in the back of my head the memory of when I was living with my parents in the highlands of New Guinea. An Australian agricultural agent was trying to introduce various fruit and vegetables to increase nutrition. One he tried was Scarlet Runners. He found that they grew profusely, but did not ever flower, and he put it down to the fact that there was a constant 12 hours of daylight year round and an increased daylight is needed to initiate flowering (I have read this is the case to initiate first flowering in capsicums). I know scarlet runners are a semi-periennial and may be different to other varieties.
Does anyone have
experience green beans grown through winter? Is this the case for some/all green beans? Are there varieties that have been planted and started flowering/fruiting in a short-day winter season?
Thanks in advance.