sorry i thought the kw were a hybrid, obviously i am wrong. as to the trap crop, i do NOT need a trap crop! the kw brought the jb TO the garden! well it seems that way because i seldom have jb problems in the garden. the 4 beans are all in the same area, it is not the soil. my garden is well established with rich soil. an explaination will help explain the differences in size. the old favorite variety (ofv) i grew for years was planted at the same time next to the kw. the ofv seeds are old (from 2000 or 2001) so germination was way behind the kw seeds which were new seed from johnny's this year. that ofv was just emerging from the soil when the kw had been up for 10-12 days and then the ofv grew slower than the kw. as to the 2 new polish varieties, they were planted 3 1/2 weeks later than those other 2. they came up ok, not slow like the ofv but quick like kw, but they are smaller due to a late start. this is why the kw are so much taller on the trellis, the other 3 are catching up, it is not the soil. and yes alfie, perhaps you are correct. maybe the jb are going to the kw because it is the highest of the 4 pole beans but maybe kw tastes better to them? at any rate, i noticed yesterday the damage is not progressing as fast as it had been. i will still compare how the kw produce and taste. i have lot of kw seeds left and if kw does ok despite this i'll grow it again. thanks for your help, tom

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

Hi, I've never grown beans on a teepee before, but here's what I'm planning to try this year. Materials are: 1 - 40" (1/3' of a standard 10' length) length of 3/4" diameter EMT, 1 - 10' (may be cut down to 8' ) 1/2" diameter EMT, 1 eyebolt, 1 - 2' diameter hula hoop, 6-8 pieces of twine about 15' long each, 4 garden staples. Optional - a one hole rubber lab stopper to fit end of 1/2" conduit. Affix eyebolt to one end of the 1/2" conduit. I plan to use an inexpensive lab stopper purchased on ebay with the eyebolt attached to that, but one could just drill a hole in the conduit and attach the eyebolt through that. Tie one end of each length of twine to the eyebolt. Pound about half the length of the 3/4" conduit into the ground until it is secure. Set the hula hoop on the ground surrounding the 3/4" conduit and set the 1/2" conduit into the 3/4" conduit sleeve. Thread each end of twine under the hula hoop at the desired location and then secure the hula hoop in place using garden staples. Pull each twine tight around the hula hoop and tie off. And - voila - a bean teepee! I haven't actually tried this, but it should work. You could also use a larger diameter hula hoop. I've found both 2' and 3' diameter hoops online for about $35/dozen. (Instead of using the 3/4" conduit, one could pound a length of rebar into the ground and set the 1/2" conduit over that). What I like about this system is that it's relatively inexpensive, easy to construct, easy to take down at the end of the season, and BEST OF ALL, you don't have to climb any ladders to set it up! What do you all think? Anne

One pole(climbing vine) beans that I lik best is "Hyasinth". It starts flowering and producing beans from June till November(right now). It flowers and grows beans non-stop, and attracts bees. What is more is that it has the most beautiful fragrant purple flowers and beans. The beans can be harvested young or left to mature. The color and cluster of the beans also are very pretty. It is perhaps better than some mail box flowers or morning glories(which do not have fruits and the flowers are closed most of the time). This past summer I had another pole beans (orange color), Cypress vine, morning glories, passiflora Incarnata, all climbing on the same arch. I have been most happy with Hyasinth beans than the rest combined. I will not plant Cypress vine next year, although I have so much seeds of it. The passiflora will grow back and I will just plant Hyasinth Pole beans and maybe two wild morning glories(non-lobed leaves), which are much pretier than cultivated ones and flowers grow as a bunch. Back to climbing beans: My all time favorite:Hyasinth.