The Little Easy Bean Network - Get New Beans Varieties Nearly Free

[Blue-Jay]

My usual planting time for beans in Woodstock, Illinois is about the 25th of May. Last year I went to the Seed Savers Exchange Conference/Campout and looked at some of their isolation gardens. Reading the tags on the beans the planting date was marked the 17th of May. Perhaps I'm a little slow in getting seed in the ground. That would give me another week of maturing especially for the pole beans

Anyway Marshall the Dapple Grey seed was a little older and was darkening. Wait till you harvest your new seed. That browinsh area will be a beautiful shade of grey. If you remembered where you planted Dapple Grey let me know when the plants emerge from the ground. I really don't know how old the seed is. Just want to know that it did grow.

 

[897tgigvib]

The PXBT is the fastest sprouting bean of them all! Most of the others are just starting to show one or 2. 18 PXBT's though!

Still no sign of Dapple Grey. If these don't show, I'll start some in a baggie and paper towel moistened, and some in a flat, both over the heat pad just right.

 

[897tgigvib]

If I don't see any Dapple Grey sprouting by the end of today I'll prepare a baggie and moist towels and set over the propagating pad just right and covered. Just over half of them are in the soil at 2 places in the garden so far.

 

[897tgigvib]

I placed all the rest but a few into, actually used safeway ultra double ply toilet paper, a good couple feet, neatly folded, with the DAPPLE GREY bean seeds in it, then wetted it with warm water. I then set that into a large ziploc baggie, not zipped closed, but folded over a couple times. I then placed my raised screen over my propagating pad, and set the baggie with the wettened toilet paper and the seeds inside it on top of the raised screen, (actually a kitchen table tray holder that also functions as a sieve that I have two of), and then lightly covered that with a paper plate. That setup should keep the mild warmth good and even at about 83 degrees.

Tomorrow I will mix a very mild triple diluted mix of Fish Emulsion lukewarm, and hold the set of seeds in it for an hour or so.

Old seeds tend to lose nutrient at the cotyledons. Certain proteins dissipate over time. I hope to infuse nutrient into the cotyledons.

Trying everything I can to sprout these Dapple Greys. I saved off a few to try a last ditch effort. That batch of 5 or so will be nicked then soaked at 90 degrees in half strength Fish Emulsion mixed with liquid cold pressed Seaweed at double strength for 24 hours in, 24 hours baggied, then 8 hours in again, followed by the baggie at 83 degrees. Some of this will be outside in the light on the afternoons. Altering prime conditions has helped with difficult to sprout Columbine, Spirea, and Currant seed for me.

Any other ideas? So far they are the only ones showing no sprouting. Vermont Appaloosa and Piros Feher are the next two slowest, but they are showing more each time I count.

PXBT germinated 100%!!! 23 of 23! Boom! Fast and all at once! Some of the others may get 100% too.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I still have possible frost and maybe freezinbg forecast in a few days so I'm holding off on doing anything with Russ's Jeminez. This should be the last cold snap near freezing here so I'll take about half of them next week and start them inside using damp paper towels in a warmed room to try to get germination before they go outside. The ground should be warm enough to accept them by the time they are ready. The other half will in reserve, just in case.

It's interesting when you take on a project like this that you feel a lot more responsibility in trying to get good results.

 

[897tgigvib]

Yes, it makes a more responsible feel to it. For myself, it feels like failure is not optional, but that's just me.

The Dapple Greys are my main worry. The others are sprouting ok to perfect.

Oh, so far only two of 10 of Journey's Ora's Speckled Greasy Cutshort have sprouted, but I have plenty more seeds of those. I'll put in another 15. Her Nickell have 7 of 10 so far. I can put in another 10 or 12 in that row easily.

My own Greenstring Creaseback have not yet shown, but they were planted 3 or so days later. I have more for those too. It's a new variety...I think.

I seeded again next to my Nova Stars but then the first seeding sprouted 18 of 20 two days later! I have to watch out for my own impatience and tendency to worry too much! Some of those I can transplant to the Berry bed.

 

[897tgigvib]

3 Dapple Greys have begun to sprout in the garden!

I also see signs of at least 2 others. I'm real happy!

Those that are sprouting in the baggy will fill any gaps or else have their own place.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Ok ! Go Dapple Grey. The variety might just be a liitle bit of a slow starter, but good news sounds like they will be Ok !

 

[897tgigvib]

Yep, and I just now checked on the Dapple Grey seeds in the baggie, and I see roots coming out of the seeds. Today or tomorrow I'll plant those.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i have a question about using the large mouth mason jars. do you think i could use them to help the beans get a slight jump start in the garden? i was thinking i could use them as a cloche. i have tons of the jars kicking around the house (doesn't help when family keeps picking them up at yard sales when i already have enough!)