we all started somewhere... 
thanks for the clarification. 
Im also at the line of zone 5b and 6a, and a Network bean Hallados grandos, didnt make Flowers until August 30th!! I check them every day i have pods with bean bumps forming so i think i will make viable seed before the plant dies off. This plant definately needs to be grown farther south than indiana haha! Tennessee and south is my guess but then again i should get viable seed if the predicted long term warm trend stays trueWe are expected to bottom out at 45 degrees F. With today's heat I don't think that low is gonna make much of a difference. I saw that prediction for an above average October, too. @Bluejay77 , you live 3 1/2 hrs north of me, and I think you are in zone5b. We live just to the south line of the border between 5b and 6a. Doesn't Really mean much when we drop below -20, but if there is protection, I can grow some things that you cannot.
STILL, I will buy perennials that are meant for zones 3-7.
That protection is iffy, too. My property is flat as a pancake, although I could map the dips and tiny hills, if necessary. We get some Wicked winds that knock things over, during the Spring, Fall And winter. Our 100+yo house was wisely built so that you climb 5 steps to the first floor, therefore the first floor won't flood. Just paid to have my gutters cleaned so that I won't get water in the basement, which takes 7 steps down from ground level.
The 2nd floor has NO windows facing west. You don't see that done in modern home building.
I suspect that the first REAL freeze we will get Here is gonna be the beginning of November. All of the Fall planting I did I believe is going to pay off. HERE IS MY QUESTION:
I have "raped" the 12 purple bush beans for some 6 weeks now. They look terrible, suffering from drought, though I have watered them, getting eaten up by grasshoppers--I have seen them--still they continue to produce, though they have slowed. down.
I have just started to get a decent harvest from my later planting, especially from the Kentucky pole beans, which had nothing a week ago,now nice big beans hiding out (but that's bc I really overplanted!)
Should I stop harvesting the purple beans and let them grow nice, big pods to harvest seeds from, like in the next month? I could use some advice, bc this is New to me.
Thanks!
Yes, I saw today on a couple weather networks that we are scheduled to go as low as 33 to 37 F on Thursday night.
Which is not good news. My neighbours frequently remind me that our little pocket usually goes a few degrees lower than predicted too. The good news is about 90% of the poles are already pulled up & protected due to rain, and the bushes and semis are basically done minus a few stragglers. It is showing right now which varieties were put in as seeds, and which were attacked by bean seed flies (my whole early planted South wall) because they are behind. I think the only network pole beans though in danger of incomplete maturity are Sylvano's, Georgian Black & White, Zugdidi Flat Cake and Lazy Wife. Zugdidi was hit bad by the flies, but it is gorgeous right now with emerald beans dangling. But, I do think I have seed left because the germination was 100% and I planted only 4. I don't think this bean takes so long to mature, regrowing it's roots just set it back.
@heirloomgal I would be happy to fulfill your Network pledge of Lazy Wife if it is okay with @Bluejay77
I dont do anything special, i dont have prairie soil with 10 foot deep topsoil just a northern indiana clay loam soil, i get lots of molds and bacteria diseases on beans as im close enough to the great lakes it causes more humidity, greenhouse effects i guess, and i get more diseases and black splotches on the pods than others on this thread it looks like. No shortage of rain this year. I plant beans peppers tomatoes etc on the frost free date may 15th. This year i was late and planted May 20th ish range. This hallados grandos bean must be a late maturing type. All other beans. Ive grown this year had pods or were being harvested in early warwick, gauk, etc before this one set flowers august 30th. It just must be acclimated to areas not as far north as myself. It may get frosted out, but i am thinking i can get seed from it before it does get frosted out. It is very prolific in its growth and has very little leaf diseases conpared to everything else.
Little suggestion for you ducks; in your bush bean row I would allow a single plant to grow, perhaps on the end, and leave that one untouched. Harvest from all the others. Bean plants usually take 3 months(+ sometimes) to mature and dry down its seed, it's usually more dicey to get seed from harvested plants, especially heavily harvested plants. Your season is longer than mine, so perhaps it's less of an issue for you. For me to get bean seeds I gotta wait all the way to Sept. - Oct.We are expected to bottom out at 45 degrees F. With today's heat I don't think that low is gonna make much of a difference. I saw that prediction for an above average October, too. @Bluejay77 , you live 3 1/2 hrs north of me, and I think you are in zone5b. We live just to the south line of the border between 5b and 6a. Doesn't Really mean much when we drop below -20, but if there is protection, I can grow some things that you cannot.
STILL, I will buy perennials that are meant for zones 3-7.
That protection is iffy, too. My property is flat as a pancake, although I could map the dips and tiny hills, if necessary. We get some Wicked winds that knock things over, during the Spring, Fall And winter. Our 100+yo house was wisely built so that you climb 5 steps to the first floor, therefore the first floor won't flood. Just paid to have my gutters cleaned so that I won't get water in the basement, which takes 7 steps down from ground level.
The 2nd floor has NO windows facing west. You don't see that done in modern home building.
I suspect that the first REAL freeze we will get Here is gonna be the beginning of November. All of the Fall planting I did I believe is going to pay off. HERE IS MY QUESTION:
I have "raped" the 12 purple bush beans for some 6 weeks now. They look terrible, suffering from drought, though I have watered them, getting eaten up by grasshoppers--I have seen them--still they continue to produce, though they have slowed. down.
I have just started to get a decent harvest from my later planting, especially from the Kentucky pole beans, which had nothing a week ago,now nice big beans hiding out (but that's bc I really overplanted!)
Should I stop harvesting the purple beans and let them grow nice, big pods to harvest seeds from, like in the next month? I could use some advice, bc this is New to me.
Thanks!
