Search results

I'm the Michigan grower of Frost this year. I had no trouble with germination, vigor, weather, or pest damage, but it does require a noticeably longer season than most beans I grew. I was able to plant at least 2 weeks earlier than most years, in a very uncharacteristic spring. And still I...

One of the many common names for this plant is Bee's Friend. According to Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, it's an annual, 1-3 feet tall, propagated only by seed. I can personally attest, it self seeds PROLIFICALLY. I grew it years ago when I was keeping honey bees. I've eliminated it from...

I love hearing stories, even tiny slivers of stories, about those participating in the network grow outs. Thanks for these kinds of posts!

A friend picked up a handful of these at a local farmer's market for me several years ago, knowing I loved heirloom beans. They've become a staple in my bean garden. Beautiful, carefree, productive.

Sounds like ducks would be happy in your location!

Does everybody know the Sesame Street song, "One of the things is not like the other. One of these things doesn't belong."? Well, it's been stuck in my head due to this discovery while shelling Old Time Golden Stick, a network bean. The planted seed was small, approximately spherical...

This has been the heart of my drying system in the past, and has worked brilliantly. This year has been so rainy, and it's my first year growing network beans, so I'm a little paranoid about losing varieties to mold. What feel like crispy dry pods on the plant become soft after picking and...

My new drying system arrived yesterday! 😊 Increased capacity and effectiveness with decreased footprint! I got the trays at the university surplus store for a song, and I've been brainstorming a homemade rack, but decided I have neither the skills nor the time. Voila! Harvest is 75% (or more)...

The St. Fiacre story has always had a special place in my heart. Who knew there was a bean?!? May I ask where you got your seeds? I don't find it in either of Russ's collections, Seed Savers, or in a general Google search.

I'd like to share some optimism about deer predation of beans! I exponentially expanded my bean growing space this year, by using converted beds at my S.O.'s property. He's never had deer damage, in 28+ years, in spite of having hosta, corn, edamame, peas, cantaloupe, watermelon, in his...

Thank you. I have a preference for pole beans, but I agree (we're in a similar location) they are not as close to drying as I'd like at this point in the growing season for seed saving long term.

I cooked them with ham, garlic. onion, sweet peppers, and black pepper. Because the tradition is for long, slow cooking, I cheated and used a pressure cooker for 20 minutes. The pods and seeds were very tender, melt-in-your-mouth, and the dish was delicious, with ham being the central flavor...

My plants have pods in every stage, from tiny slivers to crisply dried down. Do you mean the decision on how to cook occurs during food prep? Would a "mess of beans" end up a combination of whole beans and shelled beans? Or do the shelled beans get tossed in a separate bowl and held for use in a...

I need some guidance from growers with experience harvesting greasy beans for fresh eating. I'm growing 2 varieties for the first time, Headricks Greasy Cutshort and Dean Family Greasy Cutshort. They are network beans, but so amazingly productive that I decided to pick and eat some. How does one...

I have a network bean dilemma. I picked the drying pods from the entire row of Inca Pea, removed seed from the pods, and got this: I didn't appreciate the difference in pod characteristics during picking, but during shelling (when the unexpected seed color appeared) the black seeds come from...

Do I understand correctly, that you attribute failure to thrive to the direct seeding? If the seeds germinate, and presumably have the same growing conditions as the transplants, and have adequate time to mature, it seems like the direct seeded would have the advantage of avoiding the trauma of...

That sounds like a very efficient system, and useful for modest collections as well as giant ones!

Yes, the attic gets very hot, but my beans are only there during the fall harvest and drying season when temperatures have moderated, and as much of winter as needed to experience a freeze. Then I move them to a conditioned part of the house. So, those small samples, for replanting or sharing...

Ok, there's no such thing as a dumb question. Right? So, can we talk about storage and organization of so many bean varieties? I'm finding my self challenged on several fronts: -I don't have freezer space for long term storage of everything. I keep the current year's harvest (shelled and...

So, I'm shopping for potential network beans to request for next year (Call me crazy. Not gonna argue.) and love the look of Kiagara Mame. I just happen to have a temporary housemate whose first language is Japanese, and knowing "mame" is Japanese for bean, I asked what Kiagara might mean. She...