Could anyone give me an idea of what these beans are? They given to me by an aquaintance who got them from the widow of a Crenshaw County, Alabama sheriff that was in office back in the '70s and early '80s. They were simply given to me as "Running Snap Bean Miss Francis". I've got probably 30-40 of the beans but it's getting too hot now to plant (I think)...will probably be next spring before I plant them...or maybe late summer or early autumn this year? Thanks for any help on this. Ed

Hi Ed 😁
Usually beans love hot weather.
My pole long beans go just crazy, in central California's 90 and 100 degree, dry weather. Your humidity may make a difference, im not sure.
I have a friend, in IL. Thats trying some of my long beans out this year.
I'd try a few of your seeds out, right now.
How else are you going to know ?

Some food grade, kaolin clay spray will keep bugs off, and shade plants 10 to 20% .if needed !
😎😎😎

Thank you, Philip!! Good idea about planting a few to see what comes out of it. For some reason I was thinking snap beans needed cooler weather. But, I'm a rank newbie, so I need some careful counseling.<grin> I was going to plant some pea seed when I got home to fill in some skips. I had thought about planting some of these speckled beans in a 1/2 wide row that is still empty (about 25' of a 50' row). I had planned on leaving that 1/2 row empty for the melons to spread into but the beans would grow up so it might work ok. BUT...we *just* got over an inch of rain at the garden so I probably won't be venturing in there but should get to see where the water stands. Maybe later this week things will dry out some.

Kaolin, you ever eat any? I've tried it but just can't cultivate a taste for it...tastes like...dirt. But, I guess minerals ain't supposed to taste like grits, well, southern grits anyhoo.

I like to experiment.

Now ! Kaolin clay. Eat ! Yuck 👺 It's dirt ! Wash it off your veges.
Woman use it to look more pretty.
You should check it out !
😎😎😎

Runner beans are said to want cooler temps...I've grown them in the heat anyway.
Fava beans like it cool, I've grown them over the winter.
English (garden) peas like it cool.

Pole beans like it hot.
I plant successive crops of pole beans all the way into September.

Cow peas like it hot, those yard long beans which I think are similar to cow peas, also like it hot.
Climbing butter beans also like it it hot...

I googled your beans, and... There's a lot of speckled beans, couldn't find your specific bean, but it should be pretty much acclimated to your area.

Philip, kaolin is from here....
Reckon Ed knows a thing or two about it.

They sell it at the grocery, to eat.

I used to have a garden full of that stuff.

Philipwonel said:I like to experiment.

Now ! Kaolin clay. Eat ! Yuck 👺 It's dirt ! Wash it off your veges.
Woman use it to look more pretty.
You should check it out !
😎😎😎

<chuckle> I agree...it's dirt! Lots of folks swear by it, though. I stopped and got a cold drink in Troy, Alabama the other day. It was some generic convenience store. There sitting at the check out counter...little baggies of white dirt. Another spot over close to the Alabama River in Camden, Albama is a BBQ place...*FANTASTIC!!! BBQ*...btw. ;) Anyhow, there too was white dirt sitting beside the register. I did a quick search and found a product called "Suround"....interesting. Ed

stone said:Runner beans are said to want cooler temps...I've grown them in the heat anyway.
Fava beans like it cool, I've grown them over the winter.
English (garden) peas like it cool.

Pole beans like it hot.
I plant successive crops of pole beans all the way into September.

Cow peas like it hot, those yard long beans which I think are similar to cow peas, also like it hot.
Climbing butter beans also like it it hot...

I googled your beans, and... There's a lot of speckled beans, couldn't find your specific bean, but it should be pretty much acclimated to your area.

Howdy Stone. It looks like all the bean/peas like it hot other than the English pea type. Does that sound about right? I may go ahead and plant the speckled beans...at a 4" spacing (sound about right?) I could plant a 10-15' row.
I might call'em the "Pokey Beans" since they come from the old sheriff's widow.
Thanks for pointing out that the beans should be acclimated to our area...that is one thing I want to do is breed vegetables tailored for my garden and climate. Everything, other than four bell pepper plants, is open pollinated and most of it is heirlooms.

Ed

Howdy y'all 😁
Stone : You have turned this into a beans #101 class.
So !!! Lets not forget the king of the edible pods. The snow pea. No strings. Of course they like real cool weather. They survive down to 18f.
I plant mine in late fall. They cheerrp out, when weather gets warm. April or May. You ever grow them Stone?
Stone: I had to order my kaolin. Yep ! Georgia clay.
Ed : surround, is what i got.
I think, y'all and myself are the only ones hear, that have heard of it.
Stone : Have you tried kaolin spray on your garden for bug control ? Or do you just eat it ? Yuk yuk yuk !!!
How strong do you mix it for garden use ?
Ed : Being you only have 30 or 40 seeds. I would only plant half the seeds. Like Mr.Justin Case.... Justin case something goes haywire.
Ok ! Y'all ! Now ! Lets !
GARDEN !!! HOE !!!
😎😎😎

Thanks for the info, Philip. Maybe it's the snow pea that I was thinking about that needed cool weather. I'll have to plant some this fall! Well, I'll be home tomorrow but have a few chores to do but I might just plant half of those bean seeds like you suggested. If I don't do nothing but make enough for seed for next year that'd be good. Of course some more seed beans *and* a pot or two of snap beans sounds even better!

Unless you're going to dunk your plants in it, I would think buying processed kaolin would be the best option...getting it consistently fine enough to use through a sprayer might be a problem if using native stuff. But, if I get over to Georgia and *happen* by a pit... ;)

WHAT ?😕? (If you happen by a pit !)
You mean a pit of kaolin ? Well 😕? It is a mineral. Are you saying, theres pits of it. I'd like to see a picture of a pit of kaolin. Maybe, Stone will send me a picture.

I bought the food grade 'Surround', kaolin clay. Its a powder. I haven't read bag yet. I did read on, net, to use anywhere from 2 TBLS. To 4 cups per gallon of water. So, i'm guessing its not rocket science.

So ! When you get the chance !!!!
GARDEN !!!!!! HOE !!!!!!!! There Ed 😁 .....😎😎😎

Philipwonel said:WHAT ?😕? (If you happen by a pit !)
I bought the food grade 'Surround', kaolin clay. Its a powder. I haven't read bag yet. I did read on, net, to use anywhere from 2 TBLS. To 4 cups per gallon of water. So, i'm guessing its not rocket science.

So ! When you get the chance !!!!
GARDEN !!!!!! HOE !!!!!!!! There Ed 😁 .....😎😎😎

Wait a minute...is that imperial gallons or US gallons, eh??????

Heck if i know Ed.
It's 25 pounds of powder.
Thanks for picture.
😎😎😎

Hope you plant some of the speckled beans this season. We will all be excited for you as they grow. I searched yesterday online and the closest I could find to the appearance of your beans was a Polish pole bean...wait, that looks like a joke but it's really not.

https://www.adaptiveseeds.com/...

Here is a link with plenty of images:
http://www.abeancollectorswind...

Also try looking using the word 'landrace' in your search. I saw some similar to yours but was too sleepy to remember to copy the links, sorry.

Intheswamp said:

I sent an acorn for the image of the Kaolin pit, thanks. It is beautiful.
Here in Savannah I often sit and watch the trains (some 200 cars long) roll by carrying the Kaolin here and there. I have also seen the baggies of white clay at convenience stores. They generally label the bag as "not for human consumption" just to cover their legal butts.

Thanks for the acorn, greene, it's my first one received!!! Thanks for turning me on to "landrace" gardening...that is along my line of thinking . I don't necessarily want specifically named vegetables...just ones that taste good and grow good in my garden. I was reading where one guy planted all the varieties of cantaloupe that he could find and just watched them as they grew (or didn't grow). His area was noted for *not* growing melons well. Out of all the varieties he had maybe two that grew an produced well...so he knew what to grow. I'd never thought about planting several varieties and seeing which ones produce the best. That is interesting!!! I think next year I'll pick a vegetable and plant several varieties of it and see what happens.

Cool that you've got trains rolling through there loaded with kaolin. We haven't had a train around here in probably 75 years. They use to run in the east and south part of the county but they cut that line out. When they pulled the rails up the county used the bed material to spread on the dirt roads. They forgot, though, about all the old railroad spikes that was mixed into the clay and gravel. Lots of tires were ruined. I can remember, as a teen, a train track close to a swimming hole we'd frequent. If we happen to catch a train coming on the dirt road we'd look for some small change and lay it on the rails...the trains wheels would flatten them smooth...it always amazed us. But, that's history around here, now.

Yep, the folks selling the little bags of "white dirt" are definitely using the CYA protocol. It must sell, though, as it's found in many places in the south.

Ok...."landrace"...I've gotta remember that....

I first heard about landrace from Joseph. He is featured here:
http://www.motherearthnews.com...

<chuckle> greene, that's actually the guy whose articles I spent an hour or so reading through. His story about planting the many (100's if I recall correctly) cantaloupe varieties at one time so as to pick out the ones that grew well and produced on his land and in his environment really impressed me...it makes a lot of sense. I will be looking more into landrace! Thanks! Ed

English peas (garden peas) as well as Snow Peas and Sugar snap peas all like (and need) cooler weather.

Don't know anything about Cowpeas.

For growing in the heat get Yard Long Beans, they simply thrive in the heat and humidity.

Thanks for the list of cool weather peas. I'll probably get some Sugar Snap peas and try them. From my understanding the southern peas (cowpeas) like hot weather...I'll be finding out soon!