Branching Out's Seeds and Sprouts

[Branching Out]

I grew a bush beans (actually more of a semi-runner) called Blooming Prairie this year; it's an early purple snap bean. The pods have been setting gradually and are primarily deep maroon purple, however yesterday I noticed that one plant in particular has luminescent purple pods. I will harvest those beans separately, just in case they turn out to be something especially interesting.

 

[Branching Out]

It is almost October and while most of the pods on my Trionfo Violetto pole beans are starting to fill out, the plants are still setting really nice fresh snap beans too. Several of the mature pods are enormous, measuring 9" long. I think all the huge pods may well be from the same plant, but it is difficult to say for certain.

 

[Branching Out]

My Empress bush beans were planted on the east side of what is now a tall corn patch (better add that to the list of stupid things I did this summer; what was I thinking??), and now that the days are getting shorter these bean plants are in the shade all afternoon and starting to deteriorate. So this gave me an opportunity to try harvesting the plump green pods early, for drying indoors. I also cut one entire plant and tucked it over the back of one of the chairs on the sundeck, so the beans can dry down under cover outdoors.

 

[ducks4you]

Better than me!!!
I have been prepping garden beds for 2024 ALL GARDEN SEASON!!
To my defense, I have had a healing r knee and threw my back out carrying my old dog, Pyg up and down the stairs for a month before she went to meet her maker.
Your corn is just something you will mull over this winter when the snow flies and make plans for next year.

 

[flowerbug]

I grew a bush beans (actually more of a semi-runner) called Blooming Prairie this year; it's an early purple snap bean. The pods have been setting gradually and are primarily deep maroon purple, however yesterday I noticed that one plant in particular has luminescent purple pods. I will harvest those beans separately, just in case they turn out to be something especially interesting.

i've grown those and many other Robert Lobitz purple beans. since i have only been mainly interested in Purple Dove i've culled out a few of the semi-runner variants that have popped up because i didn't want those semi-runner genes wandering around the bean patches - i already have enough of those from other beans i grow once in a while.

it can get rather chaotic with beans.

 

[Branching Out]

i've grown those and many other Robert Lobitz purple beans. since i have only been mainly interested in Purple Dove i've culled out a few of the semi-runner variants that have popped up because i didn't want those semi-runner genes wandering around the bean patches - i already have enough of those from other beans i grow once in a while.

it can get rather chaotic with beans.

Until a year ago I didn't know what a 'semi-runner' bean was-- but after two seasons I am growing kind of partial to them. This may be because beans such as Anasazi Tepary have done so well for me, climbing 3-4' up raspberry cane cuttings and producing well. If I have it correct these Tepary beans are a different species, and are not prone to crossing with common beans.

 

[heirloomgal]

Until a year ago I didn't know what a 'semi-runner' bean was-- but after two seasons I am growing kind of partial to them. This may be because beans such as Anasazi Tepary have done so well for me, climbing 3-4' up raspberry cane cuttings and producing well. If I have it correct these Tepary beans are a different species, and are not prone to crossing with common beans.

I really like the semi-runners too @Branching Out - I find them so highly productive and healthy. I have a feeling that the original wild beans from which our domestic beans have been bred had a semi-runner habit. I think we possibly tinkered with selection to get 12 ft poles, and a bush habit is a recessive gene. Semi-runners seem the most resilient from the point of view of bean vulnerabilities. As far as I know, teparies and regular beans don't cross being different species.

 

[flowerbug]

... As far as I know, teparies and regular beans don't cross being different species.

some new varieties have come out with genes from the teparies, but i do not know the details of how they developed them.

 

[Branching Out]

There is still a lot of beauty to be found in the garden even as the blossoms begin to wind down-- and now that the days are shorter there are also more opportunities to appreciate the flowers over a nice glass of rose.

 

[Branching Out]

So I am wondering, if you harvest coriander seeds by cutting the stalks when the seeds are still green and hanging the stalks upside down-- will the seed still dry to a tan colour, and be viable for seed stock? Here in the Pacific Northwest things get a bit dicey this time of the year, and if left to mature on the plant in the garden some seeds have a tendency to 'dry' to black mildew instead of drying to a nice viable tan colour. I have searched online, but not had an easy time of locating information from anyone who has dried down green seeds for replanting. This is a special variety called 'Pokey Joe', and I am very much wishing to save as much seed from it as possible.