The 2014 Little Easy Bean Network - Get New Beans On The Cheap

Hi Smart Red,

Sounds like the beans I sent were winners in that the seed was viable and are growing well.

When did you plant your beans? Just curious as we are realatively close in distance to each other? I planted all my bush beans on May 25 and 26th. Pole beans were planted here on May 31st.

Shoot! @Bluejay77, I didn't plant them in the veggie garden so, for some reason I don't have the planting date. I do remember you saying yours were planted before mine got in -- so, probably a few days after May 26th.

Neither CHROM bush bean is turning out to be bushy. The long, mottled CHROM? seeds (8) are shooting up well above their 4 foot fencing while the round, plain CHROM? seeds (28) are vining, but not as quickly. No doubt LONG TOM (12) is a pole bean as they quickly climbed past the top of the 8 foot trellis I put out for them.

I had only a few HARARE SUGAR (6) pole beans to plant. They look good and are starting to climb the fencing trellis I have hanging on my clothes line for them. WINTERGREEN (13) appears to be the only bush bean. A couple of the first plants to germinate were damaged before I put a fence around them, but the rest are now doing well and flowering.

I have been trying to clean up their planting areas, but a photo would show they still need work. I'll try getting a couple of pix tomorrow. I also have 3 volunteer bean plants that survived our deep freeze and started growing. I can't do anything but help them along and wait.

Just thought I would do an update on the Armenian Black Giant for SeedO, and Pulsegleaner. The ABG now has a runner nearly 3 feet long. You might be able to just make it out above the little strip of green velcro tape I used to fix the runner to it's support pole so it can learn to climb and be off the ground. I think we now have an authentic ABG pole bean. Hope it produces loads of seed.

Looks good. One thing the cultivar is called Armenian Giant Black, not Armenian Black Giant. Not all that much of a difference, but since I didn't name it and it was available publicly once; there may be someone else down the road offering it as well, and if they do, it's probably important the name stays as it was. (we don't want another Russian Purple/Purple Russian mix-up on our hands)

Pulsegleaner said:

Looks good. One thing the cultivar is called Armenian Giant Black, not Armenian Black Giant. Not all that much of a difference, but since I didn't name it and it was available publicly once; there may be someone else down the road offering it as well, and if they do, it's probably important the name stays as it was. (we don't want another Russian Purple/Purple Russian mix-up on our hands)

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Are you referring to the tomato Purple Russian? I have some I save seed from, had them for 3 years now. Which is the correct name?

I have yours ready to go in the mail! a little indisposed right now but should be mailed by Sat

I am. And that's the complicated thing there, both names are valid but they refer to two different types of purple tomato. If I recall, "Russian purple" is a smallish round purple tomato, while "Purple Russian" is a long purple that may actually be a paste tomato (it's been a while since I grew either, so my memory is a little foggy).

Actually I suppose the situation we are in with the bean is more analogous to what happened with another tomato, Black Krim. When that tomato entered the French heirloom scene (or possibly Canadian since they speak French widely too) the name was Translated into "Noire de Crimee" For all I know "Crimme" is "Krim" in French. The problem occurred when some heirloom seller tried to translate it back and wound up with Black Crimea, and then another person mistranslated the first word and gave us "Crimean Nights". Four names and they are all the same tomato (I've checked)

aftermidnight said:

'Are you sure those are Theresa's Pink Portugal Kidney. On Mandy's Photo album the shading of the color and seed shape looks like the Aztec Red. Sure I'll take what you would like to send.'

Russ, that's what the packet said. I haven't looked at her photo of said beans but the picture I posted is what was in the packet she sent me. The seed is quite pinkish, my picture was taken inside in not the best of light. I'll pop a few in the mail for you, I'll take a rain check on your offer, not saying I won't hit you up for something later on, right now I'm trying to wade through all the ones I have in my stash. Keep your fingers crossed they make it.

Annette

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Hi Annette,

Theresa's Pink Portugal arrived in the mail today. Many thanks! Those are a true bush bean without runners. Is that correct?

Hi Russ,
I don't know, maybe grow one in a pot, find out for sure. When I heard she was closing down her business I ordered packet of these and a couple of others thinking if I don't grow them maybe someone else will. I see she sold out of this variety soon after I bought mine.

Here's Mandy's description of them...

(Theresa’s) Pink Portugal Kidney Bush – New for 2013! I received this one from my friend Theresa Monez while still working with her in 1998. She said it was brought over from Portugal many years previously, via her family. For many years, it sat in a wee glass jar on a shelf in my cold storage room. Last year I decided to sow some out. Imagine my surprise (…believing that all kidney beans were either deep red or white ) that here was one that started out light pink AND stayed that way! (Where have I been?) And now that I have researched further…there are many versions of “light red kidney” out there. I just never noticed just how pretty they were. It is gorgeous! In the land of BEANS, pink is not a common color. N/A

Glad they made it.

Annette