2024 Little Easy Bean Network - Growing Heirloom Beans Of Today And Tomorrow

[dcfox]

The network beans are nearly all up. Germination has been utterly amazing. I credit this mostly to your storage of the beans @Blue-Jay , but I did refine my bean transplant approach this year and I think that helped a little. I've always been quite careful with watering the newly planted beans in the pots, and have used a measuring cup to be sure.

My first round of planted seeds got 1/4 cup/pot, and there was a small percentage of those seeds that didn't sprout and instead got mouldy. I switched to 1/8 cup of water for the network beans and that really seemed to improve my odds. I replanted the bean varieties that rotted on me and added only 1/8 cup, and success! 1/4 cup was too much water. I think even when I was trying to be so careful, I was still overwatering them. At first it just didn't seem like enough water that tiny bit, but my intuition said go with it. It is actually quite surprising how little water they need to sprout!! Every time I looked at those crusty looking, cracking middle starter pots and felt the urge to put a little swig of water over them I resisted. I even had a fan blowing over the pots to try and mimic outdoor conditions.

Also, regarding bean seed flies - all plants still remain unaffected. And this is a VERY buggy year. Lots of people abandoned their May long weekend cottage vacation plans here because they were all being eaten alive outdoors. I've gotten so brave that I'm even allowing some beans to germinate in the pots with e-wands outdoors and those too, thus far, have also shown no signs of damage. I'm super impressed and hope this can be repeated in the future, it would be a game changer for sure.

Could you share a picture of the “e-wands” you make and use in your garden? I’ve been interested in electroculture but have not made anything yet. The bugs are out of control in my garden this Spring so I need to take some action. I always thought pull bugs were garden allies, but this year they have turned into pests eating many of my young plants…

 

[heirloomgal]

Could you share a picture of the “e-wands” you make and use in your garden? I’ve been interested in electroculture but have not made anything yet. The bugs are out of control in my garden this Spring so I need to take some action. I always thought pull bugs were garden allies, but this year they have turned into pests eating many of my young plants…

Hey @dcfox , I will post some photos for you this evening. I'm not sure what pull bugs are? It does seem from my experience that anything that squirms - cutworms, bean seed flies, any kind of maggot, slugs - all these pests really seem to dislike the e poles.

 

[dcfox]

Hey @dcfox , I will post some photos for you this evening. I'm not sure what pull bugs are? It does seem from my experience that anything that squirms - cutworms, bean seed flies, any kind of maggot, slugs - all these pests really seem to dislike the e poles.

Sorry…dang autocorrect…I meant to write “pill bugs”…I appreciate your willingness to share what you are doing.

 

[heirloomgal]

Sorry…dang autocorrect…I meant to write “pill bugs”…I appreciate your willingness to share what you are doing.

Of course, I had icloud trouble again the night I want to post a couple pics! Luckily, I managed to get a few off before it shut me down again. Here's the wand and the wands in the plants. These are for transplants, when I plant in the main gardens I use 8 foot e poles.

 

[dcfox]

Of course, I had icloud trouble again the night I want to post a couple pics! Luckily, I managed to get a few off before it shut me down again. Here's the wand and the wands in the plants. These are for transplants, when I plant in the main gardens I use 8 foot e poles.
View attachment 66066View attachment 66065

Thanks so much for taking the time to post these photos. I will be making some e-wands this weekend to see if they can help out with my plants. Sorry to hear you're having issues with iCloud. Seems it's always something when dealing with technology!

Your seedlings look great! I've never started beans in pots before. After reading your posts, I decided to give it a try with a few varieties that I am growing. Happy Gardening!

 

[heirloomgal]

Thanks so much for taking the time to post these photos. I will be making some e-wands this weekend to see if they can help out with my plants. Sorry to hear you're having issues with iCloud. Seems it's always something when dealing with technology!

Your seedlings look great! I've never started beans in pots before. After reading your posts, I decided to give it a try with a few varieties that I am growing. Happy Gardening!

Good luck @dcfox! Let us know how things work out for you.

 

[Neen5MI]

One of the network varieties I attempted this year, Ijevan Black Cherry, has failed to germinate. This beside so many other varieties of legumes, in a number of categories, that have done well. Is anyone trying Ijevan Black Cherry? Any luck so far?

 

[flowerbug]

One of the network varieties I attempted this year, Ijevan Black Cherry, has failed to germinate. This beside so many other varieties of legumes, in a number of categories, that have done well. Is anyone trying Ijevan Black Cherry? Any luck so far?

sorry, never heard of that one before. i hope it will come up eventually. how many days has it been?

 

[Neen5MI]

sorry, never heard of that one before. i hope it will come up eventually. how many days has it been?

It's been every bit of 2 weeks, maybe 18 days...

 

[Branching Out]

Today a friend gifted me three new kinds of bean seeds that her Italian mom used to grow in her Vancouver, B.C. area garden. Her mom passed away four years ago, but my friend's sister was able to locate some of the dry beans tucked inside envelopes in their mom's basement. Another acquaintance provided me with samples of two other beans that her Italian parents have been growing out for over 40 years, so now I have five bean varieties with Italian roots. They are so beautiful!