2025 Little Easy Bean Network - Growers Of The Future Will Be Glad We Saved

[frijolymoly]

Marvel of Nictaux

 

[heirloomgal]

The delicate 'Marie-Louise' bean. I love the name, and I love the color of the pods, reminds me a little of peaches.

Portuguese bean 'Bragançano', sizing up to be a very nice variety! It's in a spot that gets some afternoon shade, which I think is slowing it a little. But the pods go from green and pink speckled, to green and purple which I sort of like. It looks like there's two colors of beans growing on the vines.

I've been wanting to grow the 'Mombacher Speck' bean for a couple years now, I failed the first time I tried. I have some curse that hovers above me when it comes to white seeded beans! But this year I have triumphed over the WBC (white bean curse) and got it to grow!!! 'Mechelse Tros' is the other one that's bedeviled me, but I might get to harvest seed this year by the looks of the plants. This photo is of Mombacher. I grew 'Quedlinburger Speck' and loved it so I wanted to try this one too.

'Domatsu' is looking nice.

'Bobis D'Albenga'. Interestingly this bean seems to have two forms, a bush and a pole version. The Italian seed shops seem to offer more the pole type, which is where I got this one.

Lots of the Appalachian type beans are drying down, which is great. I always worry a little about those being Southern, but again, they seem quite early all of them. The 'Hopi Purple' semi runner though, still hasn't even flowered. I'm losing hope for it at this point, it was sent to me as a gift by a SSE fellow who likely has a longer season that me (I'm guessing). The temperatures dropped quite a bit recently, low of 7C/45F at night and about 20C/68 F and less during the day this upcoming week. I suspect it will pick back up again for a little while but that is still pretty chilly.

 

[Decoy1]

Portuguese bean 'Bragançano', sizing up to be a very nice variety! It's in a spot that gets some afternoon shade, which I think is slowing it a little. But the pods go from green and pink speckled, to green and purple which I sort of like. It looks like there's two colors of beans growing on the vines.

I very much like Bragançano too but I think of it as quite a late bean so I think yours is doing quite well to be producing now. For a number of years I grew it to have a snap bean for eating when many other varieties were past that stage and it worked well in that way.

 

[Neen5MI]

Lots of the Appalachian type beans are drying down, which is great. I always worry a little about those being Southern, but again, they seem quite early all of them. The 'Hopi Purple' semi runner though, still hasn't even flowered. I'm losing hope for it at this point, it was sent to me as a gift by a SSE fellow who likely has a longer season that me (I'm guessing). The temperatures dropped quite a bit recently, low of 7C/45F at night and about 20C/68 F and less during the day this upcoming week. I suspect it will pick back up again for a little while but that is still pretty chilly.

I've developed an interest in the Appalachian varieties, and have had mixed results. Last season I grew Headricks Greasy Cutshort, Dean Family Greasy Cutshort, Tennessee Mountain Climber, and Old Time Golden Stick. They all matured with room (season) to spare. In fact, Tennessee Mountain Climber was quite early, with a second flush of pods later in the summer. Old Time golden Stick was the only poor producer, though perfectly on time.

This season, Cades Cove has just now gotten pods of a reassuring size, like I might actually get dry seed. Pink Tip Greasy has the very tiniest hint of pods. I have almost no hope of mature seed. Tennessee Cutshort is performing beautifully. These three are network varieties I'm trying for the first time. I also have Little Red Cutshort and Ground Squirrel (from Ruralmama, thanks!) that are both far exceeding expectations.

Heirloomgal, I believe you and I garden in very similar climactic conditions. I'd be curious to know what Appalachian type beans have proven to grow reliably in our shortish season. I prefer to garden without some much nail biting!

 

[flowerbug]

I've developed an interest in the Appalachian varieties, and have had mixed results.

i tried a few and found most of them were too long of a season for us or close enough to not be reliable.

to me it is no fun to put in the work of growing them if they're not going to be reliable.

when i grow longer season varieties i'm hoping to get them to cross with earlier ones and eventually to get them to cross then again with the earliest beans. since i have to get the bees to do this work for me it can take years to see results, but it can happen.

...
Heirloomgal, I believe you and I garden in very similar climactic conditions.

i'd say she has a week or two shorter season than us.

I'd be curious to know what Appalachian type beans have proven to grow reliably in our shortish season. I prefer to garden without some much nail biting!

i try to shoot for beans that are ready by mid-September, but the past few years we've had a longer season.

 

[ruralmamma]

My flat was getting full, so I shelled the Blue Tip beans from last week to make room for the new pods to dry. Seven seeds per pod and so many more to be harvested. I have officially given myself permission to sample this variety as it's still producing and looks like I'll have plenty of seed.

 

[flowerbug]

got some picking of beans in and then the rains dotted me and i was ready to come in anyways.

 

[Neen5MI]

i tried a few and found most of them were too long of a season for us or close enough to not be reliable.

to me it is no fun to put in the work of growing them if they're not going to be reliable.

when i grow longer season varieties i'm hoping to get them to cross with earlier ones and eventually to get them to cross then again with the earliest beans. since i have to get the bees to do this work for me it can take years to see results, but it can happen.




i'd say she has a week or two shorter season than us.




i try to shoot for beans that are ready by mid-September, but the past few years we've had a longer season.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I must have just lucked out, that my first exposure was so successful. The idea of a bean with a longer window for fresh eating is appealing to me. I guess I can be satisfied with the handful that have worked in my garden to date.

 

[heirloomgal]

I very much like Bragançano too but I think of it as quite a late bean so I think yours is doing quite well to be producing now. For a number of years I grew it to have a snap bean for eating when many other varieties were past that stage and it worked well in that way.

This is good to know @Decoy1, the next time I plant it I'll find a sunnier location, I didn't realize it was a later maturing variety. I'm even more glad now that it's getting some developed pods considering that it's in a slightly shaded spot. Some varieties from Italy, Portugal and Spain are tough for me to grow being so late, it's really hit and miss with them.

 

[heirloomgal]

I've developed an interest in the Appalachian varieties, and have had mixed results. Last season I grew Headricks Greasy Cutshort, Dean Family Greasy Cutshort, Tennessee Mountain Climber, and Old Time Golden Stick. They all matured with room (season) to spare. In fact, Tennessee Mountain Climber was quite early, with a second flush of pods later in the summer. Old Time golden Stick was the only poor producer, though perfectly on time.

This season, Cades Cove has just now gotten pods of a reassuring size, like I might actually get dry seed. Pink Tip Greasy has the very tiniest hint of pods. I have almost no hope of mature seed. Tennessee Cutshort is performing beautifully. These three are network varieties I'm trying for the first time. I also have Little Red Cutshort and Ground Squirrel (from Ruralmama, thanks!) that are both far exceeding expectations.

Heirloomgal, I believe you and I garden in very similar climactic conditions. I'd be curious to know what Appalachian type beans have proven to grow reliably in our shortish season. I prefer to garden without some much nail biting!

Off the top of my head, let's see, Fat Man, Nickell, Juanita Smith, Granny, Ruth Bible, Ranger, Rattlesnake, Old Joe Clark, State 1/2 Runner (this year, so early!) Mountaineer, Frank Barnett, Red Eye Greasy (this years bean) is quite early too. Hastings is another good one. There's probably others and I've forgotten, but it has been shocking not only how early they are but how huge the yields are. Some of the best beans I've grown. That said, I've hit a few like Pink Tip Greasy which I'm growing this year - I can see it's quite late. So that one is not a good fit for the northern locales. But the Grady Bailey Greasy, also this year, looks like it'll make it in good time. I grew Old Time Golden Stick too, you might have just had an off year with it because it produced pretty good here and super early too, and I'm still a ways north of your location. If you ever want to do a trade in some Appalachians, send me a DM. I'm growing Brown Eyed Bobby, and it's almost dry right now. Anyone know if that is an Appalachian bean? Sort of sounds like it to me, but it's a bush, so maybe not.