Sharing a tip about bush beans I learned long ago
momamamo
15 years ago
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jimster
15 years agomakk2
15 years agoRelated Discussions
9 things I've learned about canna in zone 5--storage, planting...
Comments (99)Linda, Thank you for asking. Yes, I confess. I love cannas. In my climate, there are only a few people I know that can leave them in the ground year round and I consider them magicians with microclimates. The rest of us must store them over winter somehow. I prefer not to dig mostly out of laziness. You are exactly right about the bubble pack and brown paper. Brown paper for darkness and bubble pack to provide some insulation since my garage is not heated. Once they all green up, I will pull out all the brown dead leaves from last year and clean them up. In late May, they will be able to stay outside all day. For now, the canna trolley it is. I also gave them some kelp water about every 3rd water. And this year, I gave them a sprinkle of milorganite because I read that it can give you huge cannas. I don't know all the variety names that I have. I never really kept track. I do know that I have Bengal Tiger which I bought last year and a yellow one called Harvest Yellow. I actually found that out by posting on this forum which was so fun! I have a red one, a hot pink one, and I have a dwarf variety as well. The pots are pretty full and I should probably divide. I did divide the yellow one last fall so I'm waiting to see how that turned out before dividing others. I don't have the best pictures of mine, but promise to try to get better photos this year. Harvest Yellow - photo taken August 2016 (this one blooms really late)...See MoreLet's talk Rattlesnake Beans
Comments (37)"Do you think that the growing conditions, weather, soil, amount of fertilizer all have to be factored in to the taste of beans or any veggie. I mean we all look for recommendations for the number one tasting bean and maybe it really is different for each of us even if our tastes were the same. Am I making any sense?" Perfect sense, Ruthieg. I'm in complete agreement with Fusion's assessment; other than water stress, growing conditions seem to be less of an influence with snap beans than they are for many other vegetables. The snap beans I grew in San Jose & San Diego taste the same when grown here in Wisconsin. If the beans are dried, however, there can be variations in seed color from one location to the next. Which beans taste good... well, that's another matter. As George & others have stated, there is no one right or wrong answer when it comes to beans - just different strokes for different folks. A few exceptional beans (such as "Kentucky Wonder", "Fortex", and "Emerite") are very widely liked; for the rest it's something of a crapshoot. Some like a rich beany flavor, some like them sweet. Some can't stand strings of any kind (regardless of flavor), some find the old-time string beans to be the most flavorful, and don't mind the strings. And some are attracted primarily by size, color, or other factors... taste notwithstanding. The way you use beans is part of the reason for choosing some varieties over others. I like to nibble while I pick, so I always grow some that taste good raw. "Fortex" and pole wax beans like "Goldmarie" are good that way; they are almost "salad beans". Many beans are good as fresh snaps (with flavor being relative) but don't preserve well; some of the fast-maturing Romano types fall in that category. Some beans are good for freezing, but not firm enough for canning. And some are best used as green shelled beans... I've collected a lot of those. IMO, there is more variation of flavor & texture available in beans than there is in tomatoes. Look for beans that are acclimated to your area first, try a bunch of them, and select those that best suit your preferences. You'll have a lot of fun in the process. My one experience with "Rattlesnake" happened to be in a very bad bean year here in Wisconsin. The summer was cool & very wet, and all the pole beans struggled. Rust was a major problem due to those conditions, so my bean trials that year became a trial for rust resistance. That was the first year that I grew "Fortex" and "Garafal Oro", which proved to be highly rust resistant. I was a believer in both even before I found out how great they taste. "Emerite", "B.B. Wax", and "Pole 191" were nearly total losses (I'm trying "Emerite" one more time this year). "Rattlenake", while it became rust infected, did not succumb completely. It bounced back when the weather finally warmed, and bore a medium yield of good-quality pods late in the season. Nevertheless, because it showed poor tolerance to cool conditions, I never grew it again. "I've trialed several hundred different varieties of beans over the years..." (Fusion) Seems I've got some catching up to do. ;-) I doubt that I'll ever reach that number, but it won't be for lack of trying. Grown about 100 so far. Charles1935, you can find sources for most of the beans mentioned by visiting the Cornell site (see link below). It gives reviews of most varieties which are commercially available, and links to sources. Unfortunately, "Garafal Oro" has been dropped this year. OT, regarding the application of lime for blossom end rot. This might work where the soil is acidic, but its application to sweet soils (such as those with limestone bedrock) might further upset the soil pH. My own area has soil of that type. I've had good luck burying a tablet of the commercial supplement "Citracal" (or a generic equivalent) under each plant, since it is a more acidic form of calcium. Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners...See Moreold green beans
Comments (4)"I've been told I can pick all the beans, fertilize, and they'll re-bean." That's good advice. If the beans were left unattended long enough for many of the pods to begin forming seeds, then the vines would enter the final reproductive stage. Blossoms would stop or be reduced in number, and the vines would begin dying back. Normally, all you need to do to get the plants back to a vegetative (growth) cycle is to remove all pods & blossoms, and perhaps trim back the vines & remove some of the leaves. Keep checking, and remove any pods or flowers that might have been missed. The vines should re-sprout, at which time you can again allow blossoming. Since nitrogen also triggers vegetative growth, it may be helpful... but exercise caution. Too much, and you will have dense foliage, but few beans. I would suggest a light one-time application of a low-N liquid fertilizer, something which will not persist once the plants have re-sprouted....See MoreSomething I Learned Today About Mom's Illness
Comments (28)Chisue, When we were in on Tuesday, and she STILL had not been seen by her Dr, since Sat. we were not impressed. We'd asked the nurses when he'll be coming in, and they have no idea, as he does surgeries, and comes in whenever. He did come in Wed. am, and both us, and my brother tried getting info out of the nurses what he said. They wouldn't tell us. Brother lives in Toronto, and he is forceful, but even he couldn't get answers. This whole thing has been not good care from the get-go IMO. When the paramedics first got called, and he looked in her garbage pail and said. Quote !"I've never seen anything like that before!" , and her resting heart-rate was over 130, they should have taken her in. Actually, they DID say, they could take her in if she wanted, but she had to sit in a chair, and wait her turn to be seen. The only way she could be rushed to the top of the line, if it were something dreadful/death-threatening. So we should be glad that she won't be at the head of the line. AND she couldn't get a bed. The paramedics the second time we called, took her in, and stayed with her, on the stretcher. That's what we expected with the first crew....See Morerosie99
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