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

[aftermidnight]

@Bluejay77 using the color chart above #45-4 is almost identical to mahogany on my computer.
Annette

 

[Blue-Jay]

@aftermidnight, I think that is about correct even on this color chart I found. See how this one compares. http://digitalsynopsis.com/design/color-thesaurus-correct-names-of-shades/

 

[Tricia77]

Out of curiosity I picked one of my #34 pole beans last night to see what the beans look like inside. I picked a pod that was at the bottom of the vine which was plump and only formed two beans. I see some striping on the bean, but not much coloring yet.

#34 Pole beans by Tricia Rosamilia, on Flickr

I also remembered to take a picture of Cape Sugar which I am also growing for Russ. It was sown later than the rest and it is just now starting to vine. I believe it is a semi runner, so I have it growing at the base of my bamboo teepee. I have 8 plants growing.

Cape Sugar by Tricia Rosamilia, on Flickr

 

[Blue-Jay]

@Tricia77, The pod you took the seeds from still looks rather green so to speak a bit immature. Not fully mature and dry, crunchy a bit like a potato chip. So the colors on the seeds that come out of pods that are on the green side won't have their pigmentation fully developed. Perhaps in about a week or so your seeds will dark to their natural color. It looks like your bean might turn out looking much like a Pinto bean. The pods are lovely. Very stongly splashed with purple. When the pods are fully dry those purple markings will fade substantially.

 

[VA_LongBean]

Tonight I harvested my first seeds from one of the pole versions of Passage to India. When I send the seed back this fall I'll send them in separate packets.

. . . edit . . .

I just opened some of the pods and now I'm convinced each vine will give me a different result. These are shiny, small, a bit flatter than Passage to India (they are not the Chocolate tepary) and jet black. Very interesting.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I feel much the same way about the numbered beans I'm growing for Russ. Each vine has the potential to produce a totally different bean compared to the bean planted and any other beans produced on other vines, even if it is from the same kind of seed and even if the vine, blossom, and pod looks similar. I got four different packets of numbered seeds from Russ. I've lost track of how many different seeds I'm going to have and I still have not seen close to all the beans I'll have.

It's still early in the harvest. I'm not going to worry about it, just harvest as they dry and keep track of where they come from. When it's over and I have final dried seeds I'll figure out how I'm going to explain it all to Russ. I can see several different shipments just to try to keep it organized.

This is more fun than I expected.

 

[aftermidnight]

@Bluejay77 scratching my head over this one, planted this...
same sized seed as all the rest.

This one grew the best for me, longest healthiest vine, 12-14 ft., maybe longer. Lots of flowers and a good bean set.


... and ended up with lots of bean clusters that are finishing out between 2 1/2 - 3 inches long and skinnnnnnny.


A lot of the pods feel empty, not forming beans, if they do the seed collected is going to be tiny, maybe tinier than a rice bean. Maybe we should call this one 'Tiny Tim'. So far all the other seed harvested is the same as the ones planted, this will be the exception.

Annette

 

[Blue-Jay]

@aftermidnight, You just never know what surprises wait with some of these beans. Just fascinating. Are those wax pods or are they just turning yellow as they mature towards producing their dry seed? Will be very interesting to see what the seed looks like in those pods.

 

[aftermidnight]

@Bluejay77 , the pods start off green and then turn yellow pretty quick so yes it probably is a wax bean. It really will be interesting to see what color and how big the seed becomes, that is if they produce any .

Annette

 

[Blue-Jay]

@aftermidnight, Decided to go check the original seed packet that the #45 seeds came in, and the packet has "Christley" pole off type marked on it. So I go and google Phaseolus Vulgaris Christley and it's listed in the National Gardening Association database as a wax bean. The original seed packet also has smooth slender pods marked on it. So maybe with your yellow beans the plants are trying to sort back out into something similar to Christley, but I'm sure they won't be exactly the same as the original.