2018 Little Easy Bean Network - Join Us In Saving Amazing Heirloom Beans

[flowerbug]

Well I'll be darned from Dapple Grey. I must have sent you just the right seeds. I planted Dapple Grey this year and all I got was what looked like pure Dapple Grey and I certainly was not disappointed. When you pick some seeds to grow you could probably just go right around the ones that have new genetic information in them. Possibly if you are into making things like soup and baked beans. I would imagine some outcrossed seed could even disappear through the stomach too.

i didn't even plant all of the DG seeds. what cues did my mind use to select those that i did plant? i don't really know or remember exactly, but i'm sure some of it was color/shape and i kept ones back that were more brown in color just in case this year's planting failed. so i also kept back some of the others i would have selected for a first planting. it's an interesting cusp to balance upon when faced with a limited number of seeds.

i have a lot more DG seeds now too. it did fairly well here this year. i'm looking forwards to seeing how DG continues (along with the Monster beans). the reason i called them Monster beans wasn't just the size of the bean, but also the size of the plant. for a bush plant it was pretty impressive. it really dominated the space it was in.

in selecting for further planting i do tend to pick out the odd sizes/shapes that are showing up and eat a lot of the rest, but also some things that have shown up as out-crosses are because i'm interplanting in a way to encourage mayhem/mixing from the bees.

like i'm pretty sure where Lemon Slice came from and it was selected from many thousands of beans over six years. it helps to be willing to sort, look at each one and observe patterns.

i'm sure i've missed a bunch too. i keep trying and have fun... i'm still aiming for red stripe like Lemon Slice among many other projects. never enough space...

 

[Blue-Jay]

Russ's Bean Show Day #23​

''LONG PRAIRIE" #34C-97-97A - Bush Dry. Another Robert Lobitz legacy bean I've been working with since 2015. I threw produced three other seed coats besides itself. It seemed to change a bit since last year also. could have been soil conditions. It was planted in different soil this year. I had a landscaper remove some sod in my backyard dig out about a foot of clay and replace it with top soil which is not like the local topsoil darker loamier and no telling where it comes from. The first photo is "Long Prairie". The next three photos are the other seed coats this bean produced this year.

"Long Prairie" - Bush Dry

"Long Prairie Segregation #1-2018"

"Long Prairie Segregation #2-2018"

This segregation the seed is smaller shorter and narrower seed.

"Long Prairie Segregation #3-2018"

"COLD SPRING PINTO #34C-97-97A-02-#1" - Bush Dry. This another Robert Lobitz Legacy bean I've been working with since 2015. This bean produced two other different seed coats this summer. This first photo might actually contain a third seed coat with the colored area more confined to the eye. The remaining seed looks like Cold Spring Pinto did in 2017. The second and third photos are the other two seed coats from this bean this year.

"Cold Spring Pinto" - Bush Dry

"Cold Spring Pinto Segregation #1-2018"

"Cold Spring Pinto Segregation #2-2018

"PURPLE AMAZON" - Bush Snap Purple Pod. This is a Robert Lobitz original bean that he did name. I have read somewhere that it was considered to be his best purple podded bean. I have never grown a real good or large crop of the seed of this one everytime I've planted it.

"Purple Amazon" Bush Snap Purple Pod

"PURPLE FACE" - Semi Runner dry. This is an orgianl bean of mine which has been around since the early 1980's. This bean produced one off type seed this year. Second Photos is the off type seed from Purple Face this year.

"Purple Face" - Semi Runner Dry.

"Purple Face Segregation - 2018




​

 

[flowerbug]

@Bluejay77 your Purple Face Segregation does look a lot like what i posted above. nice looking beans for sure!

my own version of Purple Face has come from Orca/Yin Yang beans, but without spots or markings down the sides at all. it doesn't ever produce very well and i'm lucky to get seeds back when i have planted it. like the Orca/YY beans i don't think it does well in the hot weather of the mid-summer. i've also had brown and reddish orca types show up - none have produced a lot of seeds for me when i've replanted them.

since i've been growing the Molasses Face beans i've not planted many orca type beans (even if i like the shape and pattern of them) because i'd rather have the space going for more productive beans or beans that i'm still exploring.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Russ's Bean Show Day #24​

"PURPLE ROSE CREEK" - Semi Runner dry. Another of the many Robert Lobitz original beans. I obtained this bean from Peace Seedlings of Coravallis, Oregon in 2015. It sat in a jar in my basement for three years and I had no idea how old the seed was when I got it from them. Thought I had better grow it out this year. So this was my first year of growing this one and it did very well.

"Purple Rose Creek" - Semi Runner dry.

''PURPLE STARDUST" - Bush Dry. Another Robert Lobitz bean that I have grown out for the third time this summer. I have obtained it from three different people over the course of the last six year. It's a very pretty bean reminding me of the African bean "Mrociumere" in it's coloring. I don't consider it one of my very productive varieties, but will grow it from time to time.

"Purple Stardust" - Bush Dry.

"RABBITS FOOT 1.1" - Bush Dry. A Segregation of another outcross called "Rabbits Foot" in 2016. This year was my second grow out of this one and it did produce two variant seed coats. First Photo is "Rabbits Foot 1.1 and the second and third photos are it's segregations from this summer.

"Rabbits Foot 1.1" - Bush Dry.

"Rabbit's Foot 1.1 2018 Segregation #1".

"Rabbit's Foot 1.1 - 2018 Segregation #2"


"READE KROBBE" - Bush Dry. A Friesian Heirloom in the Netherlands often refered to as the Red Beetle. Productive, it grows and looks very similar to the the English "Early Warwick". This summer was my third grow out of Ready Krobbe since 2014.

"Reade Krobbe" - Bush Dry.

"RED EYED RANGER" - Bush Dry. This bean came out of another outcross back in the early 1980's from a bean I named called "Cherry Trout:. Kind of a short slightly rounded Jacob's Cattle patterned bean. "Cherry Trout" got donated to the Seed Savers Exchange and "Red Eyed Ranger" disappeared in the years I was gone from SSE. The name "Red Eyed Ranger" was a take off on the TV cowboy that wore a black mask and was called the "Lone Ranger". Since this bean had a red eye patch I called it the "Red Eyed Ranger" So this bean was gone and I reacquired "Cherry Trout" from my donations list from SSE in 2012. The first time I grew Cherry Trout I got my Red Eyed Ranger back again. Since then Cherry Trout has grown without any segregations. "Red Eyed Ranger produced one white segregation in 2014 that looked like a short stubby soldier bean and produced a shortened seed this summer that has the Jacob's Cattle pattern but not as dark red. First photo "Red Eyed Ranger" and second photo it's 2018 segrgation.

"Red Eyed Ranger" - Bush Dry.

" Red Eyed Ranger 2018 Segregation"

 

[Blue-Jay]

Russ's Bean Show Day #25​

"RED SPOTTED DELIGHT" - Semi Runner dry. Another Robert Lobitz Original bean. I got seed from an Illinois SSE member who seems to always deal out dark seed that has not been grown in real recent years when you request seed from him. I think this seed was about 10 or 11 years old and all the seed I planted grew beautifully. The plant produced two patterns. Bright light red in both patterns. One with a large patch around the eye and one with larger area of red covering more of the seed and spotting of the same color.

"Red Spotted Delight" Semi Runner Dry.

"Red Spotted Delight" - Semi Runner Dry.

''RED SWAN" - Bush Snap. Another Robert Lobitz original variety. Pods are fat round and red blushed. Never seen snap pods like these before. This year was my first try at growing these. Will have to grow more and try out the beans culinary value.

"Red Swan" - Bush Snap.

''RINGWOOD" - Pole Snap. Discovered this bean growing in my 2014 garden. It came out of a bush planting and had a massive vine. I haven't grown it since but thought I would give it a try since the seed is already 4 years old. The first photo is what I originally discovered although now darkened with age. The second photo is the only seed I harvested after growing out the dark seed.

"Ringwood" - Pole 2014 version.

"Ringwood" - Pole Snap 2018 version.

"ROBERT'S GREEN" - Bush Snap. This is another Robert Lobitz bean. A selection out of Contender. The pods seem a bit narrower and so also do the seeds.

"Robert's Green" - Bush Snap

"ROCKWELL" - Bush Dry. A bean that I had first grown back in the early 1980's. This summer was my third of my most recent grow outs after reacquiring the bean from a state of Washington SSE member's Back Yard Beans And Grain Project" An heirloom from the Coupeville area of Central Whidbey Island in the state of Washington. It is named after the late 1800's pioneer Elisha Rockwell who brought it to the area from Maine. The bean has remained popular in homestead gardens for well over a century. Renown for its ability to germinate in cool soil, mature early, and its outstanding flavor. The bean is considered a “cassoulet” type bean, it keeps it's shape yet cooks up creamy and rich.

"Rockwell" - Bush Dry.

 

[PhilaGardener]

''RED SWAN" - Bush Snap. Another Robert Lobitz original variety. Pods are fat round and red blushed. Never seen snap pods like these before. This year was my first try at growing these. Will have to grow more and try out the beans culinary value.

Red Swan is said to be from a cross between a purple snap bean and a pinto bean - I think that is why it seems so unique in color and shape. I grew it two years ago and it was very productive for me. Here is a picture of the pods from my garden in Sept of 2017 - yes, that's one stem!

 

[Zeedman]

"ROCKWELL" - Bush Dry. A bean that I had first grown back in the early 1980's. This summer was my third of my most recent grow outs after reacquiring the bean from a state of Washington SSE member's Back Yard Beans And Grain Project" An heirloom from the Coupeville area of Central Whidbey Island in the state of Washington. It is named after the late 1800's pioneer Elisha Rockwell who brought it to the area from Maine. The bean has remained popular in homestead gardens for well over a century. Renown for its ability to germinate in cool soil, mature early, and its outstanding flavor. The bean is considered a “cassoulet” type bean, it keeps it's shape yet cooks up creamy and rich.

"Rockwell" - Bush Dry.

Interesting. I lived on Whidbey Island for three years in the 70's; a very cool, windy climate even in summer, difficult for beans & anything that requires warmth. That this bean did well in that climate is testimony for its cold tolerance. While I generally prefer to grow pole beans, this one might be worth trying.

 

[reedy]

@Bluejay77 , Beans arrived yesterday, they sure are pretty. I have an old cooler marked "next year" and sort seeds in the fall instead of putting them all up in bulk. That way I don't have to keep as much notes and stuff. If it's in next "next year" I know I want to plant it even if don't remember why. So that's where they are.

Nothing to do now but wait. I'll keep a good eye on the Red Wolf for off types.

 

[Blue-Jay]

@PhilaGardener, Actually the pods are not round but more oval. I like the color. Nice photo.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Russ's Bean Show Day #26​

"SACRE BLUE" - Pole dry. A gift from a fellow bean grower who is also a market garden farmer. Pretty bean simply because there is not very blue color color in beans. The bean's origin is France. Sacred Blue in English. When I grew it this summer I didn't get a large seed crop and it didn't really seem to want to climb strongly. Perhaps more of a semi runner to me.

"Sacre Blue" Pole Dry

"SEBRINA" - Semi Runner Dry. This bean comes out of the many outcrossed beans that I received in 2015 from Will Bonsall (Scattered Seed Project) of Industry, Maine. The bean also has a bush counterpart with the same exact seed and seed coat that I named Sebastian. According to Will the seed mother of this bean is Early Stearns which Will has been growing for sometime. Sebrina did produce one off type seed this summer which is the second photo.

"Sebrina" - Semi Runner dry.

"Sebrina" - 2018 Segregation

"SEMINOLE" - Bush Snap. A very nice snap bean and productive of round pods for a bush type. Released to the public in 1955. Bred by the Everglades Experiment Station in Belle Glade, Florida. Belle Glade is located just south of Lake Okeechobee. The bean was the result of crossing Corbett Refugee, Great Northern, Black Valentine, Commodore, and Greenpod. I wonder if the bean was named after Seminole county which is located just northeast of Orlando.

"Seminole" - Bush Snap.

"SHORTWAVE SUNSHINE" - Bush Snap. I found this bean in Junin in 2014. Junin is a bean I got from a lady in Germany. The bean produced two other seed coat colors this year, but in 2016 produced several shades of red and several shades of a mottled seeds. I've also used the beans in soup, and a baked bean dish. This year a solid light red and a buff which will be the second and third photos. The first photo is Shortwave Sunshine. The bean is also named after a modern rock band of the same name.

"Shortwave Sunshine - Bush

"Shortwave Sunshine" - Bush, Light Red Segregation.

"Shortwave Sunshine" - Bush, Buff segregation.

"SMITH RIVER SUPER SPECKLE" - Bush Dry. I've grown this bean as early and 1980 acquired from the Seed Savers Exchange. The bean is productive and I've always enjoyed growing this interesting looking bean. This year I didn't get much white and speckling. I have grown it in other parts of the county where I live and have gotten better looking beans in other soils. Second photo is how this bean can look at it's best. The bean comes out of Jacob's Cattle in the late 1970's discovered by Jerry Gatchell of Drain, Oregon. The Smith river is located about 30 miles north of where Jerry lived.

"Smith River Super Speckle" - Bush Dry.

"Smith River Super Speckle" - Bush Dry