Harvesting runner bean seed?

As per thread title, whats the idiots guide to collecting seed for next year? I've got some nice bulging pods at the tops of the plants, do I wait until they go brown? how do you dry them out? do they need drying out? lol

I started with 15 seed from a mutli pack from poundland, I would love to increase that to around 60 plants for next year

Regards, Plant Potty.

 

Firstly - no-one here is an idiot, just people who ask about something they're not sure about :D

If you've still got lots of beans to ripen, then I think I might hold off leaving some to go to seed, just for a little while, and keep picking - you don't want the plants to think their job is done!

As the crop starts to 'tail off' what I do is, identify some nice fat pods (I've even been known to tie a bit of wool or something round them so I don't pick them by mistake - but then I'm sad!). Leave the pods on the plant as long as possible, at least until they go brown and 'papery', then pick them, take the seeds out and store them in an envelope, paper bag or something airtight and just wait to plant them next year.

If you get some really wet weather and they're in danger of not drying out on the plant, pick the biggest, fattest pods you can and leave them to dry out somewhere with some airflow around them, then again, wait for the pods to become 'crackly' and proceed from there.

I understand that runner bean seeds should remain viable for about 3 years - in the right conditions.

 

PP Fidgetsmum is talking sense here, keep enjoying the beans at least until the end of the month. Any that HAVE gone over, leave for harvesting as seed pods.