The 2014 Little Easy Bean Network - Get New Beans On The Cheap

[Hal]

I wasn't trying to knock ALL African Beans, just mention that that SPECIFIC one may have some issues. AV and Bantu are from the exact same region, and I have no problems with either of those.

@Bluejay77 . Glad to hear that the AGB is producing. When the seed comes out check to see if it is all still flat black/purple. The original seed was a flat unmarked black, but the original original seed (i.e. what I planted to get the seed you wound up with) had some small white spots, and I never could figure out whether they were a pattern or some sort of damage (they seemed raised and scar-ry) I Dug up the old picture Ricter's used, to show what I mean

Oh and I can assume that AGB actually is a common bean by now, right? I'm not sure If I have the know-how to tell as common from a runner bean, but I assume that, with your long bean growing experience, you probably do, and if it WAS a runner bean you would have mentioned it by now.

I knew you were not knocking all of them I'd be interested to know if the ones performing well were originally from low altitude or high altitude.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Well, according to the internet, Fort Portal, Uganada has an evelation of about 5,000 ft. (1,500 m.) That sounds high to me, but I'm no expert and don't know where the cutoff is. Though it does explain some things, like how so many of them are good with surprising levels of cold (Fort Portals is less than one half one degree away from the Equator and so WELL within the tropics) And how such a long season bean can also seem to do best with cool temps (we may be in a sort of Andes situation).

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Just a note I finally have flowers on one of my cowpeas

Hopefully there is time for a pod to develop before frost. Though I may have to give the pods a chili oil bath near the end; the plant is VERY short so the pod will be well within critter grabbing height.

 

[Blue-Jay]

The P. Coccineus has mostly red blossoms and they are larger and more open. Sometimes P. Coccineus has white or a combination of red and white and more open blossoms. When you plant them the cotlyledons or seed haves stay in the ground. Pods look fatter and plumber when filled out with seeds.

Armenian Giant Black is definitely a P. Vulgaris.

 

[Hal]

Well, according to the internet, Fort Portal, Uganada has an evelation of about 5,000 ft. (1,500 m.) That sounds high to me, but I'm no expert and don't know where the cutoff is. Though it does explain some things, like how so many of them are good with surprising levels of cold (Fort Portals is less than one half one degree away from the Equator and so WELL within the tropics) And how such a long season bean can also seem to do best with cool temps (we may be in a sort of Andes situation).

That is quite high actually and does explain the cool tolerance and also reminds me of Peru and the Nuna which despite proximity to the Equator hate heat due to their elevation being so high.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I suppose that, under those circumstances, I should just be comparatively grateful that they produce anything at all here. In those conditions, it would hardly surprise me for the beans to do as the Peruvian/Andean corns do and need a growing season of nearly a year of constant temps to grow successfully. And come to think of it, they also have a tendency to begin to flag when temperatures get hot. The was majority of the MG plants I have are still about the same height they were at cot drop (the point where the now emptied cotyledons fall off and the plant now has to rely solely on it's own photosynthesis to keep growing) and even the other are/were growing pretty slowly. Next year, it might be interesting to grow them side by side with the Voatavu (a white skinned bean from Madagascar) I got the last time I ordered from Richter's, since those are presumably more lowland.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Since we have had 4 inches of rain in about a week (10.2 cm) I have gotten about all the bush beans that were very mature and threatened by overly moist soil pulled out of the ground. Now those plants are hanging up off the ground on poles so the seed won't be spoiled and can sun dry away from the moisture in the soil and mulch. A before picture of my bush beans (August 14) and an after picture (August 29).

August 14, 2014

August 29

Now I don't have to bend over all afternoon picking dry pods.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Here is the latest photo of the Armenian Giant Black. It had a slow start to the season, but has grown like crazy since. These a are a couple of the many large pods it has developed in the last few weeks. It's a very pretty flat poded bean. I would be willing to bet that it's a pretty nice snap bean.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Here is a very large poded snap bean. Pole variety called "Ramshorn" that I had gotten from John Withee's Wanigan Associates and grown back in the early 80's. I reobtained the bean from a gardener in the Netherlands this past spring. Same seed and bean plants that I had remembered. It's a great one to grow. I should have a nice supply of seed of this one after planting 8 seeds around two individual standing poles. Look at the size of them pods. Of course they are full of nearly developed seed at this point but even in the pickable snap stage they grow monster sized pods. These pods here are probably at least 10 inches long (25.4 cm). About the length from my watch to the tip of my fingers, and they are about as big around now as my fingers.

 

[Hal]

@Bluejay77 What on earth is that one gigantic bush bean at the front of the photo that makes the others look tiny?