A Seed Saver's Garden

[Blue-Jay]

@Bluejay77

When you have a moment take a look at post #90 on here, sixth pic down is 'Mitla Black' showing those very pointy leaves and looking so different from the rows beside. It could be a seed borne issue, but it also makes me wonder if my seed source's soil selects or moves toward this foliage type. They've probably been saving their bean lines for many decades. Just a thought.

Yeah those Milta Black have those pointy leaves too. They don't look unhealthy. I guess you will see what develops out of both MB and VC.

 

[heirloomgal]

@heirloomgal,

I heard back from my Idaho Falls bean farmer and he really didn't give me a definitive answer. He thought maybe herbicide drift might be what it is affecting your Vermont Cranberry grow out, but your other beans don't have that appearance. Do you have any farmers that have fields somewhat near you?

No, I live in the suburbs and the only farming in the district is in neighbouring towns. I still may pull up the VC as I don't want to take unnecessary risks. The plants just seem so healthy, and now that we've had a deluge of rain after massive heat the new growth almost seems to be returning to valentine's. Perhaps stress is part of that leaf expression and variety related. I think there has been great challenges weather wise for all the beans this year; everything is in extreme both heat and rain. This isn't typical for our summers for sure. Some of the varieties seem great, but a handful of bush beans, most in a South facing location (usually the best spot I have for beans), are not vigorous. I believe the earliest heatwave stunted them to some degree, as they were the first seeds to be planted. The few bush transplants I had in that bed are doing much better. I think at what point in the beans growth that they are exposed to hostile weather really matters. The first 3 bean seeds I planted, which suffered early on from heat, Dapple Gray, Koronis Purple, Jack Cattle Gold, are all stunted. There is still 2 months left to grow, so anything is possible as they are all flowering though on small plants.

I've been doing some research on mosaic and the tricky thing is that symptoms of it often resemble nutritional deficiencies - and nutrient problems can be brought on by bad weather due to uptake problems in both wet and too dry locations. Also, it appears 'reistance' to mosaic means the plant can get infected by it, but fight it off. I thought originally it meant unable to 'get infected', but from what I've read that isn't the case. I've never had problems with beans so this is all new to me. I'm going to send you a photo update on my network beans, particularly the ones not in the main garden - it's looking like Bountiful, Tennessee Green and at least some of Bamberger Blaue are turning into semi runners. Some of the Vaquero plants too.

 

[Blue-Jay]

I'm going to send you a photo update on my network beans, particularly the ones not in the main garden - it's looking like Bountiful, Tennessee Green and at least some of Bamberger Blaue are turning into semi runners. Some of the Vaquero plants too.

If those semi runners are not a huge number. I would just pull them so they don't cross polinate more true bush beans and spread the running habit among more bush varieties. If you want to grow them to maturity. Just don't include any seed of those new outcross semi runners in your seed returns please.

 

[heirloomgal]

Cut my first basil for drying. I love it fresh, but home grown dried basil blows away store bought I find. I love to use it in winter. I read that one of the secrets to maximum flavour with dried basil is never crumble the leaves until you are going to use it. I tried it last year, keeping the leaves whole, and though it took up more space that way, the taste was incredible.

'Yoeme Pastel Eye' bloom

Tomatoes filling out their cages. Trying a new one, front right, called 'Stokes Green'. I love green when ripe tomatoes. I also tried a few of my 'Spoon' currant tomatoes. Out. Of. This. World. Best currant type I've tried.

The peas, argh! ! So out of control this year. Did my best to tie them up, and break as few plants as possible. Gangbuster year for peas. Glad I grew so many. Took out my walking boards between rows as I found snails on them here and there. I'd normally straw mulch them all, but this year is too wet so far, so I only did the outside edges for weed control.

The sweet peas are beginning to bloom in abundance! I just love the smell of these flowers!

'Grain de Cafe' pole bean. Just love this variety, such a robust plant.

Bean town.

 

[heirloomgal]

@Bluejay77
Haven't heard back yet from Prairie Garden yet. Praying everything will be okay with the plants; it has not been an easy bean year. I remembered today while out weeding that I did have aphids on my fava beans, I forgot about that since I haven't seen any in awhile now. So, an aphid sourced problem is not impossible. Only one or two plants had them though, and they are at the total opposite end of the garden from my VC beans. I'm still clinging to hope!

 

[heirloomgal]

Secondary bean garden, mainly wax types in here. The waxes were the last beans I planted, and their size is considerably larger than my first plantings almost two weeks earlier.

Network pole beans (some of them). The trellis is 8 feet high, plus off the ground by a foot and a half. Most are pretty tall, not all though.

Pole beans, some network beans in here too. All doing pretty good, but looks like I lost a Louisiana pole bean from rain at some point as I saw a climbing tendril today that was dried up. Probably from the last heavy rains we had and I didn't see it because the other plants on the pole were so bushy. All the other Louisiana's are fine.

One crossed ''Vaquero' bean I think. Don't see runners on the others.

'Magnolia blossom' peas. I can't recall what kind of peas these are, snaps or shells...or snow?

Pot tomatoes. Had my 1st ripe full size tomato today, 'Amarillo Armadillo', boy was it fantastic. Velvety, creamy smooth texture and perfect sweet to tart ratio. This variety is definitely a keeper! Also, the colour was terra cotta. I should have taken a picture! Next time.

A not so good bean row. This is 'Koronis Purple', normally a large plant when I've grown it, the front and back of the row were transplants, the centre put in as seeds. Totally stunted from high temperature I suspect. To the right is network bean ''Atwater'. It is doing much better. I planted those seeds a little later to avoid any frost risk and inadvertently avoided a heat spell..

 

[Blue-Jay]

@Bluejay77
Haven't heard back yet from Prairie Garden yet. Praying everything will be okay with the plants; it has not been an easy bean year. I remembered today while out weeding that I did have aphids on my fava beans, I forgot about that since I haven't seen any in awhile now. So, an aphid sourced problem is not impossible. Only one or two plants had them though, and they are at the total opposite end of the garden from my VC beans. I'm still clinging to hope!

I wonder too if the shape of the leaves on VC might be some response to soil conditions. Different soils affect seed coat colors and patterns, maybe it can affect leaf shape a bit too. The plants really don't look unhealthy.

 

[seedcorn]

On bean leaflet structures, some varieties have a more rounded leaflet while others are narrow but long. In AG, one company selects for long, narrow leaflets as their brand signature.

 

[PhilaGardener]

Magnolia blossom is one of Alan Kapuler's snaps. Some lines out there show more of the hypertendril trait than others - I think that was because he released them before they were completely stable.

Your garden looks great!

 

[heirloomgal]

Magnolia blossom is one of Alan Kapuler's snaps. Some lines out there show more of the hypertendril trait than others - I think that was because he released them before they were completely stable.

Your garden looks great!

Thank you @PhilaGardener! I must be getting a rusty brain, there was a time I would have remembered that!