French Bean Top Crop is a very popular and reliable bean variety, renowned for its excellent flavour, high yields, and vigorous growth. This variety produces long, round pods with an attractive light to dark green colour. The beans are almost stringless, tender, and have a delicious, full bean flavour. The plants grow vigorously and are highly productive, providing an abundant harvest throughout the season. This compact bush bean reaches a height of approximately 55 - 60 cm, making it ideal for vegetable gardens, smaller gardens, and raised beds.
In the kitchen, French Bean Top Crop is highly versatile. The tender beans are delicious briefly boiled or steamed as a classic vegetable, but are also excellent for stir-fries, stews, soups, and salads. Thanks to their fine texture and excellent flavour, they are suitable for almost any recipe that calls for French beans. Top Crop also stores exceptionally well. The beans freeze very well and will remain fresh for about a week in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. With its fast growth, high yield, excellent storage qualities, and outstanding flavour, French Bean Top Crop is a valuable choice for every vegetable gardener. Non hardy annual. Height: 55 - 60 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.
