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I was picking my runner beans a couple of weeks ago when I noticed a lovely long straight bean.
Gently I tied a little bit of string loosely round the stalk and told everyone not to pick it yet.

My longest runner bean so far

A few days later I thought it looked fully grown so I snapped it off and brought it up the house to measure it.
It was over 31cm!

If you want your beans to grow really long follow our Expert Grower’s tips.

Calling all Seed Agents! Grow a giant bean and win a great prize.

Do you think you can grow the longest bean this Summer?

Wow, Here's a long runner bean.

Here is what to do.

Search out some runner bean seeds, did you save some from last year? Or has your family or neighbour got a few?

FREE SEEDS. Our friends at Big Barn Stores are supporting the competition by giving you free seeds.

Look on the map for the rosette on the icon

It couldn’t be easier. To find your local seed supplier, go to Big Barn, type in your post code and look for the rosette on icons on the BigBarn local food map. Give them a call to make sure they are participating and wonder along and ask (politely) for your free seed!

Here’s some helpful hints:

• Runner beans like to grow indoors during May. Keep them warm and moist and you will see them start to poke through.
• At the end of May erect some poles in a sunny position for the plants to grow up. Each plant can share a pole with one other plant. If you make wigwam with your poles they’ll keep firm.
• Carefully plant out your bean plants. Dig a hole a little bigger than the plant next to a pole. Place your bean seedling in, fill around with soil and press down gently.
• Look after your plants, if the weather turns cold at night wrap them in newspaper or fleece.
• Water them if there is no rain
• feed them with chicken manure, worm cast or homemade compost
• As they grow train them up the poles… there are always one or two who twirl around another beans pole or just swish around in the air, be gentle and show them where to go.

Beans need bees

• The bees pollinate the flowers so that they become beans. Encourage bees into your garden with wild flowers.

When to pick

At first your beans will not be that long but they will be very tasty so eat them up. The more you pick the more you will get. Keep watering and feeding, watering and feeding.

Growing a long one

• Don’t let all your beans grow long, because your poor plant will be exhausted. Choose one or two to let grow long.
• When you see a really, really long one keep your eye on it (you don’t want Mum, Dad or your greedy Gran to pick it and eat it when y
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Mark Ridsdill Smith is also called the Vertical Gardener (not because he is very tall but because he is an expert in gardening in a small space which means growing vertically). Here are his tips to help you win the Giant Bean Competition.

Mark's runner bean flowers need the bees to form beans

1. Runners grow best with lots of water – so use a large pot (easier to keep well watered) or a container with a water reservoir (like an Earthbox)

2. They need pollinating by bees – so it can be fun and beneficial to grow some insect attracting flowers nearby.

Are your beans buzzing with bees?

3. Slugs love runner bean seedlings. You can protect with small home made cloches – cut empty drink bottles in half and put one over each seedling.

4. You can buy runners with both orange or white flowers. Mixing the two can look really pretty.

5. Runners need a good tall support to climb up – like a wigwam. If you can find tall branches, they can look much prettier than canes.

6. When the runners reach the top of the canes, pinch out the tops (this means cutting the very tip off). This will encourage the plant to send out more shoots – and beans – below.

7. Pick, pick, pick. It’s very important to keep picking running beans – as this encourages the plant to grow more. Pick the beans small for a delicious, tender treat (big beans look cool but can be rather tough to eat).

8. To boost your crop, feed with liquid tomato food once every two or three weeks after the plant starts flowering.

Mark tends his runner beans