2015 Little Easy Bean Network - Old Beans Should Never Die !

[Ridgerunner]

Of course I'll try some of them. That's why I'm holding off on making my selection, just waiting to se what you come up with.

 

[baymule]

Nothing like a little early shopping!

 

[Blue-Jay]

@Bluejay77, sounds like fun. You've got me down for Witsa and another of your choice, as long as it's a pole bean I'll take one of these.
Annette

@aftermidnight,

I will send you the Witsa in April and I will send you one of the outcrossed pole varieties that came from WIll Bonsall.

I think anyone who grows these outcrossed beans it will be like waiting to open a surprise package. Who knows what colors and patterns they might produce.

I will probably grow a few of them, but I don't have room to get them all in this year.

None of these out crossed beans will have names of course. The packets will come marked as an example "Will Bonsall Packet #25" and so forth.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm sure you'll have photos but we might want to take a few ourselves before we plant them just to have something to compare with instead relying on memory. I'll also make a point to isolate them a bit from any others. I can do it but just have to plan a little.

 

[Blue-Jay]

I'm sure you'll have photos but we might want to take a few ourselves before we plant them just to have something to compare with instead relying on memory. I'll also make a point to isolate them a bit from any others. I can do it but just have to plan a little.

Hi @Ridgerunner,

Yes I will put up photos of the seed on the new LEBN thread. The seed is dark, but will give every grower and idea of the color and any markings the original seed has. I think the best thing to do is save one good representative seed out what I send so you have something to check against the new seed being harvested. Plant all the seeds except one. I'm sure I'll make each sample about 13 seeds. If all 12 were to grow they will produce seeds by the pounds.

 

[aftermidnight]

@aftermidnight,

I will send you the Witsa in April and I will send you one of the outcrossed pole varieties that came from WIll Bonsall.

I think anyone who grows these outcrossed beans it will be like waiting to open a surprise package. Who knows what colors and patterns they might produce.

I will probably grow a few of them, but I don't have room to get them all in this year.

None of these out crossed beans will have names of course. The packets will come marked as an example "Will Bonsall Packet #25" and so forth.

@Bluejay77 , surprise package is right, here's an example, when I grew some very old seed bought at a farmer's market in Ecuador.
I planted these...


and got this...

Keeping one or two of the old seed for a comparison is a great idea.

Annette

 

[Blue-Jay]

@aftermidnight,

Looks like your originals had a little variation in them to start with, but looks like you wound up with a bit more seed colors and patterns.

Did you travel to Ecuador to do some bean shopping?

 

[Blue-Jay]

Anyone have any ideas how we can get more growers to help us grow out beans each year?

One thing I am probably going to do is to put a link on all the pages of my website that say "Network". That will access all the network beans we have all been trying to grow out and keep the seed refreshed. I think that will at least expose the LEBN to every person who comes along looking at the site.

John Withee's "Wanigan Associates" I read somewhere had several hundred members. I think it would be neat to have at least 100 for our bean network.

 

[aftermidnight]

@aftermidnight,

Looks like your originals had a little variation in them to start with, but looks like you wound up with a bit more seed colors and patterns.

Did you travel to Ecuador to do some bean shopping?

@Bluejay77

Nope, got these in a trade from someone who did, traded them for a heirloom strawberry plant he was looking for. I was thinking they might be day length sensitive but I had most seed harvested by September, there were a couple of plants that didn't start blooming until September but by putting plastic over the frame I got a few seeds from them too in late October.

These vines had white flowers, all the others were mauve.
Annette

 

[journey11]

@Bluejay77 , I will be able to take on a couple of the mystery beans if needed. It will make for a very exciting "fashion show" next fall.

I have been careful not to mention your bean network outside of TEG because I was not sure if you wanted to work with random people. But since you've expressed that you would like the network to grow, I will keep my eyes open for other dedicated gardeners who would take the project seriously.

My first year growing out Top Crop and Appaloosa (bush beans) made me gun-shy because of the very rainy season we had and I had a poor turn out for them suffering wet feet. Some varieties seem more affected by this than others. My Appalachian pole beans were always very tolerant of our weather conditions. Now that I know I can reasonably guarantee success by planting in raised beds, I am feeling confident enough to take on several varieties this year. I have plans to add another three 4x18' raised beds this year to the three I already have.