i have retarded beans

[Smart Red]

BJ, here's hoping you have a long, non-frosty period for your beans, however, if it comes down to "freeze or pick". . . here's what I have done in the past. Cut the whole plant off and hang it upside-down in a sheltered place where it will not freeze. There, many of the beans will continue to dry on the vine -- as close to natural as you can get out of the ground -- and you should get a harvest that way.

 

[baymule]

BJ, here's hoping you have a long, non-frosty period for your beans, however, if it comes down to "freeze or pick". . . here's what I have done in the past. Cut the whole plant off and hang it upside-down in a sheltered place where it will not freeze. There, many of the beans will continue to dry on the vine -- as close to natural as you can get out of the ground -- and you should get a harvest that way.

What a brilliant idea! I'll have to save this one!

 

[bj taylor]

I've been off line for a few days. some great pointers & help. thank you thank you.
there's no way I can build a frame over them - they're too tall. bluejay77, you're right, mid nov is usually when we get our first frost. gosh, that would be weird, picking beans in November. the Old Time Fence is the one that's doing it's "reproductively challenged" thing. the J. Carrolls didn't do anything. I have one tiny spindly plant w/nothing going on.

if the plants are still going come frost, i'll do like smart red said.

 

[Blue-Jay]

What Smart Red said about cutting the plants and drying them undercover is the best idea. Cut them right off at the soil line. I don't know why I didn't mention it. I did that last year on a number of late pole beans here. I had piles of plants in my garage overnight then moved them into the sun on to my blacktop driveway during the day and let the sun work on them. The seeds will come out with the more natural coloring, will be more nicely filled out, and least likely to shrivel. I have a lima variety or two that I might have to do that to this year. Until frost threatens you can still let all the pods mature as much as they will on the living plants.

I just picked a few dry pods from both these limas yesterday. The vines are loaded with pods, but the rest of them are so green. We could be looking at our first frost here within the next two weeks.

 

[bj taylor]

I have beans! who knew? they were just a teensy weensy bit delayed. i'm going to have plenty to send to you bluejay if I can keep the goats out of them! thanks to red's advice, i'll cut 'em down & hang 'em up if a frost is impending. I think they've got a little time yet. whoop whoop!

 

[897tgigvib]

 

[Blue-Jay]

Hey BJ !

How about them beans. They coming across after all. You can never give up on stuff. Like one well known sports figure once said. "It's not over til it's over" 2013 was a definite Big Texas bean growing learning experience for you. So happy for you !