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Lovely colour! I’ve read around this some more and found that callaloo isn’t necessarily Amaranthus tricolor. It can be other edible amaranths too. It’s simply that edible amaranth is known as callaloo in the Caribbean and by different names elsewhere.

If it’s Amaranthus tricolor it’s also important in Caribbean diets as Callaloo, the name given to both the leaf and the dish cooked from it, I believe.

Interesting. Do you know whether Guy Dirix donated Gold und Silber to Bohnen-Atlas?

I think it’s indeed very likely that Guy Dirix’s came from Bohnen-Atlas or Bohnen-Atlas’s came from Guy Dirix, so perhaps we’ll find out.

Oh dear. Sorry for my careless reading after your efforts to clarify. Looking back at your message you made it very clear that you had similarly rounded seeds from Deaflora. It will be interesting to see whether Guy Dirix can cast light on where his and Bohnen-Atlas’s longer seeds might have...

So Bohnen-Atlas, Deaflora and Guy Dirix (and @heirloomgal and I) all have the wrong strain, the more elongated form. Bohnen-Atlas might have the right strain too, or might have used a photo from Jannes Aalders who apparently has the correct rounder strain. Thank you, @Artorius for clarifying...

Interesting. I received Gold und Silber from Bohnen-Atlas and these are the seeds I received I grew them in 2020 and, like you, Artorius, I struggled to get good quality seed but this is what mine looked like shortly after harvesting I haven't gone back to see whether the seed has...

I just use my iPhone. It’s so convenient as it’s there in my pocket or bag and then downloading into my records is completely straightforward, so I gave my SLR up quite a while ago. I think I was lucky with the light on the Hamby one.

Some beans that I've been shelling in the last couple of days Madeira Maroon Needs a medium length season. Just drying down here now. Probably best as a shelled and/or dry bean. It was originally from Beans and Herbs in UK. They say, ‘Beautiful red striped pods. Shelling only ….Bought from a...

Thanks. That’s reassuring.

I use deep celled propagation trays. Beans seem to like the deep shape without needing to use too much compost. They work very well and take up less space.

I’d love to. Not sure about certificates etc from and to Canada. I’ll pm you. Mine by the way are always transplants too.

Interesting that you had such exceptional results from Ruth Bible. I’ve been wanting to try it for some time too. I happened to receive it from two different sources this year but, alas, neither prospered. One batch died completely and the other has struggled to produce half a dozen pods. I’m...

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.

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! ☹️

Yes indeed, but in this case the reluctance to flower is more extreme than you would expect from a variety grown in northern Spain

Thanks for this @heirloomgal. Artorius wrote last year that he received seed from Catalonia which is in the north of Spain but I’m not sure whether he meant that they originate there. If so, it would be surprising. Others in previous years have indicated that the plants didn’t thrive. For me, in...

I’m wondering whether anyone else has experience of growing Mongeta del Ganxet, the bean whose seed looks rather like a cashew nut. I’m attempting to grow it in my polytunnel where it’s notable for two things. Firstly it’s amazingly vigorous and seems to be wanting to take over the whole...

Some are very difficult to pod though until they are fully dry, by which time they are harvestable for seed. Trial and error will suggest which varieties are good for shellies and they’re usually ones with visibly plump beans showing when the pods are just beginning to lose their full greenness...

I’m sorry you’ve had a bad year again, Triffid. In my corner of England it’s been slightly challenging but in general not too bad. Slugs, following the wet spring, devastated my squash but did much less damage to beans. I failed on three network varieties last year, Tennessee Shortcut, Kermit’s...