More Green Bean Questions

[so lucky]

My blue lake pole beans seemed to have a few odd seeds in the package, as as much as 1/4 of them are flat bean pods with strings. Definitely not what I expect from Blue Lake pole. Could it be that they are just sports and are actually from the Blue Lake stock? Or did I buy cheap beans seeds which were not pure?
Another question: When I pick beans, it is often easier and less damaging to the plant if I break (cut with my thumbnail) the bean off the stem just short of the connection of stem and bean. This keeps me from having to break off that end when preparing the beans, but I was wondering if this somehow keeps the plant from knowing the bean is gone, and needs to keep blooming to make more beans. In other words, am I preventing the plant from continuous production by not removing the whole bean from the stem?

 

[lesa]

I try to pick my beans like that, so lucky. It makes sense to me. My bush beans bloom and bloom- so I think it is okay....

 

[897tgigvib]

Hmmm, sounds like your packet was mixed up.

You seem to be describing the kind of pod that would of a DRY Bean variety. Why don't you let about 5 to 10 of them dry to that golden just dried stage and see what kind they are.

Can you remember what seed company you got them from?

 

[so lucky]

Tthanks Lesa. That's kinda what I thought, but just thought I'd ask. I see lots of blooms and tiny beans on the vines now, so there should be several pickings if it doesn't frost too soon.
Marshall, they are from Livingston Seed Company. I think I will leave a few to dry. What I have seen, the bean seed is white. Kentucky Wonder pole has a brown seed doesn't it?

 

[897tgigvib]

There are several versions of Kentucky Wonder. The most common one has brown seeds. The kind the old timers in Kentucky would be more likely to have is White Seeded Kentucky Wonder. Neither have what would be called flat pods, and neither have strings, plus, if you had white seeded kentucky wonder, you'd be talking about how good they are, massively productive, and long, in clusters.

Rioght now I'm looking at livingston's varieties of beans, some of which might be the ones mixed in...or maybe not...
I see Mountaineer White Seeded Half Runner. Those would be shorter plants, and where there used to be some market varieties of half runner that were called "tough", I don't know of any that are stringy...unless you have a variety from the colonial or earlier days...keepin on looking...


...can you photo them? some more clues? This is fun!