bean (Dwarf French) 'Purple Teepee'
Dwarf French bean or Phaseolus vulgaris Purple Teepee
A perfect little vegetable for space-saving plots, this compact bush bean keeps things neat while still delivering a generous harvest through summer.
Neat foliage carries soft mauve flowers before setting pods well above the leaves, helping keep crops clean and easy to pick. 'Purple Teepee' stands out for its upright habit and tidy growth, making it ideal for beds or containers where space is tight. Pods reach around 15cm (6in), staying slender and completely stringless, with rich purple skins that turn a vivid green once cooked, adding a bit of garden theatre to the kitchen.
Super productive and quick to crop, it’s an easy-going choice that rewards regular picking with a steady supply of flavour-packed beans all season long.
Neat foliage carries soft mauve flowers before setting pods well above the leaves, helping keep crops clean and easy to pick. 'Purple Teepee' stands out for its upright habit and tidy growth, making it ideal for beds or containers where space is tight. Pods reach around 15cm (6in), staying slender and completely stringless, with rich purple skins that turn a vivid green once cooked, adding a bit of garden theatre to the kitchen.
Super productive and quick to crop, it’s an easy-going choice that rewards regular picking with a steady supply of flavour-packed beans all season long.
How to care for bean (Dwarf French) Purple Teepee:
Incorporate an all-purpose general fertiliser into the soil using a rake about two weeks before planting. After the last frosts, plant out in moist, fertile soil in a sunny location that's sheltered from strong winds or plant out at 20cm (8in) apart to help support each other.
Maintain moist soil at all times, watering consistently at the base during flowering, and heavily throughout harvest time if conditions are dry. Avoid overhead watering which can promote disease.
Feed with a low nitrogen, balanced fertiliser (such as fish, blood and bone in late February and again in mid-July), as beans don't require high nitrogen levels in the soil.
Harvest the beans when they're around 15cm (6in) long for best eating quality. Pick regularly to encourage more pod formation. French beans freeze exceptionally well compared to most other vegetables, making them excellent for storage.
Maintain moist soil at all times, watering consistently at the base during flowering, and heavily throughout harvest time if conditions are dry. Avoid overhead watering which can promote disease.
Feed with a low nitrogen, balanced fertiliser (such as fish, blood and bone in late February and again in mid-July), as beans don't require high nitrogen levels in the soil.
Harvest the beans when they're around 15cm (6in) long for best eating quality. Pick regularly to encourage more pod formation. French beans freeze exceptionally well compared to most other vegetables, making them excellent for storage.
Sowing instructions:
Sow three seeds to a 10cm (4in) pot in late spring in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill. Pot seedlings on individually as they grow and harden off carefully to plant out once all threat of frost has passed.
Later in the season these can be sown direct, allowing 20cm (8in) between plants: protect against mice and slugs.
Later in the season these can be sown direct, allowing 20cm (8in) between plants: protect against mice and slugs.
Eventual height:
0.45m
Eventual spread:
0.3m
Position:
Full sun
Rate of growth:
Fast-growing
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness:
Frost tender
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Humans/Pets: Raw pods/beans harmful if eaten
