Any "Beaners" Out There?

[TheSeedObsesser]

New member here. So I have about ten different varieties of heirloom beans that my mom bought to be used as soup beans from the Seed Savers Exchange. I would really like to plant these and get some more beans out of them (For planting later.) . I do a lot of reading on gardening, vegetables in particular. I read that the dry beans that I have (Phaseolus Vulgaris) are self pollinating but can sometimes be crossed by bees. (We have armies of honeybees and bumblebees that are constantly patrolling the area. We also have plenty of wildflowers up for most of the year in my area.) Does anybody have problems with crossing in their bean? Do you bag the flowers to keep the beans off of the ones you plan on saving, or do you just let them go?

 

[journey11]

Hi there, SeedObsesser!

You came to the right place. You need to check this thread out. Maybe you'll want to adopt a couple new varieties for next year? I have 3 varieties of heirloom Appalachian pole beans I have been saving seed from for a few years and took on some other new kinds this year, from our friend, Bluejay77 (see the thread).

Have fun and enjoy your day!

ETA: I used to isolate mine by distance, limiting the number of varieties I could grow in a season. But our bean experts here, Marshall Smyth and Bluejay77 have assured us that it is ok to have many out at the same time. I did see a few mason bees pushing into some blooms on my pole beans this year, but Marshall said that those beans will be damaged by being pulled apart by the bee and won't make a nice, even, full pod. So any weird looking bean pods, just don't keep seed from those. Keep the pretty ones. It won't affect but just a couple of seeds.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Hi journey11, thanks for posting! I'd like some new varieties, I'm sadly gardening on somebody elses property right now. (We're renting.) Definitely going to have a place of our own sometime next year though. So who knows, I'm sure the beans wouldn't mind sitting on the shelf until I'm ready for them! Here are the varieties of beans that I have:

Jacob's Cattle
Jacob's Cattle Gold
Snowcap
Black Valentine
Hutterite
Flageolet
Eye of the Goat
Tiger Eye

Runner Cannelini
Sunset Runner Bean
Grey - Speckled Palaype Cowpea
Kabouli Black Garbanzo

And not a single one of those I can plant because our landowner changed his mind on selling. I'm going to check out the link... right about.... now. *click*

 

[897tgigvib]

Howdy Seed Obsessor. BlueJay77 is a still living Wanigan associate. You probably saw the Wanigan Associates mentioned as you looked through the Seed Savers Exchange catalog. He was one of them!

Beans cross so rarely that when they do it is seriously cool.

My opinion is that don't worry at all about them crossing. In a few years if your bumblebees were crossing them, you'll notice some different variations among your heirlooms. Basically all ya do then is save those that seem to be crossed separately. You then stand a chance of getting some brand new varieties.

Looks like to me that the "worst" of it for a collector is that sometimes you have a surprise even after you thought they were sorted out. Just keep separating them out and saving them separately.

I have several that are doing this to me, and I really think it is great. Meantime, the heirloom is still being saved.

But BlueJay77 is by far the more experienced. Here is his webpage:

http://www.abeancollectorswindow.com/beanpage2.html

And yep, go to the link that journey put up on the post before this.

See, we have a LITTLE EASY BEAN ASSOCIATION thing going on right here. Yep, you came to the right place!

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Hi marshallsmyth! That is very interesting! I have read about the Wanigan Associates plenty of times before, they have an interesting story behind them too. Sounds like I won't have too much trouble, bad part is that I could have saved seeds from my Dragon Tongue snap beans this year. (I see Dragon Tongue for sale all over the place though. That and my neighbor grows them.) I took a peek at the link that journey provided. I'd love to join this Little Easy Bean Association. I'll have to ask my parents if they'd mind staying for the rest of our lease (Sep. 1st) even if we do buy another house before it ends. Do you think that I would have enough time for them to ripen if I get them in the ground early enough? I looked at the link you posted too, that's a lot of beans! I'd have to say may favorites for looks would be the Dapple Grey and the Caraota Domino. By the way, I think I already know the answer but - do you know if there is anyway to change my username. I'm pretty bad at making usernames and when I think of one that I like it's already to late, and it drives me nuts!

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Well, I just talked to my parents and it turns out that we will move before Sep. 1 if we find a good deal. It took us a good four years to find this house, and my family doesn't exactly have a unlimited supply of money. What do you think I should do? Go ahead and plant my beans anyway and leave them if I need to, or wait another year and try not to explode? Maybe plant some of the varieties that I have plenty of seeds for?

 

[897tgigvib]

Howdy again seed obsessor,

What would you change your user name to if you could? Our forum administrator is Nifty. He is in process of putting TEG into a new forum software thing. Ya know, I wonder if it'd be possible to do that when he transfers the forum to it. Only change I think I'd make is to Capitalize the first letter of my first name and the first letter of my last name.

DigitS is the maestro of gardening on other people's property...GOOPP Gardening.

 

[journey11]

I think you can PM one of the mods or Nifty and ask to have it changed. I think I saw that done before.

That is a nice variety you have in your collection. I have some Hutterite and Snow Caps too. Is the Sunset Runner Bean a type of Scarlet Runner Bean?

Do you have a relative or friend who would allow you a spot for your beans in their garden, assuming you are not moving too far away? That would be a bummer to lose a whole growing season. It is possible though, if you started them promptly in the spring, that you could be harvesting dry pods before Sept 1st, averaging maybe 90 days to maturity. If you knew the DTM for sure...

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

marshallsmyth, I would probably change it to something like BlackOx to reflect my very small percentage of Native American heritage. That and it just sounds better to me. "GOOPP" gardening, I'll have to start using that!

journey11, The Sunset Runner Bean is indeed a type of Scarlet Runner. The beans look the same as the scarlet runner beans, just replace the red with a salmon pink. The only other difference is that they have pinkish - white flowers. I do have Mrs. Free (my neighbor), she got me a good start in the flower department by giving me seeds from her existing plants. I'm sure she'll be nice enough to give me a little spot. I'm sure I could get some dry beans before we move with a good action plan. I just won't use any of my Tiger Eye or Black Garbanzo, I only have about three beans of each.

 

[baymule]

You could plant a few beans of each seed, saving some back for when you move. According to our bean experts we are so fortunate to have here, bean seed can be saved for several years without harm to them. Welcome to TEG!!!