2022 Little Easy Bean Network - We Are Beans Without Borders

flowerbug

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I am pretty sure that the package was labelled heirloom.

what was the variety name? heirloom is nice because then you know they're very likely an open pollinated crop. but beyond that it is nice if there is a variety name with it as then you have a chance of learning more about it. :)


I am sure that my later planted beans ARE heirloom, Kentucky Wonder Beans. I have an order from Baker's Creek that includes Cherokee Trail of Tears, so I will be planting purple beans next year, plus we do have a variety of box stores that sell heirloom purple beans, too.
Hoping that the deep purple beans Are heirloom, but I don't mind practicing seed saving on them.

Deep purple was the variety name? lemme look... not sure i'm finding...

and practicing seed saving on beans can be quite fun. :) we all started somewhere... :)
 

ducks4you

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Nope, I don't remember the name and I didn't save the packaging. Heck, I was bowled over that I have a HARVEST from this bean package! :lol:
You can see that the beans Are a deep purple, and they are consistantly big, although I think the drought has caused some of them to curl early. I do remember that the bean seeds were dark brown, if that helps. The inside flesh is bright green and they cook up green, but I know a lot of purple vegetables turn green when cooked.
 

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flowerbug

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oh ok. :) thanks for the clarification. :)

just let them go and fill the pods as much as they can, keep some water on them if it gets too hot and dry. once the pods are full and the beans are firm inside the pod may change color or start shrivelling. at that point the bean is likely to be as developed as it will get so from then on the issue becomes one of drying and if you want to leave them outside to finish up or if you want to intervene and harvest and then dry them some other way.
 

Boilergardener

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We are expected to bottom out at 45 degrees F. With today's heat I don't think that low is gonna make much of a difference. I saw that prediction for an above average October, too. @Bluejay77 , you live 3 1/2 hrs north of me, and I think you are in zone5b. We live just to the south line of the border between 5b and 6a. Doesn't Really mean much when we drop below -20, but if there is protection, I can grow some things that you cannot.
STILL, I will buy perennials that are meant for zones 3-7.
That protection is iffy, too. My property is flat as a pancake, although I could map the dips and tiny hills, if necessary. We get some Wicked winds that knock things over, during the Spring, Fall And winter. Our 100+yo house was wisely built so that you climb 5 steps to the first floor, therefore the first floor won't flood. Just paid to have my gutters cleaned so that I won't get water in the basement, which takes 7 steps down from ground level.
The 2nd floor has NO windows facing west. You don't see that done in modern home building.
I suspect that the first REAL freeze we will get Here is gonna be the beginning of November. All of the Fall planting I did I believe is going to pay off. HERE IS MY QUESTION:
I have "raped" the 12 purple bush beans for some 6 weeks now. They look terrible, suffering from drought, though I have watered them, getting eaten up by grasshoppers--I have seen them--still they continue to produce, though they have slowed. down.
I have just started to get a decent harvest from my later planting, especially from the Kentucky pole beans, which had nothing a week ago,now nice big beans hiding out (but that's bc I really overplanted!)
Should I stop harvesting the purple beans and let them grow nice, big pods to harvest seeds from, like in the next month? I could use some advice, bc this is New to me.
Thanks!
:hugs
Im also at the line of zone 5b and 6a, and a Network bean Hallados grandos, didnt make Flowers until August 30th!! I check them every day i have pods with bean bumps forming so i think i will make viable seed before the plant dies off. This plant definately needs to be grown farther south than indiana haha! Tennessee and south is my guess but then again i should get viable seed if the predicted long term warm trend stays true
 

ducks4you

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@Boilergardener, I got a VERY late start this year, BUT, my focus was to learn to Fall Garden. There were several YouTubes about planting for the Fall, and Baker's Creek, also zone 6, has a video on 7 vegetables to be planted (or replanted) late. MY beans were planted in July, so I don't think I noticed any late flowers. Why do you suppose that happened? Were you really wet...cold? If the Andes are like the Rockies, it is colder and dryer than our Midwest climate. Maybe if you save the seeds the bean will acclimate to your microclimate?
We are in the biggest drought area in IL. Fortunately, the rain came through this afternoon, but everything is suffering. The beans seem very happy, but I mass planted, thinking I might get some, so the only ones that have dried out have space in between them. Below is how thick they are on a 12 ft fenceline that I built in 2021.
It looks like I will be canning beans for the next month! I am NOT unhappy about this. I have become a pressure canner, and I have hot water bathed canned for over 20 years. I am good enough at canning that last weekend's chili included a pint of cherry tomatoes from 2015. I store in my basement pantry.
 

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heirloomgal

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@heirloomgal the weather people are predicting a temperature here Friday morning by 7 am of 38 F. What is it going to be doing where you live? I'm hoping we are going to get that long range weather prediction of above normal for October. My Pole beans could use a long extended period of warm and dry. The bush bean plot will soon be all harvested out.
Yes, I saw today on a couple weather networks that we are scheduled to go as low as 33 to 37 F on Thursday night. 😯 Which is not good news. My neighbours frequently remind me that our little pocket usually goes a few degrees lower than predicted too. The good news is about 90% of the poles are already pulled up & protected due to rain, and the bushes and semis are basically done minus a few stragglers. It is showing right now which varieties were put in as seeds, and which were attacked by bean seed flies (my whole early planted South wall) because they are behind. I think the only network pole beans though in danger of incomplete maturity are Sylvano's, Georgian Black & White, Zugdidi Flat Cake and Lazy Wife. Zugdidi was hit bad by the flies, but it is gorgeous right now with emerald beans dangling. But, I do think I have seed left because the germination was 100% and I planted only 4. I don't think this bean takes so long to mature, regrowing it's roots just set it back.
Zugdidi -
20220921_153902.jpg
20220921_154514.jpg


I think for these varieties I will throw a tarp or blanket over them and hope for the best, because the weather gets better afterward. But I'm not 100% sure what to do yet.

Lazy Wife -
20220921_152957.jpg


Vulkan has given me several dried pods already, this is what remains on the plant. I'm torn about whether I should pull it or not. It's on a southern wall. But, it still has a way to go yet. The pole didn't break, the bean plant slipped down from the top few feet for some reason. Odd.
20220921_154424.jpg


Tempted to pull these too.
20220921_153303.jpg


Kroatische Strangenbohne and Meuch...probably gonna pull these tomorrow. They seem far enough. I hope.
20220921_154745.jpg

Ping limas will have to saddle up for a cold night with a blanket. Just not along far enough to pull. I have already collected more than enough seed to try again if need be, since I don't usually grow more than 6 plants of any one variety.
20220921_154013.jpg


If anyone has wisdom to share in the 'pull it vs. cover it' topic I'd love to hear...
 
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meadow

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I think the only network pole beans though in danger of incomplete maturity are... and Lazy Wife.
@heirloomgal I would be happy to fulfill your Network pledge of Lazy Wife if it is okay with @Bluejay77

My seed was from Heritage Farm and I grew it in an isolated bed in front of the house (surrounded on the other sides by large trees and a barn). I've already shelled the first handful of pods (probably close to 60 seeds already) with no freezing temps in sight, and the plants are loaded with more pods.
 

Boilergardener

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@Boilergardener, I got a VERY late start this year, BUT, my focus was to learn to Fall Garden. There were several YouTubes about planting for the Fall, and Baker's Creek, also zone 6, has a video on 7 vegetables to be planted (or replanted) late. MY beans were planted in July, so I don't think I noticed any late flowers. Why do you suppose that happened? Were you really wet...cold? If the Andes are like the Rockies, it is colder and dryer than our Midwest climate. Maybe if you save the seeds the bean will acclimate to your microclimate?
We are in the biggest drought area in IL. Fortunately, the rain came through this afternoon, but everything is suffering. The beans seem very happy, but I mass planted, thinking I might get some, so the only ones that have dried out have space in between them. Below is how thick they are on a 12 ft fenceline that I built in 2021.
It looks like I will be canning beans for the next month! I am NOT unhappy about this. I have become a pressure canner, and I have hot water bathed canned for over 20 years. I am good enough at canning that last weekend's chili included a pint of cherry tomatoes from 2015. I store in my basement pantry
I dont do anything special, i dont have prairie soil with 10 foot deep topsoil just a northern indiana clay loam soil, i get lots of molds and bacteria diseases on beans as im close enough to the great lakes it causes more humidity, greenhouse effects i guess, and i get more diseases and black splotches on the pods than others on this thread it looks like. No shortage of rain this year. I plant beans peppers tomatoes etc on the frost free date may 15th. This year i was late and planted May 20th ish range. This hallados grandos bean must be a late maturing type. All other beans. Ive grown this year had pods or were being harvested in early warwick, gauk, etc before this one set flowers august 30th. It just must be acclimated to areas not as far north as myself. It may get frosted out, but i am thinking i can get seed from it before it does get frosted out. It is very prolific in its growth and has very little leaf diseases conpared to everything else.
 

heirloomgal

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@heirloomgal I would be happy to fulfill your Network pledge of Lazy Wife if it is okay with @Bluejay77

My seed was from Heritage Farm and I grew it in an isolated bed in front of the house (surrounded on the other sides by large trees and a barn). I've already shelled the first handful of pods (probably close to 60 seeds already) with no freezing temps in sight, and the plants are loaded with more pods.
You are SO sweet and kind @meadow! :hugs:hugs:hugs
 

heirloomgal

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We are expected to bottom out at 45 degrees F. With today's heat I don't think that low is gonna make much of a difference. I saw that prediction for an above average October, too. @Bluejay77 , you live 3 1/2 hrs north of me, and I think you are in zone5b. We live just to the south line of the border between 5b and 6a. Doesn't Really mean much when we drop below -20, but if there is protection, I can grow some things that you cannot.
STILL, I will buy perennials that are meant for zones 3-7.
That protection is iffy, too. My property is flat as a pancake, although I could map the dips and tiny hills, if necessary. We get some Wicked winds that knock things over, during the Spring, Fall And winter. Our 100+yo house was wisely built so that you climb 5 steps to the first floor, therefore the first floor won't flood. Just paid to have my gutters cleaned so that I won't get water in the basement, which takes 7 steps down from ground level.
The 2nd floor has NO windows facing west. You don't see that done in modern home building.
I suspect that the first REAL freeze we will get Here is gonna be the beginning of November. All of the Fall planting I did I believe is going to pay off. HERE IS MY QUESTION:
I have "raped" the 12 purple bush beans for some 6 weeks now. They look terrible, suffering from drought, though I have watered them, getting eaten up by grasshoppers--I have seen them--still they continue to produce, though they have slowed. down.
I have just started to get a decent harvest from my later planting, especially from the Kentucky pole beans, which had nothing a week ago,now nice big beans hiding out (but that's bc I really overplanted!)
Should I stop harvesting the purple beans and let them grow nice, big pods to harvest seeds from, like in the next month? I could use some advice, bc this is New to me.
Thanks!
:hugs
Little suggestion for you ducks; in your bush bean row I would allow a single plant to grow, perhaps on the end, and leave that one untouched. Harvest from all the others. Bean plants usually take 3 months(+ sometimes) to mature and dry down its seed, it's usually more dicey to get seed from harvested plants, especially heavily harvested plants. Your season is longer than mine, so perhaps it's less of an issue for you. For me to get bean seeds I gotta wait all the way to Sept. - Oct.

Eta: If you space them closely the plants take longer to go to seed, which is why some packets recommend 2 inches between seeds. More space encourages the plant to go to seed more quickly.
 
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