Romano Purpiat

Thursday, 29 October 2009 09:24

Everything about this purple Romano bean is noteworthy: healthy robust plants, deep violet stems, lilac blossoms, and lustrous purple pods. The 5 inch, flat pods are so tender, crisp, and delicious that we found them irresistible picked fresh from the plant. Cooking the pods turns them a brilliant jade-green with a nearly stringless texture. Remarkably productive plants reach 24 inches tall and tolerate cool, early plantings. Brown seeds. Sowing instructions: Sowing Time: April to July. Sow in pots of moist seed compost and cover with a 4cm (1Ѕin) layer of compost. Place in a propagator or warm place, and keep at a constant temperature of between 20-25C (68-77F). After sowing, do not exclude light as this helps germination. Keep the surface of the compost moist but not waterlogged; germination will usually take 6-10 days. Can also be sown direct outdoors once the soil has warmed. Sow 2 seeds, 5cm (2in) deep at 23cm (9in) intervals in rows 45-60cm (18-24in) apart. Growing instructions: After all risk of frost, plant out 23cm (9in) apart in a sunny sheltered spot on rich, well drained soil, raked to a fine tilth. Hoe between plants regularly, and water regularly. You can also give plants a compost mulch to combat dry periods. 60 days to maturity Go to table of bean varieties