I've currently got 710 seeds with a few more on their way to me. Probably 800 seeds overall of pole, lima, and bush beans. I've got no lack of corn to grow them up but I worry that the strong pole beans will pull the corn down. I'm using mostly field types to grow things up and then I have 2 59' rows- one of those rows will be Logan Giant beans and I'm trying to convince my parents to let me take the other row for the rest of my pole beans. I really want to save lots of seeds so I can share them next season with people in my area who aren't very educated about growing heirlooms. Abby

If you installed metal t-posts, you could attach Johnny's Hortonova trellis to the T-posts and have a good strong support for your pole beans. You'll have a stronger set-up if you support some of the T-posts front and back, especially posts at end of rows. Re-bars pounded into ground right up against T-posts will do the trick and help prevent T-posts from leaning/falling over in a storm. I've used the Hortonova netting and have been pleased with it. Johnny's also have it in smaller length, plus a similar product called Trellinet . I like the 6 x 6 inch holes that are large enough for my hands when harvesting. (Hortonova/Trellinet's width = your installation's height.) Home D. has T-posts (garden Dept.) and re-bars (w/cement and the like). You'll need a small sledgehammer (cement dept), and cable ties (electrical dept) for attaching the netting to the posts.

If they are both from the same species, and most snap beans, both pole and bush, are from the phaseolus vulgaris species, then they can cross. Having said that, I have to admit, that in 24 years of saving bean seeds, I might have seen such a cross, just once. And, the first couple of years I didn't give my beans any isolation distance. So crosses with these beans, though possible, are not awfully common. If you can give the two kinds of beans even 15' of space between them, especially with something tall growing between them, then you are probably not going to see a cross. Also, if you can't do this, I wouldn't discourage you from saving seed. Just try to do it in the future and be sure to weed out any plants with atypical growth or fruit, in the next generation. I'm pretty sure that some varieties of beans are more prone to crossing than others. This year I'm trying to make a cross between two greasy beans, so I planted them, mixed, on the same poles and will replant seed next year. But even having done that, I expect that at least 99% of what I plant next year will still breed true to the original two varieties. Hope this helps! George Tahlequah, OK

Anyone else have experience with these varieties? No, but I have experience with deer, I am about to give up on any beans or peas, they eat them all!