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

[flowerbug]

@Zeedman my grandmother always picked very young black eyed pea pods that hadn’t started to swell with seeds yet. She always put snaps in her peas, along with chunks of ham or bacon.

i've heard that's how they are normally eaten from a friend, but i've not ever done that here as the one time i grew them i was trying to get more seeds. they sure love the heat and sunshine so i'd see why they're popular and useful. i like them dried just fine - i used to eat a lot of black-eyed-peas.

 

[flowerbug]

And edamame soybeans too! I suspect those take the place of green Southern peas in my diet.

for some reason those remind me of pumpkin seeds when i have them.

 

[Zeedman]

@Zeedman my grandmother always picked very young black eyed pea pods that hadn’t started to swell with seeds yet. She always put snaps in her peas, along with chunks of ham or bacon.

I've heard from several gardeners in the South that cowpeas are often cooked with both peas & snaps. If I try that though, I'll probably cheat... using yardlongs as the snaps. I think the cowpea shellies & yardlongs should ripen at pretty close to the same time.

 

[heirloomgal]

@Artorius Strange experience with one of the Piekny Jas beans; all except one sprouted, but there is one of the whole bunch that has come up almost a greenish yellow. The leaves look exactly the same as the others, but the colour is very strange! I wanted to take a pic today to post and show you but I forgot - I've been ultra focused on wheelbarrowing nearly 23 cubic yards (new soil) into my back yard during the last 4 days,

but I'll take one tomorrow and post it so you can see. Maybe I should rogue it out if it doesn't colour up...

 

[Artorius]

@heirloomgal
I had the same with the Tiger's Eye beans. 5 of the 11 seedlings were almost yellow. I do not know why. Just in case, I liquidated them.

I have already transplanted most of the bean seedlings. I have about 90 more half-runners left.
I have lost two varieties: Luther Family Greasy Cornfield and Nambale Long. None of the seeds germinated although I tried different methods.

 

[flowerbug]

sometimes the plants will green up and other times they just fade out as they can't make any energy from the sun so once the supply from the seeds is gone they are done.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

BIG NEWS!

About a week ago, I decided to do a last ditch try and plant those odd looking lima beans I found at the bottom of a bin of Christmas's in Chinatown some time back (the ones where I can't tell if they are lima beans common beans or even a hybrid). I've been keeping quiet about that for fear of jinxing it (as not ONE of the lima beans I have planted from the lot I got then has EVER germinated) But I checked today and at least one (possibly as many as four) HAVE.

 

[Zeedman]

We both seem to be getting unexpectedly good news, @Pulsegleaner . 4 soybeans failed last year (DV-2371, Krasnoarmejscaja, Musan-1, and PI 427088 I). All four were 0/20 when germination tested about a month ago. I placed a tray of each in a mini-greenhouse held at 85 F. , and all are showing some signs of germination. Krasnoarmejscaja, which shows potential for use as edamame soy nuts, has 15/200 emerging so far.

No sign yet of Ralph's Italian pole beans though. They were planted the same day & treated the same as the soybeans. Given their age (2004) and that they were exposed to ambient air the entire time, they may be a lost cause. I'll give Ralph's another week, after which I'll plant an alternate variety in the space set aside for them.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

And more good news. I was just outside, and the grass peas have flowers now (one in each pot). So far my theory of bringing back flower color by planting darker seed seems to be working out, as both flowers are the wild blue shade (of course, this is from a different source than when I used the Italian material, so it could be that all of it is blue flowered regardless of seed color. Guess future flowers will have to tell.

 

[Blue-Jay]

New little Ping Zebra's emerging from the soil. Had them wrapped in moist paper towel last Monday afternoon. Planted them Thursday and they are already starting to come up. Never had Ping Zebra's growing this early before.


Ping Zebra - Pole Lima.

My big bean plot tilled yesterday. This is where the pole beans grew in 2019 and 80 varieties of bush beans grew in 2020. Will start planting two rows semi runner beans here tomorrow. Then fill out the rest of the plot with pole beans.