lovesblooms said:Oh, I wasn't clear--I meant I was dreading watering. The Florida weave does seem like it's going to be fun to keep it going. Probably by next week it'll be time to run some more line.

pirl said:I just ordered from Renee's - French Gold and Emerite (and baby kale). Thanks again, Rita.

Oh you will love both of them. When they start making beans taste them raw at various sizes and you will soon see which size to pick at. Not too large as you want them sweet and tender.

French Gold tastes fabulous and I believe Emerite does also.

Linda, I wish we had something like your plant sale around here. Well, I should ask around because maybe we do. But 20 years is fantastic! When I first saw the pictures I thought you were at Bluestone Perennials or something with so many plants!

Rita, I did save seeds from some of my French Gold beans and I had a few seeds left from a couple of years ago. I got fabulous germination but you really only need a few plants with all the other beans you plant. I remember when my son first started gardening, he planted nine bean seeds! I just couldn't fathom that, but he said they didn't need that many and you know what, he was right. It was plenty for the two of them. Maybe next year when I'm not doing market I will plant like that. Ha! That will never happen! I'm like Rita, we'll plant lots and give away.

Only a few kinds of beans here.
Cranberry bean---good one for drying.
Valentine---can be fresh or dried.
A yellow climber-need to find the pkt.

The yellow is Hopi Yellow, a runner type for dry beans.

Rita - Also ordered Bush Rolande. I will taste at all stages - thank you for that idea!

pirl said:Rita - Also ordered Bush Rolande. I will taste at all stages - thank you for that idea!

I think you will have an excellent selection of beans and that you will be very pleased.

abhege said:
Rita, I did save seeds from some of my French Gold beans and I had a few seeds left from a couple of years ago. I got fabulous germination but you really only need a few plants with all the other beans you plant. I remember when my son first started gardening, he planted nine bean seeds! I just couldn't fathom that, but he said they didn't need that many and you know what, he was right. It was plenty for the two of them. Maybe next year when I'm not doing market I will plant like that. Ha! That will never happen! I'm like Rita, we'll plant lots and give away.

I am not good at seed saving and besides I always think things cross pollinated and will not be true if I save those seeds. We do have a lot of bees here and they go back and forth between the plants.

I can't imagine only nine bean plants. Yup, I overdo everything but yes, not a tragedy about the French Gold cause at least I have some and I do have plenty of other varieties to make beans.

I see the row of Blue Lake I put in the other day are starting to pop up. This warm weather makes the beans grow fast.

And the bean transplants (French Gold and Violetto) I put in yesterday look great today what with all the rain they got overnight.

Rita -- beans are like the easiest things in the world to save seeds from; I see I need to work on you for this, like for the planting tomatoes from seed..

Weedwhacker said:Rita -- beans are like the easiest things in the world to save seeds from; I see I need to work on you for this, like for the planting tomatoes from seed..

Yup, all your fault!!

You know I am now really hooked on the tomatoes from seed growing.

What about the cross pollination issue? My beans of different varieties are literally next to each other. So I know the bees will go back and forth.

You know how they usually have plants on stands in front of the local supermarkets? Well they do around here at least.

So today I had to go grocery shopping and I ended up bringing home 3 pepper plants.

Can't even get home from the Supermarket without buying veggie plants.

So they have really nice big pots with peppers. Much smaller pots with 1 plant are $5.00 at any local nursery. These were only $3.00 and much bigger. I look and wow each pot has 3 plants. So I buy one pot and now have 3 more pepper plants.

These are Lady Belle. I have had Lady Belle before. a nice green eating and stuffing type.

Now I have to find a place to plant them.

Weedwhacker said:"The French Gold I planted at the base of two metal poles that are made for hanging stuff like hanging baskets of bird feeders. I put the poles in where I wanted the beans and then planted them. All 5 of them. Yes, 5 bean plants came up out of a package of seed."

Rita, that kind of germination is about what I got the first time I planted "Jade" beans

I was thinking that Jade is usually recommended as a good one to grow. But not if it's that finicky as far as germination.

Anyway, I usually just stick my beans in the ground with no pre soaking. They come up really quick in this humid heat. Of course I do water daily to make sure they stay moist.

Weedwhacker said:Rita -- beans are like the easiest things in the world to save seeds from; I see I need to work on you for this, like for the planting tomatoes from seed..

I just remembered that I did save seeds one year from a bunch of Scarlet runner beans. Just left the pods till they turned brown and dried out before picking them off the plant.

I did this in the fall so that I really wasn't loosing much to have them set pods.

Beans.

Those Kentucky Wonders I put in have come up nicely. My Blue Lakes did also but some darn squirrel has gotten into them and dug up and broken them, Just made a horrible mess so I just replanted more seed there is the same rows.

I also put in a six pack of Black Seeded Blue Lake. I know where I will plant them so might as well. I had the seeds because I grew these years ago. As I recall, not favorites but I think I should give them another try. Seed is old but I bet some come up.

And I decided my trellis for my Yard Long Beans was not high enough so I fixed it so it is now at least a foot higher.

Yard Longs coming up nicely.

Tavera Bush Beans coming up nicely also.

Still waiting for my trellis netting. Didn't come today but as soon as it does I will direct sow that last row of pole beans.

Rita, you've been busy! and the pepper plants were certainly a bargain

Beans are normally self-pollinating before their flowers open, although cross pollination can occasionally happen; I've saved seed from my beans for years, with different varieties growing near each other, without having any problems. I do grow varieties with different seed colors/types next to each other (brown seeds next to black seeds next to white seeds, etc.), so that any crossing should be obvious. I think runner beans are an exception and have more tendency to cross (but not with "regular" bush and pole beans, being different species).

I cut the flower stalks out of my rhubarb plants today, planted my cukes (Summer Dance), hoed a lot of weeds that have come up since we started getting rain, and, of course, watered all the plants in the greenhouse . Thankfully, my 2 brothers-in-law stopped over and picked up their tomato and pepper plants, and a flat of pansies (that are finally just starting to bloom; need to start them earlier next year!), so that freed up a little room. Also picked more asparagus. Supposed to rain tomorrow, then 2 nice days after that so I'll get my tomato and pepper plants in the ground, along with the squash; I'm glad I waited, the garden was really dry a week or so ago, then we got several rainy days that soaked very nicely into the soil, so the plants should be pretty happy.

Weedwhacker said:Rita, you've been busy! and the pepper plants were certainly a bargain

Beans are normally self-pollinating before their flowers open, although cross pollination can occasionally happen; I've saved seed from my beans for years, with different varieties growing near each other, without having any problems. I do grow varieties with different seed colors/types next to each other (brown seeds next to black seeds next to white seeds, etc.), so that any crossing should be obvious. I think runner beans are an exception and have more tendency to cross (but not with "regular" bush and pole beans, being different species).

I cut the flower stalks out of my rhubarb plants today, planted my cukes (Summer Dance), hoed a lot of weeds that have come up since we started getting rain, and, of course, watered all the plants in the greenhouse . Thankfully, my 2 brothers-in-law stopped over and picked up their tomato and pepper plants, and a flat of pansies (that are finally just starting to bloom; need to start them earlier next year!), so that freed up a little room. Also picked more asparagus. Supposed to rain tomorrow, then 2 nice days after that so I'll get my tomato and pepper plants in the ground, along with the squash; I'm glad I waited, the garden was really dry a week or so ago, then we got several rainy days that soaked very nicely into the soil, so the plants should be pretty happy.

You have and will be busy in the garden also.

So I didn't know that about the bean pollinating themselves before they open. I just worry about the bees as I do have lots of bees here in my garden.

That is good to know about beans, Sandy, thank you. I figure beans should be easy to save now that I know that!

I planted my three new bargain pepper plants. Nice plants, they are far bigger than my others. Even though I do already have blossoms on my Shisuto Peppers.

I made room there in pepper row where I have the others. I only needed to move one of the tiny ones over some and then there was room for them all. I am pleased as it looks good.

I dug up five garlic varieties yesterday and it is now hanging in my "Everything Else" greenhouse. You can smell garlic 50' away. The garlic will cure in the greenhouse for two weeks before I will de-stem and package the bulbs. These were all small-batch varieties, those that I only had a bulb or two to plant. Three were hardneck and two were softneck varieties. The major planting of garlics are still growing. It looks like it might be at least mid-June before I finish my harvesting.

Well, okay then. It is official that I am truely nuts. I just ordered more bean seeds.

So remember I said I kept thinking about those Dragon Tongue beans? Well I loved the streaks but something just wasn't calling to me. So I kept looking. And what do I find?


Curved speckled beans called shrimp beans. Pole type called Stortino di Trento.
https://www-gourmetseed-com.ap...

And pretty much the same in bush beans called Anellino di Trento.
http://www.growitalian.com/bea...

And Anellino Giallo, yellow shrimp pole beans.
https://www-gourmetseed-com.ap...

And another yellow bush bean. Rocquencourt.
http://www.growitalian.com/bea...

I picked another half gallon of peas, this time with my daughter helping--at least some of the time. I'll have to have some with ranch dressing soon.