2024 Little Easy Bean Network - Growing Heirloom Beans Of Today And Tomorrow

[Decoy1]

That is interesting, I didn't realize the Mongeta bean was grown in northern Spain. Wow, so southern origin can't be the reason then. I wonder what causes such a prolonged growth period before pod formation then? With a polytunnel they'd likely get more than enough heat units. I had the exact same experience with the Floreta bean as I did with Mongeta too.

Yes, it remains quite a puzzle to my mind. As you say, the plants have had plenty of heat which I imagine is why it is so ultra vigorous, and the day length is longer but not so much longer than in northern Spain. Ah well, I guess we’ll just have to accept defeat!

 

[ruralmamma]

I'm dealing with a similar issue with a bean variety called Bhatmash. Lush growth but no flowers for three months. Has some tiny pods forming now. Seed originates from Nepal and is a climber, but no other information available.

 

[flowerbug]

Yes, it remains quite a puzzle to my mind. As you say, the plants have had plenty of heat which I imagine is why it is so ultra vigorous, and the day length is longer but not so much longer than in northern Spain. Ah well, I guess we’ll just have to accept defeat!

if you have enough overlapping bean plants available you could try to do some crossing to get an earlier version. i grew three climbing beans this year (one a surprise that is edible) and one of them is a longer growing season bean that i've never gotten a ton of production out of but the seed coat pattern and colors are so unique that i keep refreshing it and trying to get a decent crop and perhaps some of the pollen will get moved around to all the other beans i grow which are bush beans or semi-runners and earlier to finish. it does have some pods on it now, but i'm not sure how many will have beans in it by the time we get near frost season.

 

[heirloomgal]

Yes, it remains quite a puzzle to my mind. As you say, the plants have had plenty of heat which I imagine is why it is so ultra vigorous, and the day length is longer but not so much longer than in northern Spain. Ah well, I guess we’ll just have to accept defeat!

Alas, I gave up too! I have the black Mongeta Ganxet as well, but after the first experience I may never try it.

 

[heirloomgal]

Took some more pics today, found a couple beans that I don't have pod photos of so thought I'd add them to the bean files here. We've had rain for the past 2 days, not downpours, but cold and wet, drizzly. Thankfully temps are going up again and allow the beans more warmth and time to mature. Lots of dried pods rolling in.

Turtle Peas. I direct seeded these rather late, so I'm impressed they're so far along. Interesting that they go by the moniker 'peas' rather than what they are, beans? I received these from @jbosmith and they were very productive for him, so I'm hoping for the same!

Gold und Silber.

Enfant de coeur de Arnald-Aosta.
Despite this being a somewhat later bean, the swell here is looking promising. A very pretty bean this one.

Wildtaler. Another later bean it seems, I have two different poles with 4 plants each in separate gardens and the other one (not this photo) is only just developing pods and probably won't make it. The spot was a bit shady, so clearly this bean can't handle even a bit of that given it's DTM. Thank goodness I doubled up plantings this year!

Brizzolo Toscana. I thought these pods were especially attractive. Not the run of the mill kind of purple pod for sure. The pods on the plant that are shaded by leaves don't look like this, they have speckles but not this purple overlay.

I thought this was interesting - the difference between the Myrtle Allen bean (left) and network bean Nickell on the right. The Nickell bean is forming beans though, I squeezed a pod while taking these pics and it felt like foam. I did pull the bottoms out on the Myrtle Allen beans yesterday so that may have rushed them a little.

There was no good lighting for beans photos today, but I tried with one, network bean Blue Tip.

Pod set on Grasa de Transylvania is very good. A really magnificent variety.

Mona Lisa

 

[Branching Out]

Network pole snap bean Potomac is likely the most robust plant in my garden this year. Not sure if it's the variety or the location that is responsible for it growing so well-- but I'm happy with its progress so far!

 

[Decoy1]

if you have enough overlapping bean plants available you could try to do some crossing to get an earlier version. i grew three climbing beans this year (one a surprise that is edible) and one of them is a longer growing season bean that i've never gotten a ton of production out of but the seed coat pattern and colors are so unique that i keep refreshing it and trying to get a decent crop and perhaps some of the pollen will get moved around to all the other beans i grow which are bush beans or semi-runners and earlier to finish. it does have some pods on it now, but i'm not sure how many will have beans in it by the time we get near frost season.

Thanks, but I can’t see how that would work. The only other varieties flowering at the same time (and Mongeta del Ganxet is still only in tight bud) would also be very late and so neither variety, nor the cross, would set beans in time for seed.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Summer Bean Show 2024 Vol. #25

Bean #83 reminds me of my Kishwaukee Green and Yellow beans. Bean #86 is a work of art.


Bean #81...........................................................Bean #82


Bean #83...........................................................Bean #85


Bean #86...........................................................Bean #87

 

[flowerbug]

Thanks, but I can’t see how that would work. The only other varieties flowering at the same time (and Mongeta del Ganxet is still only in tight bud) would also be very late and so neither variety, nor the cross, would set beans in time for seed.

well, i did say if... currently i have a lot of short season beans blooming and trying to fill some pods, but i'm not sure they will succeed before frosts get here. i stagger planted some Purple Dove beans rather late otherwise i'd not have much in edible beans this late in the season. i may have also scattered some other bean varieties randomly in the patches because i do want to encourage random crosses that the bees can do for me.

the pole bean that is edible has a brown seed coat (of course)... no idea if it will repeat or be stable and i'm not sure i'll plant it again to try that out.

i spent four hours yesterday and last night sorting bean pods (to get the dry pods apart from those that still need to finish drying). today i'll be doing more of that until i'm all through them and plus i need to check and rotate all the flats and bags i've already done to make sure no fungus is running rampant through any bags or flats.

 

[heirloomgal]

It's going to 2C/36F tonight!!
I'm just going to be positive and believe everything will be JUST FINE. Ha!
In the meantime, more bean pictures from yesterday.

Mauchlebohne. I'm not sure if this bean is true to type or not, yellow pods don't seem to fit with what I can find about this bean online. If anyone has any info about this bean, please share.

Marmortimer Monde, or a name very close to that. My tag photo didn't come through well, so this is a guess how its spelled.

Network bean Fat Man is getting scary with the leaning!

With all these pods I'm afraid it will likely fall right over.....

@Blue-Jay's Black and White Goose.

Network bean Fagiola Ruviotti.

DH surprised me with this today! A 4 level bean drying rack! And I can use long bamboo across the 2x4's for the bush beans.

Leslie Tenderpod. I direct seeded this bean and it is quite late. Hope it can mature at least some pods.

Network bean Schwarz Valder Aus Machbohne. This is definitely a late DTM bush bean; considering I started in almost 30 days ahead and it's planted in prime real estate in full sun and still isn't dried up! I have a few handfuls of brownish pods in a box under cover though. But the production seems really high. I think those 2 qualities can be tied in together like that - the later beans yield incredibly well.