2017 Little Easy Bean Network – Everything Beans, Post It Here & Join The Fun

[saritabee]

Wow, I'm amazed how much closely they came out as before, bothin appearance and growth habit. The speckled pods when I grew them were from Gopher, the sister segregation to Cleopatra. And the purplish pods on the purplish vines of Cleopatra came on later by about 3 weeks. I will be eager to hear how your seed looks on those. Mine kept that tinge, no speckling, as they aged, until turning dry and brown.

Those Pixie outcrosses are gorgeous! Amazing that so many different beans can come from one ancestor. The majority of the beans I'm getting seem to be an even middle ground between Gopher and Cleopatra. I think there's just one plant that is actually "full Cleopatra", and I'm hoping it'll finish making some seed before the frosts come, as the pods are still pretty flat... come on, beans, come on!!

 

[reedy]

I discovered something interesting last night as I was organizing by seeds for storage. I came across a few Refugee beans that I had saved back as insurance when I planted this spring. They are considerably smaller and MUCH darker color than the ones I harvested. More so that I would expect from them just being old. I'll get back on a post a photo later.

 

[thejenx]

Is everybody else also busy shelling? I can't wait to go to the garden tomorrow to see if my Lima's are finally mature enough to pick. Definately need to plant them earlier next year!

 

[Zeedman]

Shelling for me is nearly finished. Most beans are completely done; only a few late starters still producing, and that due to a very late frost. Turned out to be a good year again, despite another cold wet start. Most of the beans are still drying, looks like about 30-40 pounds of seed. I'll report in more detail once all have been dried, cleaned, and tallied.

Sieva lima & a Tarahumara runner bean are the late starters, and have just begun bearing dry seed. Possible frost Sunday night; if they make it past that, it will be another week of moderate temps, and potentially a lot more dry seed from those two.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Same here shelling mostly finished. I will weigh everything once all the beans are in and dry. Predicted low here tonight is 36 hope we get away without frost. A prediction of a bit more 70 degree weather ahead. All I have left is mostly limas drying. Have gotten some seed from all that I planted but without a frost I could get a decently larger amount from those limas. I'm also getting into a photo mode of the all seeds that I grew this year. I'll put up all photos here probably starting later this month.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm waiting on a few late ones, hopefully tomorrow's predicted low of 37 doesn't mean a frost. Other than those late ones shelling is done and maybe half of them have been looked (sorting good from bad).

With one exception the late ones were just planted late, replanted where some earlier ones didn't make it. I knew when I planted them I was pushing the growing season. But one was among the first ones planted. A cutworm cut it off but it sent out a couple of shoots. It was a pole and took forever to grow, let alone bloom and set beans. The area was shady too with the others growing on schedule. I still don't have any dried beans off of it. I think the cutworm and shade both had something to do with it being so late but mostly the shade. It's a Raspberry Ripple. I got some repeats off of other RR's planted but also a new bean from a couple so it has not completed segregation. I'd like to see what it makes, is it like the others or something new?

I wonder, would it be better to cut off a branch and hang it up to dry in a frost free area, some pods look like they are big enough but are still really green. I know the final color/pattern would probably not be what it would have been if they mature on the vine but maybe I could tell if they were going to be something totally new and get some viable seeds that way. I may try that this afternoon, cut some off and leave some in case there is not a frost. The way they are growing it would be challenging to cover them with a sheet overnight. If they make it past tomorrow morning the 10-day forecast doesn't show any other problems.

 

[flowerbug]

hello everyone,

sorry for being late to the party this season, yes,
busy shelling and sorting right now, but this is a pic
from earlier this season (early September)...

my lima beans are still going strong, putting up new
flowers and pods.

the rest are mostly done.

too much late rains now for us and not a very good
season with the late drought, storms, etc. i think my
harvest this season is going to be about 1/3rd of what
i was expecting from the area i had planted.

 

[flowerbug]

ok, here is the question of the moment.

have you ever harvested and cooked up scarlett runner bean
tubers?

if so, were they worth it? did you peel them or what?

curious...

 

[aftermidnight]

ok, here is the question of the moment.

have you ever harvested and cooked up scarlett runner bean
tubers?

if so, were they worth it? did you peel them or what?

curious...

Hmmm, no I haven't tried eating the roots and didn't know if they were edible so to satisfy my curious mind I went looking for information, this is the first thing I found.
http://www.novicefarmer.com/blog/scarlet-runner-beans
So it looks like they are edible but as to flavor, one would have to try them .

Annette

 

[journey11]

I did not know that about scarlet runners. Mine are done. I will dig them up and look. Mine always bloom beautifully, but I never get many pods to set. Only a handful of seeds for next year.