Help me select a pole bean variety.

[thistlebloom]

I like the purple pod beans, they were prolific for me, and this year I'm going to dry some for soups.

 

[jasn.kennedy]

Nickel is not greasy beans beans, but a slender, white wheat (pole) beans. The other two I bought is the "mountain home greasy beans"and "ORA spots", which is a greasy brown spots cut short. I want them to two plants next year, but their distance apart, so that they from the tunnel.

 

[Greenthumb18]

I am a blue lake girl ALL the way! I had the worst year for beans ever this year because I did the Kentucky Wonder. Never again!

I recommend the variety Blue Lake as well, I grew these last year their very productive green pole beans. To me it seems as though they just can't stop producing I had beans harvesting all the way until frost! You can't go wrong with this variety .

 

[silkiechicken]

I am a blue lake girl ALL the way! I had the worst year for beans ever this year because I did the Kentucky Wonder. Never again!

I recommend the variety Blue Lake as well, I grew these last year their very productive green pole beans. To me it seems as though they just can't stop producing I had beans harvesting all the way until frost! You can't go wrong with this variety .

For pole, I have always used blue lake. They give me beans for the month up till frost. I plant kentucky wonder or nash bush beans, they come much earlier.

 

[BetterHensandGardens]

I am a blue lake girl ALL the way! I had the worst year for beans ever this year because I did the Kentucky Wonder. Never again!

I recommend the variety Blue Lake as well, I grew these last year their very productive green pole beans. To me it seems as though they just can't stop producing I had beans harvesting all the way until frost! You can't go wrong with this variety .

For pole, I have always used blue lake. They give me beans for the month up till frost. I plant kentucky wonder or nash bush beans, they come much earlier.

I'm hopping on the Blue Lake cheerleading too; I wondered which would be better - Kentucky Wonder or Blue Lake - so grew both side by side last year. I much preferred the Blue Lake, not as tough, not as stringy, didn't get overgrown as quick, better flavor (IMO). So, this year it's Blue Lake for sure - maybe I'll trial another one beside it and see again.

 

[wiswash]

Wow! I came here today to post a thread to inquire about peoples favorite bean to grow and eat. I guess you all did it for me. Blue Lake? Hmm. I grew that one last year. It was easy and delicious.
Can anyone mention more of their favorites. I live in Wisconsin, zone 4. Thanks

Also, what is a greasy bean? Never heard of this.

 

[digitS']

Well, I grew up eating Kentucky Wonders and liked them just fine . . . but, they seemed to get run off the cliff 1st thing in this thread. Besides, my wife doesn't like them . . .

She likes Jade bush beans but I - am - not - impressed. Greencrop is a favorite bush bean. And, I like Purple Queen bush bean -- these 2 have more flavor than most.

I've grown a pole bean and saved the seed for about 5 or 6 years. It is probably Oregon Giant. There is an improved Oregon Giant that is on the market these days -- Cascade Giant.

BTW, there is a "Kentucky Blue" (Kentucky Wonder x Blue Lake). My neighbor thinks these are the best and grows them every year.

Steve

 

[Hattie the Hen]

I'm tired of Kentucky Wonder and want to try something new. I have had bountiful harvests, but I wound like to find something less stringy, still of the pole type. I went to this site http://www.heirlooms.org/catalog.htm and now I'm more confused then ever. I had never heard of half runners or greasy beans.

I've read here that some like Rattlesnake. Help me decide please!

I have found this page very useful for sorting out the various catergories & varieties therein.......>>

http://growingtaste.com/vegetables/bean.shtml

I like to grow runner beans because they seem to do well here in the UK but I still try a variety of others, mostly European types.

Good luck.......:tools


Hattie

 

[FarmerDenise]

I love scarlet runner beans, they are delicious very young, as fresh shelled beans and dry. And they have beautiful flowers as well. I have not had much luck growing them where I live now.

We do love the blue lake bean also. Although we occasionally get some sort of rogue bean in the mix.
I let the late beans dry and I started saving them for seed, but sometimes we have so much that I also cook them up. They make a wonderfull dry been as well.

for early beans we recently started growing purple queen bush beans. I love the flavor.

 

[old fashioned]

I've grown & saved seed from the Kentucky/Blue beans for several years now & we love 'em. These are from 2009 (only pic I had), but every year they grow well past my 8ft teepee & hang over the top by atleast 2 feet. They seem to take forever to get pickable beans, but once they do I can't keep up. They usually produce like mad for about a month, then slow down some for a couple weeks then pick up again until frost. We easily harvest enough for fresh eating for us atleast once a week during growing season and to freeze/can enough to feed us thru winter. Last year (2010) I grew 2 towers & fed the neighborhood, local food bank, 4 chickens & a wayward rabbit.




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ps... I finally figured out how to post pics :bun