[pgkevet]

I've probably written this before but..
runner beans more versatile than folk think.. As I understand it the flowers are used as a salad addition in canada.. I've eaten them too; a slightly nutty taste, quite nice. North america northern parts use the beans as an alternative in Lima Bean recipes when too far north to grow those. I have a friend in california that didn;t realise you could eat the beans and grows them as a climbing flower. The aztecs used to eat the roots as a  root crop and also you can lift the roots and store them like dhalias and replant the next year - not that that's worth the bother with indoor germination but might give an earlier crop.

[cloddopper]

Interesting about  using the roots for next years crop .
 I may just try that .
The last couple of years I've used a teaspoon full of the mychrosial ( SP ) fungi down each planting hole .
The roots were a good 15 inches across and all were thickly covered in the normal nitrogen nodules . This natural nitrogen in th soil gave most of my brassica's a real boost after transplanting them to the bean sites .

 I can store the haulms ( correct name ? )  boxes in moist peat or sand in a frost free place .... I'll give it a go &  see how it works out  .
 Do you know if I'll need to give them a dusting of flowers of sulphur to keep mould away ?

[pgkevet]

I've never tried storing them myself.. I did go as far as dig some roots up to think about eating them but they looked too thin to bother after peeling - perhaps the aztecs didn't peel them - hunger makes one less fussy. My aged neighbour of old used to just wrap his dhalias in newspaper in a box in his shed.

[Fleecewife]

I grow my runners in a polytunnel, and leave the roots in the ground for the nodules.  Often in the spring a fair number regrow.  However, they have multiple stems which are rather spindly and don't grow as quickly as those started new from seed.  So other than as an interesting experiment I would say it's not worth the effort.