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

[ruralmamma]

I'm really lacking on getting photos of the network beans. Seems every time I go to the garden I never have my phone. Happy to say that with any luck, I should be able to harvest seed from every network variety. Rio Zape should be ready by the end of the month unless we get a surprise frost. Woodboogie and Pixie may not yield enough to return seed, but will definitely try again next year. Also have one of the dry bush beans taking it's sweet time to mature. I think it's Red Head but need to double-check my myriad of notes before I say for sure.

 

[Blue-Jay]

I think I just misunderstood @Blue-Jay , I guess what I was trying to ask was is it the excess water being taken up from the roots in saturated ground that makes the beans sprout in the pods, or the water soaking into the pods from the outside that does it? External vs internal sort of thing..

It is the water soaking into the pods externally.

 

[flowerbug]

...
@flowerbug, I have the same variation in seed. Can still send you a picture of I ever locate a ruler.

it's ok, no rush... and if you forget that's ok too - lawdnoze i dew too these daze...

 

[heirloomgal]

It is the water soaking into the pods externally.

I'm quite relieved to know that it's from the outside in, not the other way around. After growing so many tomatoes I've become accustomed to rain being a problem at the root level from too much absorption, causing the tomatoes to split. Ground cherries do that too. I thought it might be the same for beans. I feel like now I don't need to worry so much about more rain because most of the bush bean plants are pulled and the poles are hanging almost all their beans quite off the ground.

I think Grandma Gina's might be an exception to this though? The first year I grew it 1/2 the beans germinated in the pods after it rained, and the pods were way high up on the plant, and not that close to being dry. That one might be a little different because the pods are just so thick and fleshy?

 

[heirloomgal]

Well @Blue-Jay some good news and bad news about network bean 'Kruger's Speckled Caseknife'. Good news is the grow out went much better this year and there were no outcrosses in the seed I saved, only one plant came true last year of the 3 plants I had. The seeds all developed very nicely as well. The bad news is that there still is not enough to return yet! I need to grow it again next year - the plants are quite sensitive to humidity, last year the vines were all prematurely killed by white mold and this year I lost a plant to that - the only bean variety in the entire garden that got it! I believe I would have harvested more, but I don't think this is a pole bean, twice it's grown more as a semi-runner, and it's a reluctant climber as well. It did not grow to 6 feet that's for sure, maybe 4 or 5 max. So 2 semi runner plants around a pole, with one fatality didn't yield much. So, my apologies that it's taking so long. It is a lovely bean though!

I wonder if the 'speckled' in the name is about the pods, the seeds...or both?

 

[ducks4you]

I'm really lacking on getting photos of the network beans. Seems every time I go to the garden I never have my phone.

Don't have any photos of the belt that my middle DD bought me for Christmas, BUT, here is one that is affordable. When I take my phone outside I want to protect it. It's an expensive investment!
THIS one isn't too expensive. There is also another one, too at WalMart. I carry other tools with me AND keys to my mower, knife sometimes to cut baling twine, stuff like that.

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[flowerbug]

I'm quite relieved to know that it's from the outside in, not the other way around. After [...] I feel like now I don't need to worry so much about more rain because most of the bush bean plants are pulled and the poles are hanging almost all their beans quite off the ground. ...

it depends upon how much rain and for how long the pods remain moist after a rain. some beans have thinner pods and will dry off fast if it is only a short bout of rains while other beans have more substantial pods and it will take longer for them to dry again after rains.

i think the best thing to do is to get as many dry pods picked before it does rain then you don't have to worry about it.

yesterday was cloudy and threatening a little rain but i picked through and weeded a garden so that is now ok for a week. i try to get at least one bean garden a day picked through and weeded - parts of some gardens are already finished.