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

[heirloomgal]

While the San Michele Rosso only has pods that are 2cm/ 1.2inch long and I am very nervous about whether it will still turn out okay, I was able to harvest the dried pods of some early varieties a few weeks ago and have already been able to obtain seeds.

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Is Graubeige a fresh eating bean or for dry use?

 

[SusanneinHastings]

So far not so much sign of beans drying down here except for the very first plant of Andikove that I put in a 5 gallon pot. 26 beans, I am almost halfway to my quota. As long as the plants in the bigger planter do as well, I will have accomplished my duty. Time for Frost to start showing signs of drying!

Kahnawake Mohawk bean surprised me with pretty pink pods this week.

 

[Artorius]

I like how you've got your bush beans kept up with lines @Artorius, I've though many times I should do something like that because almost all my bush beans fall over and mature laying sideways. I've actually wondered how bush beans got so popular because that is a really bad tendency for collecting seeds. Do you run the strings before the plants are up and have them grow up into the support?

@heirloomgal, I install the first strings when the plants begin to branch out, and the next ones as they grow. I braid the first string around the plants, the next ones just tie them around.

In the photo, Scala is only tied around. I simply ran out of string

 

[ruralmamma]

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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Gardening Tool Waist Bag Belt Heavy Duty Oxford Tool Apron with 7 Pockets of Different Sizes and Depth - Walmart.com

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I would recommend this leather one, bc IMHO buckling holds better than the snap closure.

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I've been planning to make a harvesting apron for at least a year now but haven't gotten around to it. I did find one with pockets at a thrift store and wore it in the garden a few times basically to recognize all the design flaws. Hopefully it won't be like the design for the perfect purse, which has been in the planning stages for 5 or 6 years...

Right now going to the garden is a matter of seizing the opportunity when it arises. In the mornings when everyone is asleep, the dew is so heavy that I don't want to mess with beans. That means I'm usually running out after my husband gets home and never think of grabbing the phone until I'm already there. Unfortunately I usually forget to grab the garden sleeves too, which have become a necessity in the past few years.

I'm actually homeschooling a year earlier than originally planned and right now we're in the adjustment stage. My plans are to buy or build my daughter a couple of raised beds and incorporate them into her schooling in the spring. I've never pushed gardening on her but I'm hoping that given some space of her own and a few seeds of Network beans that have performed exceptionally well this year, she'll become enchanted too.

 

[Oxford]

Is Graubeige a fresh eating bean or for dry use?

Both. When they are young and still stringless, I use them as green beans but usually, I use them as dry beans.

 

[heirloomgal]

So @Blue-Jay some hideously bad news in regards to the tarrif situation. I just found out today that Canada Post no longer has anything to do with duties related to shipping to the US, a new system has replaced the traditional one. Anyone outside the US that wants to ship something to you needs to use the Zonos App (which I have not looked at yet, I only just found this all out) and go through whatever process that is to register your package and get a barcode that can be scanned at the post office, and pay the tarrif somehow on the app. From that point you take the parcel to Canada Post and they will proceed with labeling and the shipping once a barcode from Zonos is scanned. I guess I'll need to figure out that app and see how it works.

 

[flowerbug]

So far not so much sign of beans drying down here except for the very first plant of Andikove that I put in a 5 gallon pot. 26 beans, I am almost halfway to my quota. As long as the plants in the bigger planter do as well, I will have accomplished my duty. Time for Frost to start showing signs of drying!

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very nice looking seeds from Andikove. i could get some but not very many that looked that nice.

 

[oxbow farm]

I grew Cornplanter Purple this year, it is seed I originally got from someone at a local seed swap. I have grown it once before, but I forgot about it and only remembered it was there when I was weeding an overgrown corner, and harvested the remaining sound dry beans.

This year I grew it more intentionally, but only about 6 plants or so. I've noticed that even though all the seed I planted were identical small black beans, the plants are showing a LOT of variation in traits. There are at least three different pod colors, and two different flower colors.

Some plants have pods that are just lightly blushed with purple.

Some have pods that slowly turn completely purple/maroon.

Some have pods that start getting purple flecks when they are tiny, then turn completely purple at maturity.

Most of the flowers are dark magenta, but at least one plant has pink/white flowers.

I've only harvested two dry pods, and both had the purple black seed I planted, but clearly there's a lot of genetic variability in this variety I guess?

 

[heirloomgal]

Did a little bit of research on this Zonos App and its use. Yikes! Looks very complicated. Whoever owns Zonos is going to make a fortune herding everybody through this app to get anything into the US. You might want to check on your end what tarriffs apply @Blue-Jay , I think Canada put in some retaliatory tarriffs in response. I'm not 100% sure, but from what I've seen there is.

 

[Blue-Jay]

While the San Michele Rosso only has pods that are 2cm/ 1.2inch long and I am very nervous about whether it will still turn out okay, I was able to harvest the dried pods of some early varieties a few weeks ago and have already been able to obtain seeds.

Very beautiful quality looking beans. So very nice.