journey11
Garden Master
Russ, I put a marker in each sprouting cup as I presprout the beans slightly before planting, just until the little root appears. I put the marker in the row on planting but am supposed to do a planting map at the same time, that is where I messed up, I did some from memory and couldn't find all the markers. The varieties I have grown before are distinctive and I know what they are (I haven't had a problem before but grew so many this time), but it was the new ones were difficult since I didn't know what the pods looked like. My suppliers were my old reliables, Sandhill Preservation and Sample Seed Shop, plus new beans from new Azure Dandelion (I like to encourage homeschoolers), they were mostly bush beans that the rabbits wiped out in a side bed that didn't have adequate rabbit protection, I won't grow them there again. It is mainly just the Rio Zape and Tiger Eye that were a problem, but no beans resembling Tiger Eye were produced. The right side one in my photo looks most like your Rio Zape photo and also the purple pod matches descriptions, the problem being that it is a short pole instead of a bush, so that just leaves the brown one on the left. I can just grow it as an outcross. It was nice in being very early to produce while "Rio Zape" was very late, great to have both ends covered. I won't trade either bean since there is some uncertainty.
A question about growing your Network beans, do you have a rule about isolation from other beans? I do have one side fenced bed that is a distance from my main bed. I was thinking of just growing one variety there for you.
Nancy
I grew Rio Zape back in 2015. I have a notebook in this house somewhere with my notes... But to my recollection, I believe mine also made short runners, like 2-3'. I thought they were supposed to be bush also, but I remember running string between a few bamboo poles to keep them from flopping over. Your seed on the right does look like Rio Zape to me.
ETA: Found a pic of the seed I got with Marshall's original notes on them. This sound like yours too?
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