Growing green beans through winter - will they flower?

May 22, 2015 13:53:09

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.

May 22, 2015 14:45:36

There are many beans grown in Latin America, Asia and Africa. Get something from a similar climate to yours. Flowering in the Highlands of New Guinea may have been shut down by low night temperature.

Check out Geoff Lawton, to see what he grows.

My brother Jeff, grows many things during the winter in Mexico. I'll see if he's had luck with beans.

May 22, 2015 15:22:21

manage seasonal light - commercial growers use different techniques - black out systems or start under artificial light then give natural daylight hours. Then, cut light hours.

I was contemplating a blackout system at one time for a certain crop - black cover/total shade out to cut hours of daylight then allow full hours

Or, try growing under short light hours (controlled for progressive change) then place outside to induce natural maturation and then cover to induce flower maturation.

May 22, 2015 15:27:49

I know that isn't natural or acceptable to some, but, it works - if you really need to grow non-natives.

May 22, 2015 15:35:03

My dwarf French beans flower thru the winter (subtropical). The seeds won't get a good germination rate if its cold but any that come up do produce regardless of time of yr

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