Fothergill's Dwarf Bean Rondo Seeds

Details:

• Botanical Name: Phaseolus vulgaris 'Rondo', an elite, flavor-optimized dwarf French bean selection within the legume family.
• Plant Class: Half Hardy Annual, developing with strong genetic stamina to deliver a high-yielding, continuous summer-into-autumn harvest.
• Flavor-Optimized 'Kenyan' Pods: Bears an abundance of perfectly straight, dark green, and pencil-thin pods. These premium "filet" beans remain slender, fleshy, and entirely stringless, offering a premium snap and a world-class culinary taste.
• Advanced Multi-Disease Resistance: Bred with exceptional modern genetics to feature strong natural protection against Bean Common Mosaic Virus (BCMV), Halo Blight, and Anthracnose. This heavy-duty defense system keeps the foliage healthy, green, and highly productive.
• Compact Space-Saving Bush Habit: Naturally forms a neat, sturdy, and robust mound framework. Because it requires absolutely no complex climbing structures, netting, or tall bean poles, it is an ideal choice for smaller garden plots, allotment foregrounds, raised beds, or large patio tubs.
• Nutritional Value: A highly rewarding, health-boosting crop for home growers, serving as an excellent natural source of dietary fiber, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C.
• Optimal Position: Thrives at its absolute best when positioned in Full Sun in a warm, sheltered spot with fertile, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil. (Please note: While some basic data charts accidentally list "full shade," French beans are sun-loving plants that fundamentally require bright, direct sunlight and warmth to flower and set pods successfully).

Care Instructions:

• Sowing Position: Start seeds early indoors from April to May for the surest, most foolproof results. Sow individual seeds 2.5cm deep into small pots of moist compost and place them on a warm, bright windowsill (a temperature of 15–20°C is ideal for fast germination). Alternatively, sow directly outdoors from May to July once the soil has warmed and all danger of frost has safely passed.
• Planting Out & Spacing: Gradually accustom indoor-raised plants to outdoor conditions over 7–10 days before planting out into their final positions when the spring frosts are completely over. Space individual plants 30cm apart, leaving 45cm between rows. Growing them in close blocks allows the dense bushes to lean on and support one another against summer breezes.
• Moisture & Pod Setting: Keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Beans require plenty of water once they begin flowering. In exceptionally hot, dry summer weather, gently misting the open blossoms with tepid water in the evening will dramatically assist pollination and help the pods set.
• Harvesting Tip: Use kitchen scissors or snips to harvest the pods frequently once they reach their ideal length. Regular picking is vital, as it prevents the plant from shutting down to set seed, forcing it to continuously produce fresh flowers and an ongoing supply of premium green beans from June right through to October.