Hybrid Green Beans?

[so lucky]

I thought I read on here that beans are self pollinating, and that it would be difficult to cross pollinate by accident or on purpose, that sports were pretty much the only way new varieties are created. Did I read that wrong, or did I dream that?
I ask because I was looking at green beans on Jung's catalog and they list Fortex as a hybrid green bean. I checked blue lake bush, and it is listed as open pollinated. I just never thought of beans as being hybridized.
So does this mean that I would not get Fortex beans if I let some go to seed and plant them next year?
I must say, my narrow little world is shaken by this prospect.
Do any of you bean gurus have any encouraging words for me? Russ? Marshall?

 

[Hal]

I thought I read on here that beans are self pollinating, and that it would be difficult to cross pollinate by accident or on purpose, that sports were pretty much the only way new varieties are created. Did I read that wrong, or did I dream that?
I ask because I was looking at green beans on Jung's catalog and they list Fortex as a hybrid green bean. I checked blue lake bush, and it is listed as open pollinated. I just never thought of beans as being hybridized.
So does this mean that I would not get Fortex beans if I let some go to seed and plant them next year?
I must say, my narrow little world is shaken by this prospect.
Do any of you bean gurus have any encouraging words for me? Russ? Marshall?

Beans are one of the hardest vegetables to manually pollinate so you won't even find F1 hybrids available because they are not cost effective enough, beans even new IP protected cultivars are stable cultivars. You can replant your Fortex and they will come true to type unless the bumble bees decide to do their thing.

 

[digitS']

I think seed companies are often quite casual about hybrid classifications.

After all, with even those non-protected varieties, .

.. they don't really want you to save seed.

Steve

 

[so lucky]

Thanks, both of you for confirming my suspicions. It will be interesting to see how long it takes Fortex to even form seeds, as they stay skinny and smooth way longer than expected. I see more companies offering them now, so they must be gaining in popularity.

 

[bills]

I save my bean seeds every year. I have both pole and bush beans growing in beds next to each other, and the seeds seem to stay true to the parent plant. I certainly have never noticed any crossing, although with my bush beans it may be harder to tell. With pole beans there's no doubt, they are the same year after year, even though I plant Scarlet Runners, and Romano's in the same bed, and they share the same poles.

Wish my squash wouldn't cross so easy, I need new seeds every year for them.

 

[digitS']

@bills , you could think about growing only one from each of the three common species ...

You might have to look over every nearby fence in the BillS neighborhood to see what is growing in those gardens.

I'm seeing what results from Burgess Buttercup, Autumn Crown and La Madera living in close proximity. I imagine I'll be happy with the offspring .

Steve