Pinto beans!

[desertlady]

I came across Pinto beans seeds at our local store. This is the first time I ever see them sell them here ! Are they easy to grow? and hope they can make a great fence climbing plants for shade in the summer ! :watering

 

[897tgigvib]

They might be bush.

 

[digitS']

I don't believe that any dry bean crop that is harvested with a combine would be a pole bean.

I suppose there would be some vines like vetch that the only way you will get seed is from conventional harvesting with combines but I can easily remember the mess vetch would make when it was seeded with oats for hay or where it would volunteer in those fields.

Now having said that, the pinto beans that I have grown were kind of a half-runner. Or, I remember them growing like that, anyway. . . . back in the Pleistocene.

Steve

 

[897tgigvib]

Native Seed Search is in Tucson Arizona. Google it for the website and address. They have pole Beans galore! Though most of them are for dry Beans, the Flor de Mayo also make Cutshort pods for fresh, and as for the shell Beans, I guess they have to be the very best tasting for shellies possible. I'm sure they'd also make awesome 3 Bean Salad beans. They grow as nice vigorous pole beans. Planted May 11th last year I began harvesting them dry september 5th.

 

[desertlady]

Looks like pinto beans is a bush ! anyway I am glad to find those seeds here. Pintos are very popular and I hope to produce lots of it !

 

[897tgigvib]

Desertlady, the reason I did not say Pinto Beans are definitely a bush bean, but MAY be bush, is that there indeed are Pinto Bean varieties that are Pole Beans.

In the past year or two there has been a surge of sorts of dry beans in markets that are more specialty beans, usually packed in smaller tighter plastic bags. They do cost more because they are hand picked. They have labels that say Rancho Gordo or Tierra Verde, and there are some others too.

Not only that, but there are indeed a lot of bean varieties that are multi purpose that do have pinto bean colored seeds. Rattlesnake is a variety that comes to mind.

But yes, chances are yours will be bush. mmm, but just in case, in case they begin to vine, be ready to put some sticks in there for them to grow on.

You're wanting Beans for shade.

Simplest way is when you're at the store, pick up some Kentucky Wonders or Blue Lake Pole Bean seeds, and find a packet of Mammoth Sunflower seeds too.

But, you really are lucky in that you are not far from Native Seed Search's store.

Also, being down there where it gets real hot, you might want to get some Cowpeas that can take more heat. Cowpeas have a more earthy flavor. Baker Creek Seeds online has a good selection of them.

Tepary Beans are another kind of Bean that loves the hot conditions. They are "mostly" bush, but they can throw a "tender" vine up a few feet, knee high or so, if well watered in rich soil. Tepary Beans have more and better proteins than soybeans. They are for DRY beans only, and they need to be picked as soon as they ripen, nearly every day, because they do shatter when fully ripe. Tepary Beans are a "gardener" bean more than a "farmer" bean because they need to be picked nearly every day.

 

[ninnymary]

I've always wanted to grow pinto beans since I make a pot every week. I don't imagine that I would have enough of a yield in my small space.

What kind of growing conditions do they like? Do they do well in mild weather? How much do they produce? Would I need, say 20 plants in order to have a decent amount? I know this is pointless for me since we eat pintos year round. Just dreaming.

Mary

 

[The Mama Chicken]

I was reading about this the other day and it said 115 foot row per person (around 230 plants.) I don't think 20 plants would give you more than half a pound or so of dried beans. We're going to plant about an acre next year to have enough for all 6 of us. Dried beans are considered a row crop rather than a garden crop, the yield is much lower than for green beans.

 

[ninnymary]

Thanks Mama Chicken for bursting my bubble!

 

[The Mama Chicken]

Thanks Mama Chicken for bursting my bubble!

Sorry! Didn't want you to get you hopes up and tie up all that garden space for half a pot of beans.