Planting Scarlet Runner Bean
Scarlet Runner Bean is a warm season vegetable in the Fabaceae family. Getting the timing right is the difference between a strong stand and a disappointing one, so the windows below are given relative to your own last spring frost and first fall frost rather than a generic calendar date. Look up your local frost dates and count back or forward from there.
Sow Scarlet Runner Bean directly into the garden 1–2 weeks after your last frost, once the soil has warmed.
Spacing and Planting Depth
Give Scarlet Runner Bean room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.
| Spacing in row | 6 inches |
|---|---|
| Row spacing | 36 inches |
| Plants per sq ft | 0.67 |
| Planting depth | 1 inches |
| Sun requirement | Full sun |
Days to Maturity
Scarlet Runner Bean reaches maturity in 60–75 days from sowing. Once ready, plants continue producing for approximately 45 days.
Scarlet Runner Bean is ready to harvest after about 68 days. Picking regularly over the roughly 45-day harvest window keeps plants productive and encourages a longer pick. Harvest before the first fall frost, which will end the plant's productive season.
Conditions and Care
As a warm-season vegetable, Scarlet Runner Bean needs warm soil and settled weather to thrive, and is set back or killed by frost. It is frost tender, so wait until all danger of frost has passed before planting out and harvest before the first fall frost.
Scarlet Runner Bean needs full sun — give it at least six hours of direct light a day for the best growth and flavor. Sow seed about 1 inch deep, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.
Scarlet Runner Bean belongs to the Fabaceae family; rotating where you grow members of this family each year helps limit the build-up of soil-borne pests and disease. Scarlet Runner Bean is generally grown as a single planting each season rather than succession sown.
Companion Plants
Pairing Scarlet Runner Bean with the right neighbors can improve growth and deter pests; a few combinations are best avoided.
Grows well with: Corn, Cucumber
Growing Notes
Ornamental pole bean with edible pods and beans.