2016 Little Easy Bean Network - Gardeners Keeping Heirloom Beans From Extinction

The Ganymede lima harvest is rolling in. When was the last time you saw this much Ganymede seed all in one place? This is the second year I've grown Ganymede isolated from any other lima. Two years ago SSE's Heritage Farm in Decorah, Iowa found they didn't like the look of Ganymede they had in their inventory of this variety. They asked me for 300 seeds and in 2014 got 15% outcrossed seeds from that growout. In 2015 I had told them I grew Ganymede in isolation and didn't get any off types. They told me if I grew then again in 2016 without any off types they would take another sample probably of 300-500 seeds. So far all of these harvested and no off types this year. I've grown 4 times the amount of Ganymede in 2016 that I grew in 2015. I'm thinking a pure line Ganymede lima will live in the SSE inventory once again.

That is some very nice colored seed and looks consistent for color to me.

Yep they are consistent with what the seeds are supposed to look like. The darker ones (purple) are just the seeds reversing or trading the purple with the red color. The same thing that cranberry or horticultural beans do when the colors reverse on the same pattern.

Bluejay77 said:

Yep they are consistent with what the seeds are supposed to look like. The darker ones (purple) are just the seeds reversing or trading the purple with the red color. The same thing that cranberry or horticultural beans do when the colors reverse on the same pattern.

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I have a Nuna that does the same thing, I kind of like it since it provides more visual appeal.
Now that I think about it, I've seen three Phaseolus species display this trait.

Pretty eye candy, Bluejay77 ! Those look fabulous. The trait of occasional color reversal is beautiful and fascinating.

Yes eye candy for sure! What I like about this lima is that it has three colors involved in it's seed coat. Purple, Red and White. Probably one of the prettiest limas I've ever seen.

Bluejay77 said:

Yes eye candy for sure! What I like about this lima is that it has three colors involved in it's seed coat. Purple, Red and White. Probably one of the prettiest limas I've ever seen.

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More people need to grow this one!

That's the best insurance for keeping these heirlooms going!

@Bluejay77 One of the plants from the #45's was a twining bush, not sure if it had a yellow pod or not, the plant was very weak and only made one pod before it turned up it's heels and croaked. It did give me 4 lovely healthy looking seeds before it did .
This is the seed I planted... #45-6


...and this is what it produced....

Looks like the one I planted...........................Taken with a flash, the color is more noticeable.

Most of the plants from the #45 bunch were either bush or twining bush. When I harvested the few seeds they produced I planted one seed from 4 of the bush types in pots just to see if they would produce weak plants too but not so, they all came up and look healthy so far. I might or might not get seed from them but they can be moved to the greenhouse if the weather turns. I will be sending what seed I managed to get back to you late fall/early winter, maybe someone with more space can grow these out for you, I really don't have the room for bush beans, if I did I'd grow them again next year with fresh seed.

Annette

8/29/16

Solwezi #2 --
Yellowish-white bloom, just blooming, no beans at this time, moderate climber.
(Forgot to take pic.)

Rote Kepflerbohne --
Pale lavender bloom, vigorous climber, heavy yielder. Pods are 3-4", notably curved and beans are full and bumpy in the Pod. Probably a dry bean. Has been bearing since 2 weeks ago.


Monachelle di Morcia --
White bloom, vigorous climber, heavy yielder, pods are approximately 5-6 inches long, flat and wide, fill out quickly, but may be a good snap bean.


Aunt Jean's --
Moderate climber. Have had some trouble with this one. Pulled out two diseased ones, but the remainder look okay. Pods are 4 - 5 inches long and full. Began bearing about 3 weeks ago. Seeing first dry beans now.


#47-A (green vine) --
Vigorous climber, first snap beans 2 weeks ago, pale lavender bloom, pods are approximately 4 to 5 inches long, very faintly marked with red at tip, more apparent as they dry, seeing first dry beans here soon. Probably a snap bean.


#47-B (red vine) --
Lavender bloom, first green beans forming now, will describe better later.


#48 --
Definitely a bush bean, pale lavender bloom, pods are approx. 4-5" long, some pods have purple splotches, began bearing about a week ago, appears to be a snap bean.

May be only one plant that has the purple splotches, as I don't see many...


#49 --
Definitely a bush bean, very faint lavender bloom, just began bearing, appears to be a snap bean too, had only one plant on this one, badly affected with intraveinal chlorosis, but bearing ok. Pods look a little longer and thinner on this one.


Milk & Cider --
Very vigorous climber, monstrous plant, overwhelming the bamboo teepee! Pale yellow bloom, began yielding about a week ago, pods are approximately 6 to 7 inches long, bears in clusters of about 7 beans each. Looks like it would make a good snap bean early on.

I'm going to have a bunch of these to can!

I think I've got my foliage problem figured out. I think it is a magnesium deficiency. Other plants in the garden like my okra have it too. The only plants that don't have the intraveinal chlorosis are the peppers and tomatoes, which were given a scoop of Epsom salts at planting. Yellowing begins on the bottom-most leaves, which turn completely yellow and die after while. I have high N in this plot because I pastured my chickens on it all winter, pH is a little too low, and we've had lots of rain this year, so that is my best guess under the circumstances. Here's what it looks like on the okra, just like some of the beans.


After I pulled 3 Aunt Jean's plants, I've seen no other twisted, contorted, diseased-looking plants thankfully!

On most of these, I should have a lot of seed to send you, Russ. Can't wait to start opening pods.

Thank you to whomever it was who mentioned that you can take pics directly in your notes on the smartphone. I didn't realize that before. It helps me keep everything straight to put an image right there in my records. I'm getting to where my whole life and brain is on this silly phone, lol.