2021 Little Easy Bean Network - Bean Lovers Come Discover Something New !

[Artorius]

Well, @Bluejay77 that is how I will grow my pole beans this year then. I have grown more bush beans in my gardening life than pole beans, and I've always wondered what the truly best spacing is for them.

When planting pole beans, I also take into account the growth strength of individual varieties. Too high density of shoots increases the risk of fungal diseases.
This is my pole beans growing construction.



I plant 8-12 common pole beans on it, but the runner beans are only 4-6.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

@heirloomgal , no I grow them to preserve rare varieties. I WOULD eat some of them, but I never get back enough that doing so wouldn't cut so severely into the seed supply that it would put them in danger.

My three attempts to grow rice beans were all failures. Most varieties (or all?) are photo-period sensitive, and will not even bloom until the equinox (which for me, is about two weeks away from my frost date). Two of the three varieties I planted were rampant pole types; heavily branched, and very dense foliage... denser than any other pole bean I've ever grown. They would probably be able to smother any weeds grown nearby (as they tried to do to an adjacent trellis 3' away). I was able to observe their yellow flowers, but there was no time for any pods to mature. I was given a bush rice bean in a swap, and it made beautiful spreading bushes... but didn't even make flower buds before frost. There are no commercial sources of rice bean in my area, and DW has no experience with them, so we may never taste them.

Rice beans that can produce here DO exist (the fact that I who is on more or less the same line of climate as you are, can get seed is proof of that).

There are at least two major groups of rice beans which I think of as Northern and Southern versions. If the seed is shiny about the size of an actual grain of rice and more or less the shade of red of most azukis (i.e. a sort of burgundy color) that's a Southern strain. That's too day length sensitive to work this far north (or indeed anywhere much above the tropics)

The Northern one is a little bit bigger (some strains a LOT bigger) a little bit fatter and a lighter shade of red (more like a hotdog). It also tends to have a matte seed coat (the ones in the photo are probably Northern the ones below are Southern.

SOME of the Northern are short enough season that you can get mature seed back. It's usually only a small percentage but you can build from there.

 

[heirloomgal]

This is the dried pods and beans from my 'Pretzel Bean'. I think it goes also by the name Ram's Horn as the pods grow in pairs along the length of the stem. The length of the beans are about the same as a regular bush green bean, maybe a tad longer. Do you think it could still be a 'yardlong' even though the pods are quite a bit shorter than those really long ones? The vendor I got it from said very little about it other than 'twining habit'. The immature green pods tasted like starch...

 

[heirloomgal]

@Artorius
How did you anchor those strings into the earth on your bean support structure? Do your strings stay that taut for the whole summer? Whenever I've used string or twine for support in the garden it starts out with the right tension, and then it always starts sagging at some point?

 

[Artorius]

@heirloomgal
I use 40 cm (15,75") rods for suspended ceilings.



The strings stay taut all the time. Later they are additionally anchored by plants.

 

[Zeedman]

This is the dried pods and beans from my 'Pretzel Bean'. I think it goes also by the name Ram's Horn as the pods grow in pairs along the length of the stem. The length of the beans are about the same as a regular bush green bean, maybe a tad longer. Do you think it could still be a 'yardlong' even though the pods are quite a bit shorter than those really long ones? The vendor I got it from said very little about it other than 'twining habit'. The immature green pods tasted like starch...

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Wow, you are really presenting some interesting beans. I had assumed it might be a yardlong, because listings I had seen for a "Pretzel Bean" stated that it could be tied into a pretzel shape - I should have done a web search first, because obviously, that is not what you have. Do you by any chance have a photo of the plants?

No, that is not a yardlong bean; but according to two seed company listings, it apparently is edible in the green stage. As you have already observed based upon your comments, whether it is palatable in the green stage might be a question of taste. It appears to be a member of the same genus as yardlongs & cowpeas (Vigna) and current seed company listings identify the Pretzel Bean as an heirloom cowpea. Rather odd hilum placement for a cowpea though, more like an adzuki bean. @Pulsegleaner , what is your opinion on this?

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I agree they are cowpeas. The Hilum position looks normal to me, the beans have just dried a little less flat than is normal (maybe wide pods?).

Maybe they are an intermediate between regular type cowpeas and yard longs and so have middling pods and middling length seeds.

Anyway they look like all of the pretzel bean seed pictures I have seen.

 

[heirloomgal]

@Bluejay77 What ever happened to that lovely bean you once posted called (I think) Draper's Glen, that was such a beauty. Did it stabilize?

 

[Blue-Jay]

@Bluejay77 What ever happened to that lovely bean you once posted called (I think) Draper's Glen, that was such a beauty. Did it stabilize?

I first discovered Draper's Glen in 2019. It's likely going to be a semi runner since I found it in my Marico grow out which is also a semi runner. I have it on my grow out list this year. It's amazing you remember that bean. Did you find it looking through the 2019 thread? I think this is a neat looking bean. I hope it stablizes.

 

[heirloomgal]

Yes, that's where I saw it. It is such a unique looking bean. There are plenty of super speckled beans out there, but much less that look like this one. The dark helium mixed with that modest speckling, makes a really nice visual combination. And I really like that name too.