2015 Little Easy Bean Network - Old Beans Should Never Die !
- Thread starter Blue-Jay
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VA_LongBean
Deeply Rooted
The beans are out in my garden and growing. 3 each of the two surviving kinds and I have backup seed in case something happens to them.
One thing, it seems like the Solwezi bean is growing as a bush and the Piet is growing as a pole, opposite to how they were described. I'll know for certain in a week or two. And yes, I'll get pictures up soon.
One thing, it seems like the Solwezi bean is growing as a bush and the Piet is growing as a pole, opposite to how they were described. I'll know for certain in a week or two. And yes, I'll get pictures up soon.
teamneu
Chillin' In The Garden
Happy Monday!
The Imbotyi Mbayiyana and Zambezi #2 are coming along well, and I planted the Wren's Egg this weekend. I hated to put such pretty seeds into the ground.
I found some small beans on my KY Wonder plants, so I should be up to my neck in beans in a few weeks.
We've had flooding rains over the past month or so, so it was a good thing I planted the South African beans on the sandy garden area as @Bluejay77 advised. I had drainage furrows to direct excess water to the edge of the garden as it slopes down some, and the heavy rains eroded the side of the garden a bit.
I also had to do some work to cover tomato roots that started to show. This wasn't a burden, because my Mom's and my uncle's gardens on flat loamy soil drowned, so it could have been much worse. Unless there is further disaster, and there usually is, I should be able to keep them in tomatoes and beans this summer.
The Imbotyi Mbayiyana and Zambezi #2 are coming along well, and I planted the Wren's Egg this weekend. I hated to put such pretty seeds into the ground.
I found some small beans on my KY Wonder plants, so I should be up to my neck in beans in a few weeks.
We've had flooding rains over the past month or so, so it was a good thing I planted the South African beans on the sandy garden area as @Bluejay77 advised. I had drainage furrows to direct excess water to the edge of the garden as it slopes down some, and the heavy rains eroded the side of the garden a bit.
I also had to do some work to cover tomato roots that started to show. This wasn't a burden, because my Mom's and my uncle's gardens on flat loamy soil drowned, so it could have been much worse. Unless there is further disaster, and there usually is
, I should be able to keep them in tomatoes and beans this summer.- Thread starter
- #214
Blue-Jay
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Yes Happy Monday @teamneu !
Sounds so great about the beans growing well. I know what you mean about putting pretty seed in the ground, but you will wind up with so many more of them.
I haven't even thought about when I'm going to plant beans here yet. We had a nice weekend of near 80 degree weather and now tonight temperatures are suppossed to be in the upper 30's. Doesn't help the soil to warm up at all. There has not been any consistency to the temperatures here yet. Probably will be planting here around the 1st of June.
Sounds so great about the beans growing well. I know what you mean about putting pretty seed in the ground, but you will wind up with so many more of them.
I haven't even thought about when I'm going to plant beans here yet. We had a nice weekend of near 80 degree weather and now tonight temperatures are suppossed to be in the upper 30's. Doesn't help the soil to warm up at all. There has not been any consistency to the temperatures here yet. Probably will be planting here around the 1st of June.
Ridgerunner
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It's plenty warm enough here but this rain will just not let up. I know I'll be wanting rain in a couple of months but a few days straight without any would really help me out about now. From the forecast 1st of June may be when mine go in the ground too.
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Blue-Jay
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Now we can see what the farmers go through. Sometimes you can't get just what you need in the way of the weather at the right time. That timeliness thing gets thrown way off balance. I'm sure the balance of cold and warm will be tipped towards summer here probably within the next two weeks.
Hal
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Good to see some new folks joining in this year.
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Blue-Jay
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Yes it was very nice to see some new participants this year. in 2013 we had 12 growers in 2014 we had 13, and this year we have 11. Some of our past years growers took a time out this year. If we get everyone back next year we will have the highest number yet.
I still have not planted the big bean patch this year. I will grow all bush beans will total 163. I have 10 pole beans already planted in my flower beds near my house. Waiting for about 3 or 4 days of dry weather so when I hit the soil with the tiller it won't leave a bunch of hard baked dirt clods. It should crumble and break up just right leaving a smooth surface texture. I have tilled my patch once this year to keep the weeds down, but it's going to need it again. If the weather forcast is correct this next coming week should be planting time for me finally.
About a week and a half ago I received 52 packets of outcrossed beans from Will Bonsall. Will used to be a member of Seed Savers Exchange, and he and I have traded beans as far back as the early 80's. So I will be planting about 20 of those outcrossed beans from Will this year.
I also received from another member of Seed Savers Exchange in late April. The remains of the beans that Robert Lobitz was working with before he passed away in 2006. The beans had been in the hands of an SSE member in Kansas and he has gotten rather frustrated working with them so I got a hold of them from him and I will give them a try.
I'll plant 18 different ones out of those. I also split these Lobitz beans with a young fellow in Kentucky who wants to be a bean breeder. I met him one morning in early February when I got an email from him after he discovered my website. He is a high school student. His parents were plant breeders for the Cargill company from the early 1970's to the mid 1990's. So by the end of this season I hope I can say it's bean and interesting summer.
I still have not planted the big bean patch this year. I will grow all bush beans will total 163. I have 10 pole beans already planted in my flower beds near my house. Waiting for about 3 or 4 days of dry weather so when I hit the soil with the tiller it won't leave a bunch of hard baked dirt clods. It should crumble and break up just right leaving a smooth surface texture. I have tilled my patch once this year to keep the weeds down, but it's going to need it again. If the weather forcast is correct this next coming week should be planting time for me finally.
About a week and a half ago I received 52 packets of outcrossed beans from Will Bonsall. Will used to be a member of Seed Savers Exchange, and he and I have traded beans as far back as the early 80's. So I will be planting about 20 of those outcrossed beans from Will this year.
I also received from another member of Seed Savers Exchange in late April. The remains of the beans that Robert Lobitz was working with before he passed away in 2006. The beans had been in the hands of an SSE member in Kansas and he has gotten rather frustrated working with them so I got a hold of them from him and I will give them a try.
I'll plant 18 different ones out of those. I also split these Lobitz beans with a young fellow in Kentucky who wants to be a bean breeder. I met him one morning in early February when I got an email from him after he discovered my website. He is a high school student. His parents were plant breeders for the Cargill company from the early 1970's to the mid 1990's. So by the end of this season I hope I can say it's bean and interesting summer.
Hal
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Already seems interesting if you ask me! Good to hear someone else wants to get into vegetable breeding, especially beans.
VA_LongBean
Deeply Rooted
Bean Update:
Piet Special can be conclusively labeled a pole bean.
The first seedling has reached the top of one 4-foot broken branch and the second seedling is twining vigorously up another broken branch. The third one has no leaves, but has not yet gone brown so I'm hoping it will pull through.
Solwezi was looking like a sedate bush bean a few days ago has sent out very long runners. All three of those are doing very well.
Both beans have been given a steel stake each. I've tied twine from the top of each stake to another stake supporting non-phaseolus beans. My garden is now a clothesline hazard for anyone over 5' 5"
. I'll try to ensure the returned seed are from the staked parts of the plants, just in case.
Obviously, I just got in from setting steel stakes and tying twine for all of my beans in the main garden. After lunch I'll take some photos.
Piet Special can be conclusively labeled a pole bean.
The first seedling has reached the top of one 4-foot broken branch and the second seedling is twining vigorously up another broken branch. The third one has no leaves, but has not yet gone brown so I'm hoping it will pull through.Solwezi was looking like a sedate bush bean a few days ago has sent out very long runners. All three of those are doing very well.
Both beans have been given a steel stake each. I've tied twine from the top of each stake to another stake supporting non-phaseolus beans. My garden is now a clothesline hazard for anyone over 5' 5"
. I'll try to ensure the returned seed are from the staked parts of the plants, just in case.Obviously, I just got in from setting steel stakes and tying twine for all of my beans in the main garden. After lunch I'll take some photos.
