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

[aftermidnight]

Yes the green pods but only a few as I was growing for seed.

Annette

 

[Blue-Jay]

The Big Bean Show - Day #31​

This is "Dana's Cross". An original from the bean collection of the late and former Seed Savers Exchange member Ernest B. Dana of Etna, New Hampshire. I first acquired the bean form John Withee's Wanigan Associates in the late 1970's. The bean has been grown out so many times that it was long ago stable. Sort of like a Soldier bean with a lighter figure around the eye.

"Dana's Cross"

 

[journey11]

Russ, I got your beans packaged up today. I'll put them in the mail this week.

Got a few lima bean pics to share. Brought in the last of the limas Thursday ahead of our first killing frost, which was an unusually late frost.

@marshallsmyth , Black Neptune hasn't stabilized yet and threw out about 50/50 black seed. I'll select for those and keep trying. This was a much larger seeded lima than the other few I have; really neat plant, huge leaves and pods. Undertone on these is dark purple and the black seeds have a slight speckling of white.

Colored Willow Leaf lima that I got from @sea-kangaroo year before last. These were fun! The tips of the dry pods are devilishly spiky and the red seeded dry pods will pop open and shoot their seeds out if you don't keep a good hold on them while picking. There are 9 colors of seed in the mix.

Wick's Lima. I got this one from SSE. This little lima comes from my neck of the woods, although I don't know the family. It was grown and saved a mere 10 miles or so from where I grew up. The black seeds are solid colored and have a burgundy undertone when they're fresh. The little bit of speckling on the white seeds looks pixelated.

Fresh shelled limas are almost too pretty to eat!

 

[aftermidnight]

I wish I could grow Limas here, the only one I've grown are Black Jungle Butter Beans and these I grew in the greenhouse. Just got enough for a taste or two and a few seeds.

Annette

 

[Blue-Jay]

Hi @journey11,

I grew out my Neptune this year and got exactly the dark limas that you got from Marshall. I'm trying to do the opposite and going to try to clean up the Neptune. You will just have to keep growing the dark one to see if it will eventually stabalize. How many times have you grown this dark lima? Might take 5 years or more.

I looked up the Wick's Lima on the SSE online seed exchange and just the way you grew it is the way it's described by members who have grown the bean.
Pole lima. Vigorous. Large, flat seeds are either white with dark purple mottling or solid dark purple to black. Donated to SSE by Helen & H. Lee Thomas. Grown by the Thomas's since the 1960s when they acquired the lima from H. Lee's grandfather, Wick B. Smith, of Sandyville, WV. Grown by Mr. Smith since at least the 1930s.

Your colored Willowleaf lima is quite a collection of colors and patterns. I think the main thing about the Willowleaf is that the leaves are very slender and actually resemble the leaves on a willow tree.

I will be looking forward to your seed returns. Various growers have been sending them recently.

 

[Blue-Jay]

@aftermidnight,

I have about 136 day growing season here, and I thought your growing season was longer. Limas like Neptune, Florida Speckled, and Ganymede do just fine here. Is there an issue with how hot it gets where you live. I would characterize our summers here as short and hot.

 

[Blue-Jay]

The Big Bean Show - Day #32​

This is "Deep Red Trout". The bean was donated to John Withee's "Wanigan Associates" bean network back in the late 1970's by Ernest B. Dana of Etna, New Hampshire. I don't know if it started as an outcross or not, but it does have slightly larger seed than Jacob's Cattle. It had also held it color pattern when grown here in our hot Illinois summer in this 2016 season, when Jacob's Cattle did not produce good colors.

"Deep Red Trout"

 

[aftermidnight]

@Bluejay77 we have a fairly long growing season maybe a little longer than you but as a rule we don't get the heat you do (ideal growing conditions for most beans) . There are exceptions though and those summers knock the socks off me.
This year other than a couple of light frosts we haven't had a killing one yet but we have had one as early as September but not for quite some time now. Rain, boy have we had rain this year, we never know what to expect here we just plant and hope for the best. Last year we had a tomato glut in July, this year not a ripe one until September and flavor I think the ones from the supermarket had more flavor.
Most of are summers with the exception of a couple of weeks which may or may not hit the 80's it's pretty much in the low to mid 70's. When it gets to the mid 70's yours truly starts whining and hiding inside, can't take heat. On the other hand when it's in the 40's, 50's and 60's I'm in my glory working outside in shirtsleeves. Am I not right, Limas need heat, I've never tried growing Limas outside maybe it's time to experiment .

Annette

 

[Blue-Jay]

Hi @aftermidnight,

Yep plants in the garden like a certain amount of heat. At least in the 80's. You want me to send you some limas? Just about a dozen seeds each. I'll send Ganymede, Purple Eye and Florida Speckled.

 

[Blue-Jay]

The Big Bean Show - Day #33
​

This bean is called "Duane Baptiste". Like a plump White Kidney. A bush variety grows without runners. Said to have a hint of potato flavor. Old six nations bean that is productive in cool summers as well.

"Duane Baptiste"