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

Blue-Jay

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Hello Everyone On The Easy Garden Forum !


Welcome to season two of the Little Easy Bean Network. My large bean collection served last year in 2013 as the focal point of a little network of gardeners who love beans. Beaniac as I have been called. Back in the 1970’s there had been another bean network by a man named John Withee who grew up being raised on beans and enmassing a large collection of nearly 1,200 varieties. His bean network of helper growers was known as Wanigan Associates. I had been a member of that network for about five years. In converstion with one of the Easy Garden forums members (Marshall Smyth). I was urged to start another bean network on this gardening forum. Those that participated last year know how this network operated, and now here we are in season two.

Little Easy Bean Network will however operate just slightly different than in 2013.

So here is how this bean network will operate as many of us anticipate the 2014 gardening season.

I will post photos of 64 bean varieties and their names below in this threads second post. Small samples were sent to me unsolicitated last year from an anonymous gardener. He would like to see his collection kept alive. I thought perhaps with this bean network that was a possiblity.

I have in my possession more beans than I can grow out in any given season. My own bean garden is 3,400 square feet located on rented ground miles from where I live plus other gardening that I have on the property where I live. I sometimes receive bean varieties that I can’t get planted in the immediate season and have no idea of the seeds age or how long it will remain viable. So those gardeners that like to participate in this network are my extra helping hands.

The samples I will send out of this collection will be as small as three seeds and up to and no larger than 25 seeds depending on the sample you request. You the grower decide how many seeds in those samples you want to grow. However you will be sent the entire sample. Very small samples of 3 to 6 seeds I would suggest you grow out the entire sample. I will package the samples and pay at my cost the postage to you.

The beans you grow of this collection will be from this collection (photos below) and not from any varieties pictured on my website.

You may request as many varieties from this collection that you feel you can successfully grow. At the end of the growing season after your ripened seed has been harvested and dried well enough to store. That will probably be by the end of November. You will return 25 quality seeds to my address. Try not to return shriveled seed or seeds that have begun to degrade and have brown spotting, but seeds that I can keep in long term storage in my deep freeze for future growing. The postage and packaging for the seed samples you return will be paid by you. That is a very little cost for obtaining new bean varieties. That is part of the fun. The remainder of the seed crop is yours to keep and use as you wish.

Beans being sent out are Bush, Pole, and Unknown growth habit. I would suggest that the one with an Unknown growing habit be planted around climbing supports just in case they turn out to be pole beans. I would appreciate if at the time you mail back renewed seed if you can let me know a little info about the beans you grew. Pod color and length, approximate maturity in days to the first dry pods. Weather the varieties of the unknown growth habit ones turned out to be bush types or were indeed pole beans.

Also for every two varieties in this collection that you choose to help grow and renew (pictured below). You may choose from my website one bean variety free of charge. Yours to grow and keep forever and use as you choose. Seeds of these varieties you do not have to return renewed seed. Do not pick varieties that are marked “Seed Is Currently Not Available”. These free seed samples will be decent size.

Seed packages will be sent out from now until May 25, 2014.

If you participated in the 2013 Little Easy Bean Network and did not return seed by the end of the year. I will not allow your paticipation until you return renewed seed from the previous growing season of varieties that were entrusted to you.

You can contact me with your name and address to tell me what varieties you want to receive by sending me a personal message through this forum or by emailing me at upadam@comcast.net.

I’m sure everyone as I am is looking forward to a very fun and rewarding growing season in our 2014 gardening summer.
 
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Wishin'

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That is really cool, to bad I'm not a bean fan, and don't have excess space.
 

Blue-Jay

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Admire Shnitbonen, Bambarra Nut, Big Baldoria, Bizana
From left to right all bush varieties. Some of the varieties that look very brightly colored have been coated with an antibacterial coating to aid in gemination.

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Boontjies, Brazilian Black, Chrom, Colored Beans

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Contender, Green Kidney, Imbotyi Chapaza, Imbotyi Imswi

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Imbotyi Mboyiyana, Imbotyi Umthubi, Jugo, Lusaka

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Mahlathini, Nyimo Bean, Outeniqua, Piet Special

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Preston’s Old Family Heirloom, Purple King, Red Rooster, Star 2000

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Star 2052, Star 2054, Timbivati, Transkei

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Venda, Volta, Wintergreen, Argentinian White
Pole beans begin at Argentian White

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Aussie Purple King, Cape Sugar Bean, Cape Sugar Bean #2, Cape Sugar Bean #3

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Gabarone Sugar Bean, General Mackey, Harare Sugar Bean, Heavenly Gold
 

Blue-Jay

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Lazy Housewife, Lazy Housewife Red, Hereboontjie (Pole Lima), Vaal (Pole Lima)

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Long Tom, Mammoth Golden Cluster, Molley’s Zebra, Prizewinner

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Purple Champion, Red Speckled, Solwezi, Solvezi Variant

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Zebra, Chilean Butterbean, Feijao, Feijao Catarino
From left to right pole beans end at Zebra, then begins the unknown growth habit

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Kambulanketi, Portugese Red, Portugese White Alubia, Red Speckled Sugar Bean

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Woza Sugar Bean, Zambezi #1, Zambezi #2, Zambezi #3
 

Blue-Jay

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Hey Wishin ! Beans are cool. You need to become a bean fan and just plant a couple of colorful seeds. Glad you stopped by to take a look
 

Blue-Jay

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This is it. There won't be another thread. Hope after anyone reads all the details in the first post. I'm hoping the offer to be a part of this will be more fun and enticing.
 

Ridgerunner

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Conversation started. That's what they call a PM on this forum. I'll list what I asked for below.

Bush Beans
Timbivati, Volta, Mahlathini

Pole Beans
Cape Sugar Bean 3, Lazy Housewife Red
 

Wishin'

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I think this year I will watch and learn from what you all post, and if I see something that peeks my curiosity (not hard to do :p) I will join in next year. ;)
 

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