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

[P Suckling]

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.

No confusion at all, thank you for the extra info Decoy. Appreciated.

 

[Blue-Jay]

If anyone ever wondered, the pods on the 'Dule' bean are yellow! I'm going to need to check in with you in the fall @Bluejay to see if these got to you last year or not. Dule was a network bean last year.

I checked my freezer files and there were no new entries made for the bean last year. Actually Dule is not listed at all on my freezer files so all the packets that I had were sent out. You will be the only grower that will be returning Dule. Other growers failed to make returns.

 

[Oxford]

Is it a dry bean? It’s beautiful.

The pods are stringless, so, I use them as green beans when the pods are yellow i.e. before becoming red-speckled and they have a wax bean texture and taste.

 

[Oxford]

I'm asking because I've noticed that the plants whose roots I damaged while removing weeds and those heavily undermined by moles are dying. It appears that common beans are very sensitive to root damage at a certain stage of their growth. However, runner beans and limas never died out.

I have the same experience.

When I mow the lawn, I dry the grass and use it as mulch around the bean plants. In addition, I keep annual flowers such as poppies, borage, etc. This prevents weeds from growing (and redirects the bumblebees to the flowers). This way, I can leave the plants (and their roots) undisturbed.

The mulch also keeps moisture in the soil and it dries out less.

 

[Oxford]

And you have 5 seeds in a pod, is this usual for you or an exception? Mine tend to have 4 only by and large. There must be something that makes your garden particularly suited to them. I harvested pods at this stage in early October, not in mid August. The seeds look identical.

Yes, I usually have 5 seeds, followed by 4 and 3.

I have never thought about how many seeds there should be per pod. Only a few pods are already dry. The vast majority will be dry by the end of September.

My observation is that, especially in years when May and June are already hot and dry—like this year—many varieties develop a first batch of beans by the end of June, and these are already dry by mid-August.
In addition, for varieties where I know they need warm conditions and are late, I choose the warmest locations in the garden.

 

[heirloomgal]

I checked my freezer files and there were no new entries made for the bean last year. Actually Dule is not listed at all on my freezer files so all the packets that I had were sent out. You will be the only grower that will be returning Dule. Other growers failed to make returns.

OK good to know @Blue-Jay, I will double check with you when the time comes. Off the top of my head I know that the Olga's Yugoslavian, Slavonski Zeleni, Blue & White of Bernardo, Kruger's Speckled, Dule, Lambada, Volga German Siberian, Botosani Cyclops, Fagiola Ruviotti are all 2024 network beans that I'm growing again to send you some more seed.

 

[heirloomgal]

This is a bean that has turned out to be quite special - 'Kärntner Butter'. Not only has the yield been really good, but it's a very early variety. The pods are top to bottom on the vines. I was really shocked today to find, by accident really, some fully dried pods. So dry they may have shattered & been lost if I hadn't noticed the papery pods. 'Robert Hazelwood' and 'Mor Kristin' are the only other beans (bush types) that have more or less fully dried down. So for a pole, that is pretty quick.

'Mor Kristin'. Wonderfully early.

This bean right here - wow. What a variety. I can only guess that some truly stellar breeding went into it because it checks all the boxes for quality in a bush bean. It is the only row left that is fully deep green with perfect leaves, and pods still looking so good. I have marveled at this row all summer, and it's beauty. Might be a commercial variety, but I REALLY love it anyway! My dad's best friend his whole life was a man from Poland named Stanley, he was like extended family in a way, and sadly passed away a year ago. So it's sort of full circle that I grow this bean, which came from Poland too (I don't know where it originates from though) and it's his name sake.

I have to shine a spotlight on this truly fabulous bean, Grady Bailey Greasy Cutshort. My first greasy bean I think. I love it @Decoy1! It's the first time I've ever had an up close and personal look at one of these types of beans, they are so neat! Love the shellac look. And the plants are huge too!

My 'Driveway' beans
That is 'State Half-Runner' with the yellowing leaves, it's drying down this week. An early bean which did really well this year (and I've struggled with it in the past). That's 'Malawi Mix' in front and 'Cocaigne' beside it. I managed to cram in a couple plants of Zuni Shalako, Perelka, Mbombo and a few others in there too. Little worried that this spot may not have been the best since the house casts shade there in the morning. Time will tell I guess. I grew beans here last year and it worked though. Malawi Mix is a late bean I think.

Thought this was interesting....

 

[Branching Out]

I'm loving seeing all of the bean photos that are rolling in. Great photos-- and so inspirational!

In the Pacific Northwest we're having excellent weather for ripening seed. Yesterday I found the first few dry pods of Grandma Rivera's Lima bean, and there should be lots more to come.