Annette, I would go ahead and plant the Tobacco Worm. It is a wonderful bean and not too late. - Dick

I've got everything in to the garden now except my cantloupes, zuchini, cucumbers and two varieties of pole beans from Serbia, 'Tisa' and 'Sumadinka'. All the other beans are in the ground, and many are starting to flower, and the Romano-types are already showing little baby bean pods! All of the varieties are climbing the trellis, except for one variety, a Bosnian bean called 'Kukuruzar', which isn't making runners. I was under the impression that it was a pole bean.
WAX
- Marengo
- Barksdale
- Uzice Speckled Wax
- Gold of Bacau
- Tisa (I still have to plant this)
GREEN ROMANO
- Baba's Pole (showing pods)
- Bosnian Pole (showing pods)
- Musica
- Sumadinka (I still have to plant this)
GREEN SNAP
- Rose
- Barnes Mountain
- Santa Anna
- Kentucky Wonder
- Kukuruzar
- Missouri Wonder
- Lazy Housewife
OTHER
- Trionfo Violetto
- Rattlesnake

I've also planted three bush bean varieties, 'Romanian' (I don't know what the name is, I got it from Alex), 'Scarencic' from Bosnia and 'Dragon Tongue'.

Planted so far:

Pole beans

Ma Williams original seed
Barksdale
Garafel Oro original seed
Birds Egg #3 from my first successful growout last year
Last two original Bird's Egg #3
Dollof from Leigh
Dollof from Dar
Blue Coco
Grandma's Yugoslavian Pole
Uncle Steve's
Rose
Super Marconi Cuneo
Rita's
Uncle Walt's Vermont Cranberry
Maria Amaziliteri
Jimenez
Blue Ribbon
Jacob's Cattle

Limas

Black Jungle Butter beans
Mexican Black Lima
Sieva Lima
Willowleaf Lima

Runner

Sunset, an heirloom from Canada with salmon colored blooms

Like many others we had no spring, it was cold all through April and May and even the peas got a late start, so it does not look promising for the heat loving limas. But we did have a week of temps in the 90s last week and they all sprouted, so maybe they will succeed after all.

I misplaced my seed for Woods Mountain Crazy Bean! If I don't find it soon I'll have to request seed for next year. My garden is running late and very messy this year.

George
Tahlequah, OK

Bush beans:
Clem and Sarah�s Big Bean, shelly
Crow River Black, shelly
Giant Red Tarka (USDA PI 507984), shelly
Golden Valley, shelly
Serene, shelly
Stockbridge Indian, shelly

Runner:
Bond�s Orcas Lima

Pole Beans:
Big Greasy (or Big Bean or White Greasy)
Bingo, shelly
Black and White Greasy Bean Mix
Borlotta Solista, shelly
Borlotta Stregonta, shelly
Bosnian Pole, snap and shelly
Brita�s Footlong, snap and shelly
Cornfield, Striped, shelly
Dolloff, shelly
Emerite, snap
Fortex, snap
Goose, shelly
Grady Bailly Greasy
Kwintus, snap and shelly
North Carolina Speckled Long Greasy Cutshort (from saved seeds!)
Ruth Bible
Tennessee Cutshort
Tobacco Worm
Uzice Speckled Wax, snap and shelly
White Simpson Greasy

I think I found my seed for Woods Mountain Crazy Bean. That should get in the ground today. What I do have planted is Tennessee Cutshort
Barksdale Wax Pole
Penny Rile Cowpea

This has been the hardest year for me ever, in terms of gardening. I've just been overwhelmed with so many things that the garden is not getting done very well.

George

George, sorry to hear things have not been going that great but glad you found your WMCB's. Gardening wise it's been the worst ever here up until now. Last year wasn't so hot either so I came into 2011 ready to deal with whatever ol mother nature threw at me, I even concocted a mini greenhouse to slip over (single) pole beans. Bird Egg#3 were going to be iffy for me so I started them early (April) in the greenhouse and I'm happy to say they are 3/4's up a 10 foot pole and starting to flower.

Reading through the posts I see some very impressive lists of beans, I hope everyone has a good growing season and a great harvest.

Annette

Annette this is amazing to me. I presprouted my beans and started dozens in peat pots. Still, it has been so cold that none are one foot tall yet. Let's see, that would be about 30 cm in case you don't remember feet. ;)

So how did you do this up there in BC? Raise them in a greenhouse in gallon pots? 5 gallon tubs?

Hmm. I have about 500 square feet of greenhouse space. If I quit growing my 3 dozen tomato varieties....

Dick

Sending best wishes to George and Annette, hope things start to go better for both of you.

Been a weird year here too. Cold too long then way too hot then cold again, and not enough rain. I'm getting peas finally, lots of them. Put out a hummingbird feeder and have a rubythroat guarding it, lol.

Dr Loyd, this is what I did with the Bird Egg#3. Started 6 beans in 3" plastic pots on a heat mat in the greenhouse April 11th, took them off the heat mat when they sprouted. April 17th I transplanted them into gallon pots, they stayed in the greenhouse until they started sending out runners. May 1st I slipped them out of the gallon pots and planted them around a 10' pole, had hot caps over them for about a week, they were climbing the pole by May 28th. I noticed a few flower bud starting to form June 15th, none open yet. This pole made of conduit is in a semi sheltered flower bed that gets lots of sun, that is when it decides to come out :). I can't say the leaves are huge but they look healthy. I'm hoping the growing season is long enough to save seed and sample a few as green beans.

Annette

Thank you Annette for writing this up. Blossoms already! Quite an accomplishment. I hope you get a good crop. With the equatorial Pacific warming up it is possible that late summer could be warm. If next summer looks like it will be warm I may try them. - Dick

'Beer Friend' edamame
'Pinkeye Purple Hull' cowpeas
'Tennessee Cutshort' snaps
'Ma Williams' shelly
'Insuks Wang Kong' runner beans
'Fortex' snaps

Jim

My best laid plans for the year, it seems, "gang aft agley". As of now, for a combination of reasons (work & weather), I have absolutely nothing planted. No encouraging signs for the near future either. I've only had 7 days off since early May, and it's rained most of those. I'm hopeful that the weather & my hours will allow me to plant a late garden in July, but all of my trials, breeding, & preservation growouts are pretty much scrapped at this point.

It appears that my job will severely limit my preservation work in the future. Success has come with a heavy price tag. :-(

Zeedman :-( indeed! I can imagine to a small extent how you must feel. Your preservation work means a lot to you and to the rest of us. I hope you can come up with suitable freezer containers. I wish I could fly over there and we could plant by flashlight if necessary!

We are still having an occasional day in the upper 50s and night in the upper 30s but the beans (and corn) are making slow progress. - Dick

Zeedman, I can relate very much. Hang in there. Then, perhaps in the winter you can better evaluate what to do. I'm working full time in a low paying job and trying to develop my bee keeping into a secondary income. Trouble is, that "secondary income" translates as "second job." nothing earns income without investment in time. Animal husbandry is also eating into my time.

At least I got some Barnes Mountain Crazy Beans planted yesterday.

George

Wowzers Zeedman that's a shocker, it seems success also includes a few bummers. We all admire the work you do in the preservation of heirloom varieties.
In a very small way I've been growing and sharing the heirlooms that come my way. In fact the last couple of years it seems we're having less and less to eat as most are saved for seed. After sharing with others I just have enough for another planting, but if I lose them at least I can bum a few seeds back from someone.
I lost one italian heirloom many years ago, no one else around here had it so it's long gone :(. This year I hope to have more than a taste of Tennessee Cutshorts and Insuk's Wang Kong, the others I'm growing we'll be lucky to get a taste. I have lots of Cherokee Trail of Tears one of our favorite beans, Auntie Vi's and Uncle Steve's but no room to grow them this year. Hmmmm, I wonder if my daughter would let me dig up her back yard LOL.
Whenever I'm talking with other gardening friends I think my eyes must glace over when the subject of beans come up, they've been bringing me family heirlooms from their friends LOL.
Of course I have to grow a few of these as well as the ones I have on my grow list and... the ones I've hunted down myself.

I keep dreaming of the year when we can pig out on what we grow and not worry about having to save seed every year. This year I'll probably end up having to buy green beans at the supermarket, now that is a sad state of affairs.

Annette

Annette, at least eat a few of the first green beans. That way the plant will try harder to produce more.

Last year I ate almost none of my beans as I was doing an experiment to see how many ounces each plant would produce. Just bagged the last dried bean and produced over 26 pounds of dried beans in one summer. If I'd picked more green beans, total production might have been twice that or more in weight.

Sorry to hear of your predicament, Zeedman. I hope you at least get some fall crops, if not beans. And check in here once in a while with words of wisdom. Better luck next year.

Jim

Well, Texas is in "exceptional drought" now, which is the worst it gets. They're saying it's the third worst drought in Texas history, and since it's only June, it could very well move up the list unless we get a hurricane blowing some rain up here. We've gotten less than half of the rain we're supposed to have gotten on average for this time of year.

It's been over 100 on most days for something like a month, plus high winds, which really dries out the plants. I was having to water every day until we got put on drought restrictions so I can only water once a week now. At least that will help with my water bill.

None of my bush beans made it. They're all crispy. Now I really wish I hadn't planted ALL my seeds for them. I had some cool varieties planted. The pole beans are hanging in there but don't look so good. I've gotten two pods of Blue Coco and one pod of Cherokee Trail of Tears and that's it.

The limas and cowpeas are still green, but haven't managed to make any good pods. I got two lima pods that didn't develop fully before they turned brown and shriveled up with undeveloped seeds in them.

Even the tepary beans didn't make it, and they're supposed to be drought tolerant. Then again, I think they were traditionally planted with the spring rains, so they could get established before the heat set in. Mine never saw rain in their entire lives, so they never got a chance to really get going. May is supposed to be our rainiest month, and it only rained once, and it was a light rain at that.

Though I guess my garden drying up and dying is small potatoes compared to the people who have lost their homes due to the wildfires. And it reminds me that it's a good thing I don't have to actually grow my own food to survive.

Geesh, I sure hope this is not a sign of things to come and the weather straightens itself out for all of us. Where I am it's been the coldest and wettest and I've been around for a long time. Clutching at straws here, maybe something more to do with the planets lining up not global warming, if this is so in a few years things might get back to normal. Wishful thinking on my part?

Neohippie, so sorry you have to sit and watch your garden dry to a crisp, as you say small potatoes compared to those who have lost their homes to fire or other catastrophes but still it's a sad thing to see.

Annette

Neo, do you use mulch? Or is it just too late for that? I've been having good results with plastic mulch.

Sometimes you get a bad year. Luckily you may be able to have a fall or even a winter garden if you get rains later in the year. How are your native wildflowers and prairie grasses doing in this drought?

I am having a great time with my beans this year. I garden in Chicago about 0.25 miles away from the lakeshore, which means I deal with frequent heavy, relentless winds from all directions and cooler temperatures than most people further into the city or in the suburbs. Because of land constraints in my area, I only have room for a small selection of legumes. If I could, I would multiply the current number of varieties I grow by about 50. But alas, I need to pick and choose...

1. 'Soissons Vert'. This was a finicky, reluctant germinator for me. Most seeds I planted rotted within several days of sowing (indoors). However, the seeds that survived have been very vigorous and resilient. They are zipping up to the top of my 7' netting and are showing signs of flower buds. They do not seem to mind cooler temperatures at all. More than 50% of my crop will need to be saved for seed production since I had to plant my entire batch of original seed.

2. 'Giant Red Tarka' (USDA PI 507984). A very vigorous bush bean. It is now branching heavily and getting ready to flower. This one was very easy to germinate. These seeds were amazingly large and beautiful when hydrated. Not fazed by cooler temperatures.

3. 'Tennessee Cutshort'. This one is steadily climbing its netting. It seems to sit there and bide its time during our frequent cool spells this year, and then it makes rapid progress whenever daytime temps are above 80-85 F.

4. 'Bosnian Pole'. Very slowly climbing its netting. Also seems somewhat unhappy in cooler temperatures, but makes rapid headway whenever it warms up.

5. 'Withner's White Cornfield'. This was my fastest and most vigorous germinator but it is now the slowest, weakest and most reluctant grower (exactly the opposite of 'Soissons Vert'). It is barely halfway up its netting and seems slightly stunted. I am hoping it pulls itself out of its slump.

6. 'Caruther's Purple Pod' pea. A beautiful pea plant with glaucous foliage, striking blossoms and dark purple pods that are luminescent when backlit by the sun. A great ornamental vegetable. I am less than a week away from harvest but I don't think I will be able to enjoy more than a taste this year. More than 95% of my crop was decimated by squirrels after germination so I am going to have to leave most of the remaining plants for seed production.

Ispahan, I grew 'Bosnian Pole' (only one pole) last year, it didn't mind the lousy wet and cold weather we had, in fact I was amazed at what this one pole produced. I had enough seed to share with several people plus enough to grow out next year with spares if needed for another year. This ones seems to thrive in our climate even when having a lousy year.

I didn't get the 'Soissons Vert' planted this year but hope to next year, so looking forward to trying this one after hereing the glowing reports about it.

Even though this year up until now was much worse than last year, everything I planted is looking good and growing well, even 'Barksdale' looks like is going to produce so hope to get some better seed this year.

The one thing that's really putting a smile on my face is....Birds Egg #3 now has beans forming, I'm hoping for one taste and then the rest I'll leave for seed.

Annette

Zeedman I hope your success continues but workload lightens a bit for you to garden a bit.

I had some similiar problems, with work, family events and weather and byh the skin of my teeth got my garden planted before myh current three week trip. In two weeks I expect quite an overgrown garden.

Here was my planned list and what got planted.

Bean - Bush - Snap
Cherokee Wax
Choctaw Wax
Empress
Giant Stringless Green Pod
Iregi Wisconsin
Migliorucci
Norcio
Red Valentine Stringless
Woods Mountain Crazy Bean
Wunder Butter(Wax)

Bean - Bush - Dry
Biwa Sitter
Dr Wyche's Russian
Hutterite
Piattelle Toscane

Bean - Pole - Snap
Bosnian Pole
Bosnian Yellow Pod
Grampa Bishop
North Carolina Long Greasy
Rattlesnake
Tarheel
Unknown Polish

Bean - Popping
Nuna

Cowpea - Bush - Dry
Fagiolina de Transimeno
Purple hull

Cowpea - Bush - Snap
Bush - Yancheng

Pea - Bush - Soup
Alaska
Kazanskij

Pea - Bush - Garden
Dwarf Gray
Sugar Ann

Dean

Annette, with your extreme methods I wonder if you could grow limas?

Dick, now that's a thought. I could try one pole just for fun, which would be the best variety for me to try? As they say nothing ventured nothing gained ;).

Annette

so far I have found that the weather has been rather nice for growing. My insuks Wang Kong Runner Beans have exceeded 8ft. My tomatoes,which are in pots and were protected by WoWs until 1 June are in the 3 ft range of height

I am so excited!!!! We cooked the first beans of the season today. There were only a handful of Bosnian Pole, Baba's Pole and Kukuruzar beans, but they were so good. Definetly growing Bosnian Pole next year, they were so tender and buttery. We just boiled the pods in water until tender. And I've never really eaten beans before, so this experiment of growing beans and seeing if I like them is done. But I don't like them. I LOVE THEM!!!

jwr, my Insuks are about half way up their supports so it's going to be awhile before we see flowers or beans, but I have enough we'll actually be able to have more than a taste this year. If you come across any white beans I'm still interested :).

Nick, I didn't grow the Bosnian pole this year but got a taste of them last year, we usually steam green beans or steam for a bit then stir fry with shallots and mushrooms, If I say what the heck, it's steam, bacon bits and drizzle with some of the bacon drippings, bad I know but they're so darn tasty:). I have to agree with you Bosnian Pole is a winner, will probably grow them to eat next year and not have to worry about saving seed, it's such a prolific bean.

Annette

Update:

Planted a few more

Pole beans
Marvel Of Venice
Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco
Blue Shackamaxon
a second 6 foot trellis of Barksdale
Chester

Bush?
Red Adzuki from grocery, have not germinated yet

The Jacobs Cattle that I got in the swap has not germinated either. I soaked some last night and they look like they might all be nonviable seed, no sign of a sprout. The Blue Coco that I thought looked like the Dollof is a different bean, it has a blue/purple stem!

Of my five varieties of beans listed above, it has been a race between 'Giant Red Tarka' and 'Soissons Vert' to see which one would flower first. The winner is...drumroll...'Soissons Vert'. I am surprised by this because I thought it was a long season pole bean.

Annette, I think that maybe 'Bosnian Pole' does not like my growing conditions here. I hope it picks up the pace though, since I keep hearing rave reviews of its productivity and the flavor/texture of its snaps. So far, 'Soissons Vert', 'Giant Red Tarka' and 'Tennessee Cutshort' have it beat by a long shot when it comes to vigor and speed of growth.

Annette hopefully some Lima growers will comment on one that might make it. - Dick

Annette, I have some Alabama Black ButterBean/Limas seeds. If you want to give them a try. I would advise starting them in your hot house before transplanting to your garden. What do you have to lose, but time.

Luther

Thanks for the offer Luther, I'd love to try a few next year.
Send me an email through my members page and we'll work out the details :).

Annette

Annette
I havent forgot the white beans you wanted I will send you all that I harvest.

Jwr, thank you. I'm so looking forward to having more than a taste of your IWK's this year. I really enjoyed the few I had last year, I think they're the best runners I've tasted to date, I couldn't get over the fact how long they stayed tender. I've sent you an email through GW.

Annette

Annette, You don't have a email on your members page, nor do I. For some reason they have taken emails off the members page. So you will have to post it or figure some other way.

Luther

Luther, this is kind of convoluted but to stop spam go to DH's web page, link below, you'll find his contact me at the bottom of the page, then I can get back to you :). What's up with GW is this a service they are no longer going to supply?

Annette

Here is a link that might be useful: DH's website

Luther, I think my email on GW is working now, I went to my members page and ticked the box for email. A

The Jacobs Cattle I got in the swap was non-viable so I replaced it with Jacobs Cattle from Heirloom seed (Looks slightly smaller) and planted two more narrow trellises of Sunset Runner and also planted Bosnian Pole and Jembo Polish. That may do it for the year. Though I do still have a few trellises unplanted.

Annette, Neither one works for me. Send me your mailing address to lwr37@earthlink.net and I will mail you the beans.

Luther

Luther, you've got mail, I just now sent it to the addy you sent my DH.

Annette

Annette, I did not get you email. Please resend useing the email address above in my last post. Span block must have got it.

Luther

Luther, it's on the way. A

Is it to late now to plant some more pole beans for someone whose last frost date is in November? I really want more Bosnian Pole plants!

Crnagora, plant now and take your chances as long as you are not using up the last of your seed. I just planted some, yesterday, to replace the ones that didn't germinate. Middle of July is about the last I would plant, you have much more time than I do in zone 9 so go for it.

Hi, I agree with happyday. In zone 9 they will make in less than 60 days.

Happy gardening to you,

Luther

If you are growing beans for use as snaps, you've still got lots of time... and "Bosnian Pole" should give you plenty. With a killing frost in November, you should even be able to get some dry seed. My DTM's for "Bosnian Pole" were 65 days to snap, 95 days for dry seed.

And speaking of late plantings... I managed to put in 50' rows of "Emerite" for snaps, and "Yancheng Bush" for yardlongs. They are growing vigorously in our current heat wave, so the year shouldn't be a total failure. With a little luck (and a late frost) I might still be able increase my seed for "Yancheng".

Being forewarned about the promiscuity of Ma Williams I planted a few out front beside a runner, Samos Greek Lima. I'm hoping to get a taste of both of these as shellies, it will be my first attempt at cooking shellies wish me luck. My Insuk's Wang Kong are now forming beans so hope to have some good feeds this year, by far the best runner I've tasted to date. I didn't get any Soissons Vert planted this year ran out of time and space but hope to plant them next year.

Annette

I've got the seeds for Bosnian Pole in flats now, along with Cherokee Trail of Tears, Barksdale, Anellino Giallo and Uzice Speckled Wax. There is space at my school garden, and I'm going to be putting those last four varieties there. They haven't sprouted yet; they were planted on the 16th.