- Thread starter
- #811
Blue-Jay
Garden Master
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2013
- Messages
- 3,300
- Reaction score
- 10,256
- Points
- 333
- Location
- Woodstock, Illinois Zone 5
[QUOTE=" @Bluejay77, my two African beans' harvests are finally all dried and jarred and just awaiting a few days in the freezer before they're ready to return/store. I grew them both in containers so I could keep them away from my already in-ground beans and help prevent crossing.
Hereboontjie: I hadn't grown one of the larger-seeded limas before, just willow leafs and sievas, so I'm not sure if these are variety or "type" differences, but Hereboontjie had much thicker, stiffer stems than other limas I've grown, and didn't twine or climb as readily. Pods were big and thick-walled with a lighter green edge, and borne in clusters. About 10 weeks from planting to flowers, and another ~5 weeks to the first dry seeds. It's currently setting a second batch of young pods, which are slated for Halloween eating. I like the "vampire bites" (bowties?) on the seeds.
Heavenly Gold: 2 of the 3 seeds germinated, and then outgrew their poles and went 6 feet up the side of the porch before being checked by powdery mildew. Flowers were vivid yellow in bud and white when open. Pods were yellowish-green, wide and flattened, and turned greener and got purple streaks and blushing as they aged. To my surprise, the ripe seeds were bright purple & white, not at all like the red & white ones I planted! Water-damaged/old starting seeds, I guess. Heavenly Gold actually looked very much like Lilaschecke in all respects, which I also grew this year for the first time. I didn't try either so can't comment on any culinary differences. 8 weeks from planting to flowers, 2 weeks after that to snaps, and another 3 weeks after that to dry beans.
[/QUOTE]
Hi @sea-kangaroo !
The Hereboontjie seed looks so nice.
I also thought Lilaschecke when I first saw the Heavenly Gold seed. I grew Lilaschecke last year and got very similar pods from them. If my memory serves me well Lilashecke seemed to produce most of it's pods near the ground and it didn't seem to be that strong of a climber. Next time I grow them I might try to grow them like I do my half runners on the ground with out support like a bush bean. The Heavenly Gold seed looked really dark too, and I was wondering if it was even going to grow.
Thanks to you too for such a great job and well done.
Hereboontjie: I hadn't grown one of the larger-seeded limas before, just willow leafs and sievas, so I'm not sure if these are variety or "type" differences, but Hereboontjie had much thicker, stiffer stems than other limas I've grown, and didn't twine or climb as readily. Pods were big and thick-walled with a lighter green edge, and borne in clusters. About 10 weeks from planting to flowers, and another ~5 weeks to the first dry seeds. It's currently setting a second batch of young pods, which are slated for Halloween eating. I like the "vampire bites" (bowties?) on the seeds.
Heavenly Gold: 2 of the 3 seeds germinated, and then outgrew their poles and went 6 feet up the side of the porch before being checked by powdery mildew. Flowers were vivid yellow in bud and white when open. Pods were yellowish-green, wide and flattened, and turned greener and got purple streaks and blushing as they aged. To my surprise, the ripe seeds were bright purple & white, not at all like the red & white ones I planted! Water-damaged/old starting seeds, I guess. Heavenly Gold actually looked very much like Lilaschecke in all respects, which I also grew this year for the first time. I didn't try either so can't comment on any culinary differences. 8 weeks from planting to flowers, 2 weeks after that to snaps, and another 3 weeks after that to dry beans.
Hi @sea-kangaroo !
The Hereboontjie seed looks so nice.
I also thought Lilaschecke when I first saw the Heavenly Gold seed. I grew Lilaschecke last year and got very similar pods from them. If my memory serves me well Lilashecke seemed to produce most of it's pods near the ground and it didn't seem to be that strong of a climber. Next time I grow them I might try to grow them like I do my half runners on the ground with out support like a bush bean. The Heavenly Gold seed looked really dark too, and I was wondering if it was even going to grow.
Thanks to you too for such a great job and well done.