Growing in Charters Towers

Best time to plant runner bean in Charters Towers

Phaseolus coccineus

Also called scarlet runner bean, multiflora bean

Sow runner bean in Charters Towers in Feb to Mar, Sep to Oct.

Originally from the Central American mountains, runner beans are vigorous vines that can climb 3 m or more, with long pods up to 25 cm and usually red flowers. They are grown for food and for show. Cook pods and beans before eating, because raw beans can make you ill.

When to sow in Charters Towers

Charters Towers, QLD is in the tropical zone. The zone also plants in Apr to Aug, but Charters Towers's frost dates make those months risky for a frost-tender crop.

Not yet checked against a local guide.

Your local conditions can shift any months shown here, so treat them as a guide.

Frost in Charters Towers

Frost usually arrives in Charters Towers around early July and finishes by late July. In about 1 year in 10 it comes as early as mid June or as late as late August, so frost-tender crops are planned around those dates.

From its Bureau of Meteorology station, 1991 to 2020, counting a night at 2°C or lower as a frost. Frost hollows and hillsides can shift these dates by weeks, so ask the growers at your garden too.

On a shared plot: suits a plot

Finishes in a season and stays within its space, so it suits most plots.

Growing details

How to start
Sow directly in the bed
Sowing depth
25mm
Plant spacing
30cm
Row spacing
20cm
Height
300cm
Germination
4-7 days at 16-22°C
Time to harvest
70-90 days
Frost
Frost tender
Sun
Full sun
Life cycle
perennial, grown as an annual in cool climates

These are typical figures, and varieties differ. Your seed packet takes priority.

Runner Bean elsewhere

Runner Bean across Australia