Fortex Green Beans

[so lucky]

I grew these this year due to not being able to find Blue Lake Pole beans. The vines are scrawny and very slow to grow. The rabbits ate most of them off as soon as they would stick their head out of the ground. The Japanese Beetles tried to finish them off. So it is with great astonishment that I am getting really nice beans now. They are long, some nearly a foot long, and completely stringless, even at that size. Very good beany taste, too.
The most vigorous growth on one of my poles turned out to be some self-sown greasy cut-shorts that I disappointly grew last year. I can see the difference right away, and am not even picking the cut-shorts. All they are is strings.
Next year I will be putting the beans on the other side of the garden, so I don't have that issue again. With stronger rabbit protection. (Guess I could post Penny out there)

 

[thistlebloom]

Are the big ones still tasty? The kids garden grew purple podded green beans, which I helped myself to since apparently none of the kids were excited about taking them home for dinner.
Anyway, they didn't get picked as often as they should have and the big ones were on the tough side when cooked.

eta- Look at you with another picture! Great!

 

[majorcatfish]

just might grow some of those next year very nice looking beans.....

 

[so lucky]

The weather didn't really give them a good trial, as we had plenty of rain here, and no extended hot weather. There used to be a lady on our Sufficient Self forum who lived in Alaska. She swore by Fortex. That's where I first heard of them. She was one of the many who signed off and took all their past posts with them, during the great shake up (Which I missed)

 

[so lucky]

Are the big ones still tasty? The kids garden grew purple podded green beans, which I helped myself to since apparently none of the kids were excited about taking them home for dinner.
Anyway, they didn't get picked as often as they should have and the big ones were on the tough side when cooked.

eta- Look at you with another picture! Great!

I haven't eaten enough of them to know if the big ones are a problem, but we will have some this evening, and I will let you know if there is an issue with letting them get that big.

 

[digitS']

Since I complained about my experience with filet pole beans on your other thread, I'll tell you about my experience with a French filet bush bean, I feel very good about. Maybe we can turn this into a French filet lovefest, So Lucky ..!

First off, I really like purple beans (growing Russ' Purple King this year ). All varieties that I have grown, pole and bush, have pleased me with their flavor. DW doesn't care about them, however. I don't fully understand this but likes and dislikes are subjective ... don't ya know?

I've bought what was only labeled "French Filet Bush Beans," from a garden center the last couple of years. I'm certain that it is the same as I grew for several seasons prior. I had that packet around for awhile. You'd think I'd remember where I got it and the name, but I don't . Nevertheless, I'm fairly sure that it was "Masai." The description in the Fedco catalog matches and that may be the source.

There is some resistance on my part to endorsing this bean. Snapbeans are supposed to have an old fashioned look to them in order to assure the gardener that they are full of wonderful old-fashioned flavor .

These beans are cute ... and, delicious.

My judgment was confused again in 2015 because I also grew another French filet bush variety - Nikki. Shoot. Another tender, pretty thing with no flavor ...

Steve

 

[so lucky]

I wonder if beans in the "french filet" category just don't develop the actual bean seed for a long time. I am leaving a few of the huge ones on the vine, hoping to get some seeds for next year.