French Bean Cropper Teepee is a compact-growing, dark green and highly flavourful French bean variety with almost stringless, tender pods. This special bush bean grows compactly and can also be grown very successfully along bean poles. The pods grow above the foliage, making them easy to see and less susceptible to disease problems during less favourable weather conditions. The beans reach a length of approximately 18 cm and develop quickly into a generous harvest. Cropper Teepee is known as a productive and healthy plant with a high yield and good natural resistance to various bean diseases. Its compact growth makes this French bean particularly suitable for smaller vegetable gardens, raised beds, and containers.
In the kitchen, French Bean Cropper Teepee is highly versatile. The tender, tasty beans are delicious briefly boiled or steamed as a classic vegetable, but are also excellent for soups, oven dishes, stir-fries, salads, one-pot meals, stews, and Asian-style dishes. Thanks to their fine texture and full flavour, they are suitable for many different recipes. With its healthy growth, high yield, good disease resistance, and excellent flavour, French Bean Cropper Teepee is an outstanding choice for every vegetable gardener. Non hardy annual. Height: 40 cm.
Indoor sowing: from April
Outdoor sowing: from half May
Germination: 7 - 14 days
Germination temp.: 18 - 22 °C
Sowing depth: 3 - 4 cm
Planting distance: 20 - 30 cm
Distance between the rows: 40 cm
Plant position: sunny
Days till harvest: 55 - 65 days
For an early harvest, French Bean can be pre-sown indoors from April. Sow the seeds in individual pots at a depth of 3 - 4 cm and cover them well with moist seed compost. French beans are dark germinators and require sufficient soil coverage to germinate properly. Keep the seed compost evenly moist, but avoid making it too wet. Place the pots in a warm location and maintain a constant temperature of approximately 18 - 22 °C. Avoid strong temperature fluctuations, especially at night, as beans are sensitive to cold. When the young plants are strong enough and there is no longer any risk of night frost, they can be planted out in the open ground. This is usually from mid-May onwards. Maintain a planting distance of 20 - 30 cm and protect the young plants well against slugs and other pests.
From mid-May, French Bean can also be sown directly outdoors, once the risk of night frost has passed and the soil has warmed sufficiently. Choose a sunny location with well-drained soil. Beans do not like cold, wet soil, so it is better to wait until the soil is warm enough. Sow the seeds 3 - 4 cm deep and cover them well with a layer of fine seed compost. Keep a distance of 20 - 30 cm between plants and approximately 40 cm between rows. During growth, ensure the plants receive sufficient moisture, especially during warm and dry periods. Provide additional fertiliser once flowering begins to encourage good pod formation. Check the plants regularly for slugs and other pests. By harvesting the pods regularly, the plant will continue to produce new beans and the harvest period will be extended. Under good growing conditions, the first French beans can be harvested approximately 55 - 65 days after sowing.
