2016 Little Easy Bean Network - Gardeners Keeping Heirloom Beans From Extinction

[Blue-Jay]

The Big Bean Show - Day #35​

This bean is called "Fagiolo Cosaruciari di Sicili. I don't know much about it other than it probably originates in Sicily and likely grown in Italy. Fagiolo (bean) Cosaruciari (It's Name) di (of) Sicili (Sicily). Joseph Simcox "The Botanical Explorer" had sent me some a couple of years ago. Planted them in 2015 and deer at them all. I bought some more on the Rare Vegetable Seed Constortium website and planted 10 of them this year and I think only one plant survived. Got probably about 50 seeds from the one plant and will try to grow them again in 2017. Nice looking seed.

"Fagiolo Cosaruciari di Sicili"

 

[Pulsegleaner]

That actually makes a lot of sense Native Seeds/SEARCH has at least four or five different versions of Ojo de Cabra

http://shop.nativeseeds.org/collections/common-beans

 

[Blue-Jay]

The Big Bean Show - Day #36​

Another bean that I grew in 2016 called "Flash". Grows with short runners. The bean was bred by horticultural professor at the University of New Hampshire J.R. Hepler in 1942, and his partner Elwyn Meader. The variety is a cross between "French Horticultural" and a local New Hampshire variety called "Gage". I believe their goal was to produce a bean with more brightly red splash pods. Professor Hepler's son Billy sold the bean in his Billy Hepler's Seed Company from 1947-1962. Billy Hepler was 12 years old when he began his seed business.

"Flash"

 

[Ridgerunner]

Earlier this year we had a discussion on beans fixing nitrogen from the air. That happens because a certain bacteria forms nodules on the plant roots. I checked some bean plant roots at different times this year and did not find any nodules, so next year I'll inoculate my beans with an inoculant to make sure that bacteria is in the soil. The way I understand it I just need to do that once and the bacteria will then be in my soil, but reading a different article, you need to have organic matter in your soil to keep the bacteria alive. I think most of us will meet that criteria.

I found an interesting article about that from New Mexico State.

http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_a/A129/

A few highlights I got from this article. Some plants will fix enough nitrogen to meet the plant's nitrogen needs but beans do not. Beans will use all the nitrogen these nodules produce but they also need some more. Beans do better with these nodules even if there is plenty of other nitrogen available in the soil so it's good to have these microbes present. But when you remove the beans and bean plants above the soil, there is less nitrogen in the soil than when the season started unless you add nitrogen. That's not true with some other legumes. Some do fix excess nitrogen, like field peas. Excess nitrogen in the soil will inhibit the growth of this bacteria. Too much acidity will too.

If you grow beans in a container you might want to consider using an inoculant.

There are different inoculants for different plants. You want one specifically for what you are planting. Soybeans use a different inoculant than beans or green peas.

Looking online it's not cheap but a little goes a long way. It normally comes in powder form, a recommended method is to mix a little powder with your beans just before you plant them. It's a biological so it has a shelf life, but the one I looked at was good for a year. You probably want to store it where it doesn't get too hot like BT and other biologicals.

I thought this was a relevant topic for this thread, especially since we discussed it earlier. I'd assumed that bacteria was in my soil since I' been growing beans for so long. Shows what happens when you assume. But the big surprise to me was that the net amount of useable nitrogen does not increase if you plant beans if you remove the beans and the plants instead of reincorporating the plant material into the soil. I thought all legumes incorporated extra nitrogen. Some do, some don't.

 

[Blue-Jay]

@Ridgerunner, It will be interesting to see how your innoculant works next year.

 

[Ridgerunner]

To do it right I'd inoculate some and not others to get a comparison, but I probably won't.

 

[Blue-Jay]

@aftermidnight,

I checked into the Allotments 4 All gardening forum today and...BINGO.... someone posted to me that they have "Bob And Mary". Someone also is a member of Garden Organic and they are going to check with HSL to see if they have "Sarah's Old Fashioned Black".

The person who has the "Bob And Mary", I asked them if they want to be paid for them somehow. I don't know what kind of arrangement can be made about that.

 

[aftermidnight]

@aftermidnight,

I checked into the Allotments 4 All gardening forum today and...BINGO.... someone posted to me that they have "Bob And Mary". Someone also is a member of Garden Organic and they are going to check with HSL to see if they have "Sarah's Old Fashioned Black".

The person who has the "Bob And Mary", I asked them if they want to be paid for them somehow. I don't know what kind of arrangement can be made about that.

@Bluejay77 I'm absolutely gob smacked, I've been looking for these for years without any luck. I've never seen the elusive 'Bob and Mary' listed anywhere other than the HSL. I think 'Beans and Herbs' have listed 'Sarah's Old Fashioned Black' at times but not this year.
Whatever works I'd gladly do a trade or outright pay for them, plus postage. It would probably easier for them to be sent to me as we don't have any restrictions on seed from the UK, or if sent to you I will gladly reimburse you, this way you can help yourself to some . This has just made my day. Let me know how it goes.
Annette

 

[Blue-Jay]

@aftermidnight,

Yep that is what I had told this person yesterday to send the beans directly to you as they would pass Canadian customs just fine. This person also told me that there was no need to make complicated arrangements. So when you get the beans you can do whatever you feel is fair.

I got on the Allotments 4 All site again today and gave Galina (her screen name) your address. Now let's hope someone can come up with the other bean. This is an early beany Christmas for you.

 

[aftermidnight]

@Bluejay77 , that's great. I recognize the screen name Galina, I believe she has posted on GW a number of times, a very knowledgeable person. Hopefully I can send something in return as well as pay for postage etc. Thanks again for all your effort, hopefully we can also find a few Sarah's Old Fashioned Black sometime down the road.
Annette