2020 Little Easy Bean Network - An Exciting Adventure In Heirloom Beans !

Betula

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What isolation distance would be recommended for growing network beans? I've only ever saved seed for my own use, so I've never really worried about spacing. I'm interested in participating at some point, so I want to get an idea of how it would impact my garden planning.
 

Blue-Jay

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What isolation distance would be recommended for growing network beans? I've only ever saved seed for my own use, so I've never really worried about spacing. I'm interested in participating at some point, so I want to get an idea of how it would impact my garden planning.


Spacing on Network beans I don't think might make much difference. I once read in a book in a library on seed production that seed companies like Burpee would make sure their bean fields were at least one mile apart. So I wonder of what consequence our little spacings would really be? I think you could probably let that be your guide. However I don't grow two lima varieties next to each other. I bury them among P. Vulgaris plantings. If I'm having a particular problem with a variety being terribly outcrossed and I want to straighten it out. I will find a place to grow it in isolation from all other beans and grow it for several years selecting it until I think it is looking right again.
 
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Decoy1

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Thanks for the replies.
The photo in my post was of the beans I received as Dapple Grey. The ones on the Restoration site are brown but a bit lighter. https://www.restorationseeds.com/co.../dapple-grey-bean?_pos=1&_sid=abf9fc258&_ss=r
Mine are really quite a deep strong brown colour as above. But perhaps the seeds I received are simply a few years old. I guess the best way to find out is to try growing them!
 

flowerbug

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Thanks for the replies.
The photo in my post was of the beans I received as Dapple Grey. The ones on the Restoration site are brown but a bit lighter. https://www.restorationseeds.com/co.../dapple-grey-bean?_pos=1&_sid=abf9fc258&_ss=r
Mine are really quite a deep strong brown colour as above. But perhaps the seeds I received are simply a few years old. I guess the best way to find out is to try growing them!

does the UK let beans through from the USoA? if so and yours don't turn out remind me this coming winter to send some to you or if you request any beans from @Bluejay77 his DG are the same source as mine and they are grey. :)

note, the two grey (and half white) beans in the middle of the picture posted in:


are what the majority of my DG look like. that picture is showing a lot of segregations that a cross from DG and something else - it is not meant to be a picture of DG. :)
 
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Decoy1

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Flowerbug, that is very kind.
Customs do let beans through though to be on the safe side it’s always a good idea to call them craft beans or some such.
But in fact I have got the grey, real McCoy DG. I had it from Bohnen-Atlas just over a year ago and grew it last season. I don’t know whether it’s from the same source as yours and Russ’s, but it certainly looks the same.
But thank you again for your thoughtfulness.
 

Ridgerunner

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Mine are really quite a deep strong brown colour as above. But perhaps the seeds I received are simply a few years old. I guess the best way to find out is to try growing them!

Sounds like a good solution to me. It's interesting how some beans can can change in appearance as they age. This shows the difference a year makes in one I think I have stabilized. You would not think it was the same bean.

Jas Results.jpg



Jas.jpg
 

Blue-Jay

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I don't know why but the 2019 Little Easy Bean Network Thread continues to get written on and kept a the top of the Forums Pages.

The 2020 Little Easy Bean Net work Thread was started In February 2020.

I wish TheEasyGarden would keep all current years threads in bold letters all the time even after you have read them. Once the old year has passed by have all the text of those threads automatically become unbolded.
 
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Blue-Jay

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Hello Everyone, I am the person who introduced the Princess Kutasi Bean, It was collected from old farm ladies in Kutasi, Georgia ( The former Soviet; Republic of Georgia). Absolutely amazingly beautiful bean that is very vigorous and very productive. An amazing bean. Always looking for rare beans as I am working on a book on Beans of the world! you can always send emails to me directly if you have something perfect! simcox2@mac.caom

The above comment I found on the 2019 Little Easy Bean Network Thread by Joesph Simcox, and thought I would post a copy of it here.

@JosephSimcox, Hi Joe so glad you have found some of us bean lovers and my Little Easy Bean Network Thread which is now in it's 8th season. Lots of beans that you brought into the country on my website are from you. In 2017 I had a young fellow who is going for a PHD in agronomy sent me 19 varieties that his family had purchased from your "Rare Vegetable Seed Constortium". I'm sure we will have some questions for you about the origins of some of these beans, or might I say just maybe just more detail about your discovery of them that would be neat to read about. A couple of days ago I was sent by "Academia" and article you wrote for them called "Beans Are A Poor Man's Jewels". Great Article and I should copy it and post it here for everyone to read.

I must say I had the great honor of actually having Joseph Simcox visit me at my home in November of 2013. After that meeting about a week later, Joe had sent me 65 varieties of beans he collected overseas in various countries. To have him here now on this thread with us is pretty cool stuff.
 
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