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greentongue

Hunting for the earliest yardlong bean....

17 years ago

Last year was my first experience with yardlong beans, and I grew only 2 varieties relevant to this question.

My brother in SE Wyoming is interested in trying them. He's stuck with a Zone 4 climate in days frost free, but has intensely hot, dry summers (90++, with well water available). He still has potential for frost at end of May.

I'm hunting for the EARLIEST MATURITY on a yardlong... ESPECIALLY HELPFUL if you have experience growing them in the Great Plains.

Here's what I've been able to find (and have purchased seeds to try) ... can you add to my list? Appreciate seed sources, too, if possible.

68 days - ANNA'S GREEN TAIWAN. A black-seeded medium green from Taiwan first bloomed at 56 days, and first harvest was at 68 days. See my pix in Garden Gallery>Great Vegetables as Chinese Yardlongs - Anna's Green Taiwan if that helps for reference.

84 days... YARDLONG, PURPLE PODDED bloomed at 72 days and first harvest was 84 days. That's pushing it on getting into cool nights in Wyoming. This variety from a Seed Saver's Exchange member in Texas. I grew this one last year ... pix in Garden Gallery>Great Vegetables also

67 days. A nameless RED YARDLONG from an eBay seller in Washington State is listed as 67 days maturity. He has apparently sold out for this season, as there are none listed any more on his site.

80 days? CHINESE RED NOODLE is listed by most suppliers as 80 day maturity, and one eBay seed seller says it will grow in all USDA climate zones.

Seeds of India lists 2 that sound exceptionally early.

45 days .. LATA (dk green with a purple tip, 55-60 cm length) is listed as 35 days bloom / 45 days first harvest.

60 days ...USHA (med green, 50-70 cm, aka Asparagus bean) is listed as 50 days bloom / 60 days first harvest.

Other suppliers also list a generic green Asparagus bean at 60 days.

Thanks for any additional suggestions of varieties.

greentongue in Arkansas...

... waiting for sunrise to see what the ice storm did to my Fava bean experiment! May be good news, cuz it's 18 degrees here this AM, and I think they spray water on oranges to save them from freezing in Florida?

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