I'm also a fan of "Fortex", for its long pods (to 11"), firmness whether fresh or canned, and excellent flavor. They are especially great eaten raw. It has good cool-soil germination and disease resistance. The pods stay stringless & fiber-free for a long time, so you don't need to pick them every day. It's yield is also more prolonged than many pole beans; you pick less per day, but over a more sustained period. Like most varieties, "Fortex" does have weaknesses. The long pods are very susceptible to wind bruising, so where high winds are a problem, they might not be the best choice. Many in warmer climates have reported poor yield. "Emerite" (pole) has much in common with "Fortex", since both are filet-type beans. It too has excellent cool-soil germination. The round pods are exceptionally straight & firm, and IMO, it is one of the best pole beans for freezing & canning. "Kentucky Wonder" (pole) has a very high yield potential, is widely adapted, and is one of my favorites for flavor... but as others have mentioned, it must be picked young. "Rattlesnake" (pole) is widely adapted, but does especially well in warmer climates. It has great flavor & a pretty decent yield. "Blue Marbutt" (pole) has a very high yield, firm pods, and does well in warmer climates. I'm not much of a fan of bush beans now, but when I grew them, I liked "Greencrop". It is an older Kentucky Wonder-type bush bean, with large slightly flattened pods, great flavor, and a high yield. There are some great heirlooms offered for trade by members of the Bean Forum.

ORGANIC: CHEMISTRY: relating or belonging to the class of chemical compounds having a carbon basis; "hydrocarbons are organic compounds" GEOLOGY: being or relating to or derived from or having properties characteristic of living organisms; "organic life"; "organic growth"; "organic remains found in rock" MEDICINE: involving or affecting physiology or bodily organs; "an organic disease" GARDENING: of or relating to foodstuff grown or raised without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides or hormones; "organic eggs"; "organic vegetables"; "organic chicken" CULTURAL: simple and healthful and close to nature; "an organic lifestyle" In gardening, the definition of "synthetic" is pretty stretched (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_(food) ) and some truly nasty "natural" compounds can qualify, such as rotenone and 20% acetic acid and copper compounds. READ the labels and the MSDS of these things. "Harmless", "natural" pest controls like Bacillus thuringensis kill butterflies ... if you want butterflies you have to tolerate caterpillars. Also, some of the "certified organic" fertilizers and additives are shipped long distances, and have a big "carbon footprint". ******************* "Green" considers the environmental impact of producing and shipping and disposal of something, and does the minimum necessary to solve a problem: Maine kelp extract, green sand, or Italian dolomite powder might be fabulously organic and OMRI registered, but when shipped to Arizona they are definitely not "green" because of the shipping. The all-natural, locally produced Ironite (mined about 100 miles north of here) is a lot greener. The soil sulfur I use is a byproduct of the copper smelting operations 100 miles east of here (when they cleaned up their emissions, the found out they were collecting substances they could purify and sell for a profit!) My backyard compost is REALLY GREEN because it's converting waste that would be trucked away into fertilizer. It's not strictly organic, because I use small amounts of ammonium sulfate (by product of natural gas production and purification) to boost the nitrogen content, but it's local.

I've given up on Blue Lake pole beans here in the Sacramento area. I always get luxuriant growth to 6'-7' feet tall but very few flowers or beans; literally less than a meal's worth for the whole season. Could be the heat or possibly I need to try another variety... My bush beans on the other hand, produce so heavily that I need to freeze some and give others away. And it doesn't seem to matter what variety. This year we're growing a yellow wax and a french cut green bean. I just picked another gallon ziplock bag full this morning before coming to work... Mike

I had the same problem. I wasn't sure if it was the soil or the fact that I may have watered them too much during the bean growth. I tried planting them in a different spot the next year. That old sweet great flavor was back. I also water them less. I add manure to the soil get great looking plants with plenty of beans without the same flavor after growing them in same area for a few years. Maybe someone with more experience can help us. Mel