Plantfit
Log in / Register
Existing customer?
New customer?
Create an account to track your orders, access our customer service and, if you wish, make the most of our upcoming offers.
My Account
Hello
Shipping country and language
Your country of residence may be:
For a better user experience on our website, you can select:
Your shipping country:
Language:
Haricot nain mangetout Contender - échantillon Bravo - Vilmorin
Clearly, the offer with the Bravo sample is no longer available, but the website is not up to date, so we are in for a surprise upon delivery.
Denis D., 25/04/2018
Order in the next for dispatch today!
Dispatch by letter from 3,90 €.
Delivery charge from 5,90 € Oversize package delivery charge from 6,90 €.
{displayProductInfo();})" >More information
This item is not available in your country.
Shipping country:
Select delivery date,
and select date in basket
This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty
More information
We guarantee the quality of our plants for a full growing cycle, and will replace at our expense any plant that fails to recover under normal climatic and planting conditions.
Seed-only orders are dispatched by sealed envelope. The delivery charge for seed-only orders is 3,90 €.
Hardy and early, this Contender is a dwarf snap bean with light green pods that are 16 cm (6in) long and flat. Each pod contains light beige beans. Mexico seems to be the country of origin for this highly rewarding and easy-to-grow variety. Indeed, its high productivity and growth are never affected by poor weather conditions. Above all, Contender is one of the earliest varieties: it only takes 50 days to get the first harvest. Its very pronounced flavor allows for all culinary variations. Finally, it is very well suited for freezing and canning.
With this selection, a packet of Bravo Bean seeds is included. This is a dwarf bush bean with green and fleshy pods that can withstand heat and develop their pods slowly. Both Contender and Bravo can be harvested from July to October after being sown from April to July. Whether consumed for its pod or its bean, the bean is a highly appreciated vegetable in gardens because it is very easy to grow. It is so punctual that the gardener knows the exact date when they will harvest their first crop, which is 60 days after sowing.
Discovered in the New World and acclimatized in Europe from the 16th century onwards, the bean has now become an essential legume in all diets around the world. The Native Americans cultivated it for its dried beans, but it was the Italians who, in the 18th century, initiated the consumption of the whole pod by harvesting it immature.
The bean is a vine with indeterminate growth. Primitive varieties are all climbing and require support. Later, for practical reasons, dwarf varieties were selected, but they all have tendrils that can wrap around a support.
The pods are generally green, sometimes yellow (butter beans), striped with red or even amethyst. Among the varieties that will be eaten at the "fine" or "extra fine" stage, there are "fillet beans" that have filaments when ripe. Then the pod becomes parchment-like and loses its taste.
The snap bean is generally fleshy and can be consumed entirely, both the beans and the pods, even when fully ripe. The more recently created "fillet - snap" beans can be consumed when young and "extra fine" or at a more fleshy stage like a snap bean, as they do not form filaments.
Among the "shell beans" varieties (i.e., those whose only the beans are consumed), the harvest of fresh beans is distinguished from that of dry beans, 90 days after sowing.
Immature green pods are rich in vitamins A, B9 and C, trace elements and minerals. Dry beans are also very rich in vitamin C, trace elements and especially vegetable proteins.
Harvest: The harvest of fresh beans or young pods begins 60 days after sowing. For fresh beans, it must be done before the pods start to dehydrate and develop wrinkles. The beans should barely take on their color. For the consumption of pods, the harvest will take place every 2 or 3 days for both "fine" and "extra fine" stages for snap beans. The harvest of dry beans is done by cutting the entire plant, which is then hung in a dry and ventilated place. They can be shelled as needed.
Storage: Freezing pods is now the most common method of preservation. To do this, remove the stems, wash the pods, blanch them for 5 to 6 minutes in boiling water, then plunge them into cold water before drying them with a clean towel. Once packed in bags, the beans can be placed in the freezer at -18°C (-0.4°F). However, canning is regaining its popularity among an increasing number of consumers due to the taste qualities inherent in this preservation method. Like freezing, remove the stems, wash and blanch the beans, then immerse them in cold water. Put them in jars and fill them with salted boiling water. Close the jars and sterilize them in a pressure cooker or with a sterilizer for 1 hour and 30 minutes over medium heat. To do this, completely cover the jars with water after securely sealing them.
Dry beans: when completely dry, bean seeds can be stored for up to one year if kept in good conditions, such as in airtight jars.
Gardener's tip: Beans, like all members of the Fabaceae family, have the ability to fix nitrogen from the air in the soil through a plant-bacteria symbiosis. They have the ability to regenerate soils. Beans can be grown as part of crop rotation after burying green manure.
Traditionally, bean cultivation in Central and South America is associated with the cultivation of squash and corn, forming a beneficial triad. This association is locally called Milpa. Beans also associate well with eggplants, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and radishes as they protect each other. Avoid the presence of alliums or fennel as their growth is inhibited.
A spray of nettle manure allows for effective control of aphid attacks and strengthens the plants that have benefited from it.
Harvest
Plant habit
Foliage
Botanical data
Soil preparation: The Bean likes light, fresh but not damp soil that is rich in nutrients. However, it does not appreciate soils that are too chalky or too acidic. Therefore, it is necessary to properly prepare the soil by deep digging to a depth of 20 cm (8in) without turning the soil. Then, it should be amended with compost or well-decomposed manure. Do not sow the bean in soil that has been recently limed as this causes hardening and reduces the taste quality of the pod.
Sowing under cover: Under cover or in tunnels, bean sowing can begin as early as mid-March. The bean is a frost-sensitive vegetable and requires the soil to have reached a minimum temperature of 15°C (59°F). The covers should be oriented to the south or west. Only ventilate them during the warm hours of the day. Remove the protection only when frost is no longer a concern.
Sowing in open ground: Sowing should be done from April in the southern regions or from May when the soil is sufficiently warmed and frost is no longer a concern. Dig furrows 3 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) deep, spaced 40 cm (16in) apart. Sow your seeds, spacing them 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3in) apart or in groups of 4 to 5 seeds, spaced 40 cm (16in) apart in all directions. Cover the soil and lightly press down with a rake. When the plants reach a height of 20 cm (8in), mound up the base so that they are well supported.
The first harvests can be made approximately 60 days after sowing and continue until the end of October. Don't hesitate to sow beans every 15 days for a continuous harvest until the end of autumn.
Seedlings
Care
Intended location
Reply from on Promesse de fleurs
Haven't found what you were looking for?
Hardiness is the lowest winter temperature a plant can endure without suffering serious damage or even dying. However, hardiness is affected by location (a sheltered area, such as a patio), protection (winter cover) and soil type (hardiness is improved by well-drained soil).
In order to encourage gardeners to interact and share their experiences, Promesse de fleurs offers various media enabling content to be uploaded onto its Site - in particular via the ‘Photo sharing’ module.
The User agrees to refrain from:
- Posting any content that is illegal, prejudicial, insulting, racist, inciteful to hatred, revisionist, contrary to public decency, that infringes on privacy or on the privacy rights of third parties, in particular the publicity rights of persons and goods, intellectual property rights, or the right to privacy.
- Submitting content on behalf of a third party;
- Impersonate the identity of a third party and/or publish any personal information about a third party;
In general, the User undertakes to refrain from any unethical behaviour.
All Content (in particular text, comments, files, images, photos, videos, creative works, etc.), which may be subject to property or intellectual property rights, image or other private rights, shall remain the property of the User, subject to the limited rights granted by the terms of the licence granted by Promesse de fleurs as stated below. Users are at liberty to publish or not to publish such Content on the Site, notably via the ‘Photo Sharing’ facility, and accept that this Content shall be made public and freely accessible, notably on the Internet.
Users further acknowledge, undertake to have ,and guarantee that they hold all necessary rights and permissions to publish such material on the Site, in particular with regard to the legislation in force pertaining to any privacy, property, intellectual property, image, or contractual rights, or rights of any other nature. By publishing such Content on the Site, Users acknowledge accepting full liability as publishers of the Content within the meaning of the law, and grant Promesse de fleurs, free of charge, an inclusive, worldwide licence for the said Content for the entire duration of its publication, including all reproduction, representation, up/downloading, displaying, performing, transmission, and storage rights.
Users also grant permission for their name to be linked to the Content and accept that this link may not always be made available.
By engaging in posting material, Users consent to their Content becoming automatically accessible on the Internet, in particular on other sites and/or blogs and/or web pages of the Promesse de fleurs site, including in particular social pages and the Promesse de fleurs catalogue.
Users may secure the removal of entrusted content free of charge by issuing a simple request via our contact form.
The flowering period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions located in USDA zone 8 (France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, etc.)
It will vary according to where you live:
In temperate climates, pruning of spring-flowering shrubs (forsythia, spireas, etc.) should be done just after flowering.
Pruning of summer-flowering shrubs (Indian Lilac, Perovskia, etc.) can be done in winter or spring.
In cold regions as well as with frost-sensitive plants, avoid pruning too early when severe frosts may still occur.
The planting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions located in USDA zone 8 (France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands).
It will vary according to where you live:
The harvesting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions in USDA zone 8 (France, England, Ireland, the Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...) fruit and vegetable harvests are likely to be delayed by 3-4 weeks.
In warmer areas (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), harvesting will probably take place earlier, depending on weather conditions.
The sowing periods indicated on our website apply to countries and regions within USDA Zone 8 (France, UK, Ireland, Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...), delay any outdoor sowing by 3-4 weeks, or sow under glass.
In warmer climes (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), bring outdoor sowing forward by a few weeks.