2015 Little Easy Bean Network - Old Beans Should Never Die !

[Blue-Jay]

@Pulsegleaner,

I don't know exactly how long that green pod you photoed will take to produce viable seed. If it were on an active plant with leaves on it then I might guess maybe about 3 weeks. Why does your plant in the pot not have any leaves? Perhaps it will leaf out again. The stem and roots of your plant might still be alive. I've seen plants do this during an extended mild period at the end of the seed harvest after the plant has dropped it's leaves it sometimes leafs out again a little, but nothing like it would have been durng it's peak of vitality.

I've grown bush plants in large pots in my house. One plant to a large 15 inch deep pot. I water it about a quart of water a week. The plants in the house only get the afternoon sun through a window and take about a month longer than my garden plants to produce about 10 pods with pretty much normal sized seed. This is only about a third as many pods as my garden grown plants.

Keep your plant inside near a window where it's gets as many hours of sun as possible. See what happens.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

NONE of them do; every last leaf on all of them withered up and fell off. That sometimes happens near the end, the bean plants go into "last gasp" mode and begin aborting everything in an attempt to divert all food into finishing up the seed it already has. That's probably why the other pods (including one that was almost as long as this one but less filled) all aborted.
I guess I'll just go by the old method; when the part of the pod closest to the stem either goes yellow or caves in, I can remove the pod (at that point the pod is no longer getting anything from the stem so whether it is still attached or not become irrelevant.

Pity if it doesn't finish up. Besides how infrequent it is for me to get viable seed off the Mottled Grey's, this one has to be the LONGEST podded version I have ever seen (up until now most of the MG have been like the FPV's with only two or three possible seed locules max per pod (i.e. they are shortish beans). This one has eight.

 

[buckabucka]

Yes, @Bluejay77 , I would call the Shoshone bean a half-runner. I appreciate the offer of true Shoshone, but I have so many beans to try out that I'm not sure I can squeeze in any more!

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

I'm still working on my beans. I harvested all the Purple champion yesterday. They are drying. Should I remove the beans from the pods? See how wonderfully purple they are? Tasty too as steamed beans.

The others are all done and will be mailed when the purple ones are ready.

edited to add> there are no beans for #33. Plants barely grew inspite of the watering from above from our master bedroom shower pail.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Looks like the Mottled grey will have all the time it needs, I managed to move a few things around and make space for the tomato plant anyway

I have to say, I really hope this one makes something. Considering that this plant 1. Is a volunteer. 2. must have managed to get this big in less than a month (it wasn't there when I was last over on the side of the house to harvest the last of the onions) 2. Grew directly under one of the biggest trees (read in perpetual shade) and still not only looks better than any tomato plant I have ever planted on purpose but is in full flower, this is one hardy tomato!

Oh and in case anyone cares the stuff in the pot next to it is what is left of the Fort Portal Violet Beans (unlike the mottled grey they DO still have some leaves) and behind that is the "what is it?" (long spindly thing with the round leaves.)

 

[Blue-Jay]

Hi @murphysranch,

Were the Purple Champion pods begining to become dry while on the plants or did you remove them raw, and very full of moisture? I would allow the seed to dry out while in the pods even if it takes a month for the pods to become dry and crispy.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Raw. It was time to pull up that last plant. Thanks~

 

[journey11]

Raw. It was time to pull up that last plant. Thanks~

You'll want to lay them out flat in a single layer on a screen or some cardboard. A lesson learned the hard way.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Raw. It was time to pull up that last plant. Thanks~

I just wouldn't recommned that technique for growing good seed. The pods should at least be a bit on the way to have been drying on the plants. Pulling them off raw you can't always be sure they will even be mature enough to be viable growable seed. Raw pods full of moisture and rather imature seeds shrink and shrivel alot, and can be subject to mold and decay because of the high moisture content.

Anyway now that you have done that I would allow the seeds to dry while in the pods even if it takes a month for them to dry really well. Also don't pile the pods on top of each other. Lay them out somewhere with at least some small amount of space between the pods so they don't mold.

When you return seed next month sometime. Please send back any left over seed you had of the purple poded bean.

I'm curious why did you think it was time to pull the pods off the plants? Do you have frost threatening soon?

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

I'm sorry. I didn't know. There are alot so I'll send along the naturally dried ones. DH was taking down the deer fencing, so I thought I was saving the pods from the herds of deer here on the golf course. I know better now! Thanks!!