On the Avakli "bean" (cowpea)

[Pulsegleaner]

Hi all

I was wondering if anyone (besides me of course) has ever tried Ricter's Avakli bean from the Seed Zoo. I have not been able to grow any as yet (due to animals eating all my seed each year) but the fact that it seems to grow so fast (if they are planting it in May or June and harvesting it in August that means it goes seed to seed in about 90 days) intrigues me.

https://www.richters.com/Web_store/web_store.cgi?product=X9393

 

[flowerbug]

Hi all

I was wondering if anyone (besides me of course) has ever tried Ricter's Avakli bean from the Seed Zoo. I have not been able to grow any as yet (due to animals eating all my seed each year) but the fact that it seems to grow so fast (if they are planting it in May or June and harvesting it in August that means it goes seed to seed in about 90 days) intrigues me.

https://www.richters.com/Web_store/web_store.cgi?product=X9393

i haven't grown cowpeas in quite a few years and so no i'm not familiar with that cowpea, but i do see it listed for the SSE when i searched for it so that is a good thing for those who might want to give it a try.

 

[digitS']

That's a hardworking hand holding those seeds in the photo ...

I ordered some rosemary plants a couple of weeks ago for a friend and got a packet of wing beans and one of cucamelon from Richter's for us.

A 90 day southern pea, is that so unusual? Victory Seed has a Fagiolino Dolico di Veneto with about the same dtm.

Steve

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Dunno if it's that unusual, I just know there are a LOT of southern peas which take a LOT longer (and which I therefore can't grow)

I wish you luck on the wing beans, they can be tricky even when you have a day neutral on like Ricters sells.

Oh and if you read something about using the mature seeds like soybeans, note that what that really applies to is the TAN seeded types of wing beans. The Ricter's is a brown one and will taste unpleasant that way.

 

[digitS']

Victory puts it: 70 day snap, 100 day dry

I've never eaten them as snap beans. In fact, I've never grown them but like them out of the can and when they are in a dry bean mix. Have wondered if it is those peas that add so much to the appreciated flavor.

I haven't had beans for dry bean use for several years. We really don't eat that many. What I would like to get back to is an edamama soybean. @Zeedman 's Bei worked so well, and uniquely well, in a different (sandy) garden. Don't laugh, you folks in soybean country! I know of zero farms that grow them here. But, in the rocky garden, they did well enough for me to save seed and I better get to that before the Bei are any older. West Coast Seed has a Tohya that they refer to as their "earliest maturing edamame option." Johnny's has it too and both say 78 days. That looks like an easy one to try.

Not much room here at home where it's more protected but have never tried a wing bean. Since we learned to eat pea tendrils, I like the idea that we can eat those on wing beans ... maybe. (Have bought the cucamelon before .)

Steve

 

[Zeedman]

A 90 day southern pea, is that so unusual? Victory Seed has a Fagiolino Dolico di Veneto with about the same dtm.

Steve

Given enough heat, short DTMs for cowpeas (or just "peas" for those of you in Southern climes) are not that unusual. In fact, I usually harvest my first dry seed from cowpeas & yardlong beans before the first dry beans. I've grown Fagiolino Dolico di Veneto, it is a small black eyed pea with a short DTM & a very decent yield. MN 13, MN 157 (which may be a misnamed MN 150), Gray Adzuki, and Yancheng Bush (which was bred for use as pods) all mature dry seed here in under 100 days. @digitS' , Yancheng Bush is, as the name implies, a true bush habit, bears its first snaps at 50 days, and seems to tolerate cool nights... it might do well in your neck of the woods.

I haven't had beans for dry bean use for several years. We really don't eat that many. What I would like to get back to is an edamama soybean. @Zeedman 's Bei worked so well, and uniquely well, in a different (sandy) garden. Don't laugh, you folks in soybean country! I know of zero farms that grow them here. But, in the rocky garden, they did well enough for me to save seed and I better get to that before the Bei are any older. West Coast Seed has a Tohya that they refer to as their "earliest maturing edamame option." Johnny's has it too and both say 78 days. That looks like an easy one to try.

Not much room here at home where it's more protected but have never tried a wing bean. Since we learned to eat pea tendrils, I like the idea that we can eat those on wing beans ... maybe. (Have bought the cucamelon before .)

Steve

The Bei 77-6177 soybean is in Maturity Group 000, which is the earliest soybean group, maturing even in much of Canada. Unfortunately, that early maturity typically comes at the cost of low yields. There are other edamame soybeans I've grown in that group, but none that even came close to the yield of Bei... I think I even sent some of those at the same time, @digitS' , and you reported that they did poorly. If you try Tohya, I'd be very interested to hear your results.

Wing beans may be challenging. I've tried them here, and even the "day neutral" varieties flowered very late in the season, with only a couple weeks of immature pods before frost. The vines also appeared to be very cool-weather sensitive, in a similar range of temperatures to okra... they pretty much stopped growing after a couple nights in the low 50's. You can eat the flowers, young leaves and vine tips though; edible, but I never tried them. Again, if you try winged beans, I'd be very interested in your observations.

 

[digitS']

@Zeedman , I wondered why you have mentioned yardlong beans. Checked Wikipedia. Oh. They are a type of southern pea!

Okay then, I have grown and eaten those peas as the snap peas (that @baymule goes on & on about ). I can't say that I was overwhelmed by their qualities ... over and above a good snap bean. The wing bean might work. They will be on some stakes right near the south wall of the greenhouse, about 15' north of a board fence with the low roof of the carport and then the garage to the west. Well protected and sunny - small area but I can start things under the hoop house, pull that down with the advent of summer and things can go from there.

Adzuki? You have a good memory and maybe you remember that I said the plants didn't grow much and the seed didn't develop enough within the pods to be viable. That was in the open garden. I did learn during those years to appreciate edamame. I grew Sapporo Midori right along side the Bei for the 3 years that I had that garden because I was so convinced that if the Japanese could host a winter Olympics in Sapporo, I should be able to grow their soybeans. Well, I could - but certainly not as well as Bei.

Steve
hoping that Pulsegleaner isn't upset with me for drifting so far from "Avakli beans."

 

[baymule]

Southern peas can be planted as soon as the threat of frost is past. They grow fast, make tons of peas and continue until a hard killing frost.

I am trying winged beans this year too. Maybe my long season will let them make.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

@Zeedman , when you have some time, I wonder if you could post a pic of some of your grey adzuki seeds. I want to see if they are the same as my Salt and Pepper adzukis that I collected in Chinatown.