2017 Little Easy Bean Network – Everything Beans, Post It Here & Join The Fun

[Blue-Jay]

I got an email about two years ago from a fellow in Maine who had been growing a green podded, black mottled seeded bean for about 12 years and he had always wondered what the bean might be called. He ran across my website and figured it fit the description of Kishwaukee Green. The bean threw off three seed coats all the time just as I had described the bean. So he sent them to me and I grew them out last year. They did put out the seed coats that Kishwaukee Green had always done, but this time there was an added one of chocolate brown. The bean was a round podded snap bean I decided to call Kay Snap. I just took the first letter of Kishwaukee and added the ay like the girls name and grew it out again this year and it grew true to type. Plants and seeds were all the same and just like last year. So I'm going to turn this one lose also for anyone who want to try to grow it.

#26 - Kay Snap

 

[Blue-Jay]

Last winter a fellow from Kentucky who is going to college right now and wants to be a plant breeder sent me a bean called "Prefontaine". It was donated to the USDA seed bank in Pullman, Washington in 1982 by Johnny's Selected Seeds of Albion, Maine. 1982 was back in the days when Rob Johnston still owned the business. I Wrote to the current owners of Johnny's and they never heard of the bean and couldn't find any record of it ever being in any of their seed catalogs. The bean was a lot later than most of the dry beans I grow here. The first photo is the original seed that was sent to me and the second photo is the seed I harvested here this September. Both seeds are very beautiful. I like them both.

Original "Prefontaine" sent to me

#27- Prefontaine

 

[Blue-Jay]

"Early Stearns" another bean introduced and named by Robert Lobitz grows as a true bush. He named the bean for the county in Minnestoa where he grew up. I kept getting harvested seed that looked a bit different than what I had acquired from two Seed Saver Exchange members. This year I think finally harvest some seeds that at least closely resemble the original seeds that I have been sent. First photo is the original seed I acquired. Second Photo is the one I think most closely resembles the original seed I have, and this is the one I will select for as "Early Stearns'. The the seed photos following are all the patterns I've harvested from this bean, and I might grow these out as well and possibly give them seperate names. I think when Robert Lobitz released this bean it was probably stable, but I think the seed I've gotten may have been outcrossed.

Early Stearns

#28 - Early Stearns

 

[Blue-Jay]

Another Robert Lobitz bean. A true bush snap bean with large seed, and tall plants. This one two seemed much later than most of the bush types I grow.

#29 - Arnold

 

[Ridgerunner]

Last winter a fellow from Kentucky who is going to college right now and wants to be a plant breeder sent me a bean called "Prefontaine". It was donated to the USDA seed bank in Pullman, Washington in 1982 by Johnny's Selected Seeds of Albion, Maine. 1982 was back in the days when Rob Johnston still owned the business. I Wrote to the current owners of Johnny's and they never heard of the bean and couldn't find any record of it ever being in any of their seed catalogs. The bean was a lot later than most of the dry beans I grow here. The first photo is the original seed that was sent to me and the second photo is the seed I harvested here this September. Both seeds are very beautiful. I like them both.

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Original "Prefontaine" sent to me

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#27- Prefontaine

Could be growing conditions or how long they have aged. I can see why you like them both.

 

[Blue-Jay]

This next bean is a true bush that I found growing among a bean in 2014 called "Jacob's Cattle Amish" which acquired from a grower in the Netherlands. My new bean has grown true to type since 2014 and I grew a beautiful crop of seed from it this season. The bean is very productive has long slender pods. I believe it's a dry bean type. has mostly white seed with a spot of color on either side of the eye. I've named it "Mulldoon". I've gotten this pattern from many of my other outcrossed beans. I believe "Mulldoon" is likely stable and I'm going to turn it lose to anyone who wants to grow it.

#30 - Mulldoon

Mulldoon dry pod

 

[Blue-Jay]

This bean is also a true bush and grows without runners. I believe it's a dry bean type and is stable. I found it growing among Wanamingo several years ago and I'm going to also turn this bean lose to anyone who wants to grow it. I have named the bean after a town here in the county where I live called "Hebron".

#31 - Hebron

 

[Blue-Jay]

This bean is also a true bush type and grows without runners. It's is a Robert Lobitz bean called "Mazeppa". It shares a seed coat color and pattern similar to other Robert Lobtiz beans.

#32 - Mazeppa

 

[Blue-Jay]

This bean called "Bountifu Ester" has been traded among Seed Saver Exchange member since the early 1980's. It is a sprawling bush and can create a mass of vines about two feet wide. It's my understanding that the bean is a snap type. It's very productive and this year it threw off a black seeded bean and two other off types.
I had grown the bean in the early 1980's and my most recent acqusition of seed was 5 years ago from Will Bonsall of Industry, Maine.

#33 - Bountiful Ester

Bountiful Ester off type

Bountiful Ester off type

Black Seeded Off type from Bountiful Ester

More beans to follow tomorrow November 2, 2017 !

 

[ninnymary]

No, Mary Voodoo is a pole bean. It's the second and third one (same plant) from the right, topping off above my 12' high trellis. it's a first year segregation so who knows what it will look like next tear? It is not suitable for use as a snap bean, only as a dried bean. The pod is too fibrous.

Of course if you want seeds of any of them just let me know. This photo was taken way back in the spring.

View attachment 22560

Oh, it is tempting on your bean offer but this summer I cut back on the space for my Blue Lakes. I went crazy and planted a lot and froze them but I'm not happy with how watery they turned out so I will only be planting half as much.

How do you reach that high to harvest them? I like to keep my pole beans at 6 ft. They can topple over if they want.

I make a pot of pinto beans every week and I know 2 plants of Voodoo would not give me enough. Beans are so easy to grow that I wished I had the space to grow enough for my needs.

Let me see if I can sneak any VooDoos somewhere. I'll let you know. Thank you for the offer.

Mary