2024 Little Easy Bean Network - Growing Heirloom Beans Of Today And Tomorrow

[heirloomgal]

I'm interested in whether this will work for you. I'll have to read up on e-poles. I've never used them before. Do you hook them up to a battery or fencer?

I just leave them as is, they seem to harvest what they need to for the effects I'm looking for. But some people definitely do charge them with old cell phone chargers and stuff like that. China did 9,000 acres not long ago, all with charged wires. They published that they used 20% less fertility, 80% less pesticides and harvested 1/3 more than the typical yield.

I will say this, using the wands under lights with my transplants has REALLY worked. If you use a Tesla metre, the fields off the lights are big and the wands seem to harvest that really well. I used 10 foot e-poles in the garden last year and had smashing results, especially for my beans & tomatoes even though there were no real electrical field outputs nearby. I broke records; one pole bean variety I grew (4 plants around a single birch sapling) yields 2 1/4 pounds of dry beans. That's the most I've ever gotten from P. vulgaris., and it was only in the vicinity of the pole, not on the actual e-pole.

Apparently the poles also help reduce bacteria, viruses and pests, all the things that bring down yields. I had almost no slugs, cutworms or voles last year. They don't like the influence of the poles. There is lots of misleading info out there about e-culture, I highly recommend Yannick Van Doorne. I find he has the best information out there, and lots of experience.

 

[heirloomgal]

Well, the first beans have been planted in pots.

I did about 1/4 of the total lot so far. It's a great time of year. About 300 more pots to go.

 

[Triffid]

Well, the first beans have been planted in pots.

I did about 1/4 of the total lot so far. It's a great time of year. About 300 more pots to go.

Sowing the first of my lot today, too!

 

[journey11]

Hello bean friends! I was just sitting here thumbing through one of Bill Best's books and happened across the Noble Fall Bean and it looks very similar to another one I've got that I've been trying to find more info on called George Washington Fall Bean. I haven't had much luck really. E-mailed Mt. Vernon to see if they knew anything about it, but no one replies. I may just have to go in person. 🫠 That bean has become one of my all-time favorite beans, just really delicious, buttery, super tender. I was wondering if any of you have grown the Noble bean and if you could tell me more about it, particularly taste/texture. They look so much the same! Seems both may also have originated in the same general area VA/WV.

 

[heirloomgal]

I've never seen this bean @journey11 but now that I've heard of it, if it crosses my path I will definitely try it. Every bean I've ever tried with that seed coloration has been really good. I wonder if beige with brown swirls is a harbinger of excellence.

 

[donna13350]

@heirloomgal....seeing those cedar logs brought me back to long ago when we had cedar chests and cedar lined closets to keep moths and insects off of clothing...i would save that bark and use it around my plants that are plagued by bad bugs, try it around zucchini to see if it will deter squash vine borer, or around brassicas to deter cabbage moths...that could be a real coo if it works !
Cedar went out of favor because people don't wear wool as much anymore, and the price of the wood went way up, but it did work.

 

[flowerbug]

I've never seen this bean @journey11 but now that I've heard of it, if it crosses my path I will definitely try it. Every bean I've ever tried with that seed coloration has been really good. I wonder if beige with brown swirls is a harbinger of excellence.

they (tan background with brown or black stripes) are not all edible as a fresh bean, i do know that...

 

[flowerbug]

Hello bean friends! I was just sitting here thumbing through one of Bill Best's books and happened across the Noble Fall Bean and it looks very similar to another one I've got that I've been trying to find more info on called George Washington Fall Bean. I haven't had much luck really. E-mailed Mt. Vernon to see if they knew anything about it, but no one replies. I may just have to go in person. 🫠 That bean has become one of my all-time favorite beans, just really delicious, buttery, super tender. I was wondering if any of you have grown the Noble bean and if you could tell me more about it, particularly taste/texture. They look so much the same! Seems both may also have originated in the same general area VA/WV.

welcome back and LTNS. i have no versions of a tan and black or brown striped bean that are edible as a fresh eating bean, but they do have some nice dry beans. they normally cook up as a very firm texture so i like to use these beans in chilis. as the dry beans age they go from tan to coffee colored.

 

[flowerbug]

i saw one of my first random bean sprouts in a garden yesterday so the soil is now warm enough to plant. i'm still leery of planting anything risky because we can still get frosts but i'm hoping to get my peas and first plantings of Purple Dove beans in (which may not make it, but we'll try).

 

[heirloomgal]

I am almost finished planting all this years bean seeds! Indoors.



My first batch have sprouted and it is just lovely to see bean plants growing again. There was a handful that did not sprout and went mouldy in the pot, but I have more seeds for every variety so I'm still hopeful. But mostly, the germination has been quite good. I planted the network beans tonight. I'm glad they were the last because the weather has been rainy and quite cold, and I've had to keep the sprouted bean plants under lights - which I don't consider very ideal, but necessary given this cold spring. And I don't have enough lights for all the bean pots.

Because I'm a little paranoid for my bean plants given my tiny rabbit trouble last year, I planted 6 cabbages in the garden Friday. These'll be my canary in the coal mine.