2025 Little Easy Bean Network - Growers Of The Future Will Be Glad We Saved

[SusanneinHastings]

I was trying to find some information on the “Black Mandan beans” that I got at a seed swap this spring and found two results from Canada for “Black Mandan Pole Bean”. Heritage Harvest says it is an Oscar Will variety from North Dakota which makes sense. https://heritageharvestseed.com/products/mandan-black-bean-seeds
Revival says it is also known as “Hopi Black”, which the Hopi are quite a ways away from the upper Missouri and I don’t know that Oscar picked up any Southwestern beans. So I wonder what the story is. The ones I planted did not come up as far as I can tell, at least there is not anything on that trellis with purple pods,

 

[heirloomgal]

The first dry pods are starting, and I harvested some seeds of 'Cranberry Onondaga. It's quite an early bean really, and to my surprise is a bush not a pole variety. So, the seed harvest will be smaller given that I usually plant 3 or 4 beans around a pole. The bushes have a good number of pods so we'll see what I end up with.

To my delight, Juanita Smith is doing just fine in a pot this year. The initial leaves were so dainty, but as the season went along they increased in size. Next time I'll put it in the ground, but I'm happy with the number of pods on the vines.

Old Joe Clark has quite the red pods. I pulled the plants out to dry since I don't want them absorbing any more water and I need to water their neighbours. I didn't plant many thinking they were semi runners, but they didn't climb much if at all. Another quite early bean.

One of the bean beds that's doing exceptionally well compared to my main garden, only one plant in here has had vole damage and it was pretty minor. The tallest vine in here is 'Bela Puternisca' ( I think that's how it's spelled) and my goodness it must be 15 or 16 feet tall and climbing back down the pole, just huge. Not far behind it is 'Vitalis', only a few feet shorter.

Another bean that has really blown me away is 'Blue Sword' which I got from a grower in Spain. The yield is really, really good. I'm sure when the season is over this will be in the top 5 of all the beans for weight.

 

[P Suckling]

came across this looking for something else today - it's not solely related to beans, but still an interesting short read:

Hope and Practice: Robert Lobitz - SeedSavers

Longtime Exchange lister Jim Tjepkema shares the seed-saving and seed-sharing story of the late Robert Lovitz.

seedsavers.org

Flowerbug, thank you for this article. Never knew that we have to thank Mr Lobitz for the Golden Sweet pea, which I have used in my own pea crosses to good effect. And I have just podded the lovely Red Swan beans here (to bring the post back to the bean topic with a jolt). Very interesting read!

 

[P Suckling]

@heirloomgal , here is some information about the origin of Bela Putersnica. https://www.bohnen-atlas.de/drucken/2022-bela-putersnica

 

[Decoy1]

@heirloomgal , here is some information about the origin of Bela Putersnica. https://www.bohnen-atlas.de/drucken/2022-bela-putersnica

I hope you don’t mind me stepping in here but I think the link doesn’t have all the information. This one might lead to the fuller page

Bohnen-Atlas - Detailansicht

Der Bohnen-Atlas ist Nachschlagewerk für Bohnensorten. Er beinhaltet Beschreibungen, die durch Bilder und Kommentare der Nutzer erweitert werden können.

www.bohnen-atlas.de

Sorry of if I’ve created confusion though. Links are a bit chancy sometimes.