2017 Little Easy Bean Network – Everything Beans, Post It Here & Join The Fun

[journey11]

Something you all might enjoy, if you have time to watch, a documentary on John Coykendall. I would love to get my hands on his sketch books. Perhaps they'll be published someday soon.
http://www.lpb.org/index.php/site/programs/deeply_rooted

 

[thejenx]

That is a very interesting documentary and yes I hope he does publish his notebooks some day!

 

[flowerbug]

Something you all might enjoy, if you have time to watch, a documentary on John Coykendall. I would love to get my hands on his sketch books. Perhaps they'll be published someday soon.
http://www.lpb.org/index.php/site/programs/deeply_rooted

nice way to start the day with smiles and feeling like i've met a kindred soul. t.y.

 

[aftermidnight]

Thoroughly enjoyed it, thanks for sharing.

Annette

 

[Blue-Jay]

I watched the video too on John Coykendall. I thought all his art work in his notes was pretty neat too.

Annette, Tuesday I sent half of the Breck's Italian seeds along with some Fasold for some long slender nice snap beans next summer.

 

[aftermidnight]

"Annette, Tuesday I sent half of the Breck's Italian seeds along with some Fasold for some long slender nice snap beans next summer."

Thanks Russ, I'm looking forward to growing them along with Fasold next year, hoping Breck's Italian is the same one I lost all those years ago.
Another bean I've been searching for a long time "Sarah's Old Fashioned Black" it's on it's way from the U.K. The gal from Beans and Herbs found them for me, it seems the only place they are still grown is in the U.K. Along with "Bob and Mary" this variety is close to extinction. I hope to get both of these back in circulation as well as held by Seeds of Diversity. What can I say, gardeners are the very best of the best.

Annette

 

[Tricia77]

Amazing video! Thanks for sharing Journey11. I could listen to him all day!

 

[saritabee]

That video looks really interesting, thanks for sharing! I'll have to give it a watch soon. ...After Thanskgiving.

There's been a little bit of talk about it on this thread already, but I'm curious about how you guys all deal with isolating different varieties for seed-saving purposes. Do you have any particular minimum distance you use? What percentage of outcrossing (if any) do you typically see?

I've read everything from "beans don't cross pollinate" (which is clearly false) to "keep at least 50 feet between varieties for seed-saving" (which seems like it would only apply to large-scale seed companies), and I'm curious how you guys have experienced this "in real life" in your smaller-scale home growouts.

 

[journey11]

That video looks really interesting, thanks for sharing! I'll have to give it a watch soon. ...After Thanskgiving.

There's been a little bit of talk about it on this thread already, but I'm curious about how you guys all deal with isolating different varieties for seed-saving purposes. Do you have any particular minimum distance you use? What percentage of outcrossing (if any) do you typically see?

I've read everything from "beans don't cross pollinate" (which is clearly false) to "keep at least 50 feet between varieties for seed-saving" (which seems like it would only apply to large-scale seed companies), and I'm curious how you guys have experienced this "in real life" in your smaller-scale home growouts.

I like to plant a bunch of sunflowers on one end of the garden, the small ones that put out lots of blooms. This helps to distract the mason bees since it's less work than forcing their way into a bean blossom. Plus I get cut flowers for the house.

I think that documentary is available to watch for free until the 24th.

 

[aftermidnight]

@saribee I have a very small garden compared to most so I grow pole beans, not many bush beans. common beans aren't notorious crosses here but not impossible, runners on the other hand are very promiscuous. A picture of my back forty (40 steps from the back door)

5 poles against the back wall, bush beans around the rosemary and more pole beans on the netting. To make sure I save some true to variety seed I bag some flowers on every variety I grow with wedding favor bags.
Notice on the white bag I've stitched the collar in so I can snug the bag right up close on the stem The only thing to watch for is to make sure you take the bags off as soon as the bean starts to form, if you don't you end up with a coiled up bean filling the bag and you usually have to tear the bag to get the bean out. Once the bag is removed I mark the pod with pieces of that green stretchy tape long enough that they are easily seen. Not the best picture but you get the drift.
Aeron Purple Star (runner)

I have more beds where I grow beans and I also stick a pole in the oddest places, you just have do what you have to do, Lately I've been about thinking about sky hooks, don't laugh, I've actually been thinking about it. After all I'm the gal who makes invisible, well almost invisible trellises with crazy glue and twine and then there's my umbrella thingy to keep the rain off, keeps the maturing pods dry while the seed is still forming .


Annette