Dwarf French Bean Fleuret

Dwarf French Bean 'Fleuret' is an extra-fine green bean, selected for its long, very slender, and perfectly stringless pods. This early variety is also characterised by an abundant and prolonged yield; its pods remain tender and flavoursome for several days on the plant. With good disease resistance and low sensitivity to wind, 'Fleuret' is a reliable variety. Its crunchy-melting mangetout beans can be cooked fresh or frozen.

The 'Fleuret' bean belongs to the species Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, an annual of the Fabaceae family. It is a dwarf mangetout bean: the entire pod is eaten, lacking parchment and string, at a stage when the seeds are still underdeveloped.
'Fleuret' shows good resistance to the main bean diseases, notably common mosaic virus and anthracnose.
Each plant reaches about 40 cm in height with a spread of 25 to 30 cm, its short, sturdy stems do not require staking. The white to creamy white, slightly greenish flowers are grouped in small clusters borne in the leaf axils. They are hermaphrodite and predominantly self-fertile. After flowering, the pods that give 'Fleuret' its reputation develop. They are long (about 15 cm), very slender, entirely round in cross-section, very straight, of a clear dark green and smooth. The texture of the mangetout is tender, fleshy without being fibrous, with a mild, aromatic flavour; the variety is renowned for its very good eating quality. The pods are held above the foliage, which facilitates picking and keeps the pods clean. 
'Fleuret' is a fast-growing bean: under favourable conditions, it takes about two and a half months from sowing to the first harvests. Flowering and production span from July to September, or even until October, depending on the sowing date. As with all beans, the pods should be eaten only when cooked to destroy the lectins present in the tissues. As it is a non-hybrid cultivar, you can save the seeds from one year to the next, resow them, and get roughly the same plants and the same beans.

The immature green pods are rich in vitamins A, B9 and C, trace elements and mineral salts. The dried beans are also very rich in vitamin C, trace elements and especially plant proteins.

Preservation: Freezing the pods is the most common method of preservation. Canning gives the beans particular flavour qualities that some appreciate.

The Gardener's Tip: Beans, like all legumes (Fabaceae), can fix nitrogen from the air into the soil thanks to a plant-bacterium symbiosis. They contribute to soil enrichment. You can sow a bean crop as part of a crop rotation after incorporating green manures.
The bean is a plant with low nutrient requirements. Traditionally, bean cultivation in Central and South America is associated with squash and maize, forming a triad whose companion planting is beneficial. This association is locally called Milpa. Beans also associate very well with aubergines, carrots, cabbages, potatoes, and radishes as they protect each other. However, avoid growing with alliums or fennel as their growth inhibits each other.

A spray of nettle manure provides effective control of aphid attacks and strengthens the young plants.