The 2014 Little Easy Bean Network - Get New Beans On The Cheap

[journey11]

Pics, as promised!

Raised bed full of grow-outs, pole and bush, mostly from Marshall. I'm going to have to do a soil test on this bed and find out what it is they really like about the soil. Or maybe it's the slight difference in soil temp, as raised beds heat up sooner. These were planted the same day as most of the others and they have far surpassed them. Most are starting to bloom too.


These are in my front raised bed. They are 1st and 3rd plantings of Star 2056. Germination was about 50% on them, but I have 6 plants total.


Molley's Zebra is doing great, starting to climb. All 3 seeds sprouted on that sample.


Here's a close-up of Molley's Zebra so you can see the pretty red vines.


Here's one of Marshall's Powder Stars (with the cage around it). 2 didn't germinate, so I replanted the last 4 seeds in my front raised bed and got 3 plants, about 3" tall right now. The 3 bush beans on the right are the 2nd planting of Bluejay's Star 2056.


These are pole beans, mostly grow-outs from Marshall. A few of my Appalachian heirlooms are in there too, including the black-seeded and white-seeded variants of my Ora's Speckled greasy cutshorts. Just curious to see what they'll do. One is off and climbing already and the other has not made the first vine...even more odd.


I sprayed with Neem oil for the Japanese Beetles and bean beetles last night. I think I like squashing them better. Instant gratification.

Not pictured, but I also planted 2 teepees of the Sallee/Donohoe half runners which I look forward to putting plenty of them up to enjoy this winter. Also 2 teepees of the Good Mother Stallard pole/dry beans (not up yet) and several rows of Appaloosa and Top Crop bush beans for canning (not up yet).

 

[Blue-Jay]

Wow Journey !

Beautiful, fastastic bean pictures. Everything looks so healthy. The Molley's Zebra with the red vines might wind up having purple pods. Every purple poded bean I've ever seen has red vines, and sometimes reddish vains in the leaves. Your tepees look really cool.

 

[journey11]

Thanks, Russ. It's been a good year here so far, lots of rain. I got a bunch of bamboo poles from my brother-in-law free for the asking. Then I saw them for $2.99 each at Tractor Supply! The bamboo works out really well if I bury the ends deep. I like how they look too. I'm really looking forward to how the Molley's Zebra turn out. They are a neat looking bean.

 

[Hal]

Thanks, Russ. It's been a good year here so far, lots of rain. I got a bunch of bamboo poles from my brother-in-law free for the asking. Then I saw them for $2.99 each at Tractor Supply! The bamboo works out really well if I bury the ends deep. I like how they look too. I'm really looking forward to how the Molley's Zebra turn out. They are a neat looking bean.

Journey that raised bed near the wall looks amazing! I think if it is soil warmth that white wall reflecting light might also play a part.
I think the bamboo stakes are brilliant, you seem to have got decent sized ones and for free which is great.
I have the same problem here, they want $3 or so just for one stake and they are rarely ever long enough for beans.

 

[journey11]

Thanks @Hal , I bet you are right about that extra light. It's really the only thing that is different. I have another raised bed with just a couple of beans in it that I would have sworn had better soil.

 

[Hal]

Thanks @Hal , I bet you are right about that extra light. It's really the only thing that is different. I have another raised bed with just a couple of beans in it that I would have sworn had better soil.

Could be handy for a future early planting of anything needing some extra warmth/light. I'm itching to plant my beans now, only have to wait till September by the look of it.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Hi SeedO, and Pulsegleaner,

Visited my bean plot today, and it definitely appears that the surviving Armenian Black Giant is beginning to develop a runner shoot on the tip of the plant. Will have to see how fast the plant can develop, bloom and produce pods. I may have to cover the plant in October on cold nights. If the plants pods can get a bit beyond the yellowed out stage and a really hard freeze is going to occur. I'll just have to take the chance of pulling up the entire plant and keep it in my garage and allow it to dry further there. Anyway the plant is beginning to look more hopefull. I just hope the deer that visits my bean patch on rare occassions leaves this plant alone.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Hi Marshall,

Have you noticed the Shortwave Sunshine cross that came out of my Junin growing last year. Some of the plants are wanting to be pole beans. Yet at the same time it seems most of them exibit determinate growth.

I've also decided starting next year that my bean plants that are determinate or true bush in form will only be grown together in the same season. No semi-runners varieties will be grown in my garden along with them. Semi-runners will be grown in a seperate season together by and amongst themselves. It seems that too many of my true bush beans are throwing off some runners this season. At least if I get outcrossing with a true bush with another true bush the new beans should remain true bush in form. The season that I grow true bush types and they exibit and runners. I'm going to pull them out and dispose of them.

 

[Hal]

Hi Marshall,

Have you noticed the Shortwave Sunshine cross that came out of my Junin growing last year. Some of the plants are wanting to be pole beans. Yet at the same time it seems most of them exibit determinate growth.

I've also decided starting next year that my bean plants that are determinate or true bush in form will only be grown together in the same season. No semi-runners varieties will be grown in my garden along with them. Semi-runners will be grown in a seperate season together by and amongst themselves. It seems that too many of my true bush beans are throwing off some runners this season. At least if I get outcrossing with a true bush with another true bush the new beans should remain true bush in form. The season that I grow true bush types and they exibit and runners. I'm going to pull them out and dispose of them.

I'm not sure if I asked but is it bumble bees causing the majority of your crosses?

 

[Blue-Jay]

Hi Hal,

Last year the Shortwave Sunshine was a new bean that I found, and I suppose the bean Junin probably had crossed with a semi-runner or perhaps even a pole bean. That cross had to have occured in Astrid Storm's garden in Germany where the bean came from. Now the bean is segregating. I will have plenty of true bush ones to collect seed from.

The bumblebees indeed cause the majority of the outcrossing. They are larger and stronger than the honey bees. However the honey bees can create crosses. Calvin Keeney the father of the stringless bean used honey bees to breed his new stringless bean varieties.