Harvest The Beans That Keep On Giving

[Barry Natchitoches]

I tilled up a strip of ground, about 50 feet long and 5 feet wide. I put in some 5 1/2 foot tall fence posts into the middle of that tilled strip, spacing them out about every 8 feet or so. Then i took some chicken wire and, using wire ties, tied it onto the fence posts.

That made for a nice place to grow climbing beans.

i planted about 15 feet in length with lima seeds. My lima bean crop was a complete failure. All green vines, no seed pods.

But I planted the other 35 feet with purple climbing snap beans. These are just like regular green snap beans, except they are purple in color until you cook them. They turn green in the cooking process. By the time you put them out on the dinner table, you would never know that they were once purple.

Anyway, I got a good crop of purple snap beans. Then, the vines dried up, and I put it onto my “around to it” list to eventually get around to burning the dried vines off the wire fence, so I can grow beans on the fence again next year.

But the beans had a different idea.

Volunteers began a second crop, with no intervention on my part.

Two days ago, i harvested an entire 2 gallon pail full of fresh purple snap beans.

Today, I harvested another gallon or so.

Fresh, home grown snap beans taste even better when they grow a second crop without work on my part!

 

[summerthyme]

I tilled up a strip of ground, about 50 feet long and 5 feet wide. I put in some 5 1/2 foot tall fence posts into the middle of that tilled strip, spacing them out about every 8 feet or so. Then i took some chicken wire and, using wire ties, tied it onto the fence posts.

That made for a nice place to grow climbing beans.

i planted about 15 feet in length with lima seeds. My lima bean crop was a complete failure. All green vines, no seed pods.

But I planted the other 35 feet with purple climbing snap beans. These are just like regular green snap beans, except they are purple in color until you cook them. They turn green in the cooking process. By the time you put them out on the dinner table, you would never know that they were once purple.

Anyway, I got a good crop of purple snap beans. Then, the vines dried up, and I put it onto my “around to it” list to eventually get around to burning the dried vines off the wire fence, so I can grow beans on the fence again next year.

But the beans had a different idea.

Volunteers began a second crop, with no intervention on my part.

Two days ago, i harvested an entire 2 gallon pail full of fresh purple snap beans.

Today, I harvested another gallon or so.

Fresh, home grown snap beans taste even better when they grow a second crop without work on my part!

Isn't that great?! We had that happen 2 years ago. I had harvested most of the dry pods to save the seeds, but enough were scattered on the ground that they produced a large, late 2nd crop! I gave most of them away, but that serendipitous event is why I currently have 197 pints of green and yellow beans in the cellar!

Summerthyme

 

[Martinhouse]

When I used my big enclosed garden I used to grow Rattlesnake beans. The vines would get as much as twelve to fifteen feet long, growing up and then over across the chicken wire "roof' of this enclosed garden. Longer vines = more beans!!! If I kept them waterered during the hottest part of summer when they seemed to be finished bearing, they would give me an excellent second crop of beans, although never quite as much as the first crop.

Rattlesnake beanS have purple streaks on green pods, and they also turn all green when they're cooked. I thought the ones I saved for seeds looked a lot like dried pinto beans.

Barry, if you grow only one kind of bean on your trellis, you can save the seeds for the following year.

 

[WanderLore]

Just cooked up a big pot of green beans from garden. They are still producing due to warmer weather this time a year.
They are delicious. I cook mine down with soy, oyster, sesame sauce/oil, butter and chopped onions. Garlic if I'm not too lazy to go hunt in the pantry.
Anyway they reduce down a good bit and I try to eat a whole heaping plate. I share with everyone too.

I have wanted to try the purple ones and the rattlesnake ones. That's definitely a do for next year.

 

[fish hook]

Just cooked up a big pot of green beans from garden. They are still producing due to warmer weather this time a year.
They are delicious. I cook mine down with soy, oyster, sesame sauce/oil, butter and chopped onions. Garlic if I'm not too lazy to go hunt in the pantry.
Anyway they reduce down a good bit and I try to eat a whole heaping plate. I share with everyone too.

I have wanted to try the purple ones and the rattlesnake ones. That's definitely a do for next year.

Rattlesnakes are very good, they also bear good.

 

[fish hook]

I tilled up a strip of ground, about 50 feet long and 5 feet wide. I put in some 5 1/2 foot tall fence posts into the middle of that tilled strip, spacing them out about every 8 feet or so. Then i took some chicken wire and, using wire ties, tied it onto the fence posts.

That made for a nice place to grow climbing beans.

i planted about 15 feet in length with lima seeds. My lima bean crop was a complete failure. All green vines, no seed pods.

But I planted the other 35 feet with purple climbing snap beans. These are just like regular green snap beans, except they are purple in color until you cook them. They turn green in the cooking process. By the time you put them out on the dinner table, you would never know that they were once purple.

Anyway, I got a good crop of purple snap beans. Then, the vines dried up, and I put it onto my “around to it” list to eventually get around to burning the dried vines off the wire fence, so I can grow beans on the fence again next year.

But the beans had a different idea.

Volunteers began a second crop, with no intervention on my part.

Two days ago, i harvested an entire 2 gallon pail full of fresh purple snap beans.

Today, I harvested another gallon or so.

Fresh, home grown snap beans taste even better when they grow a second crop without work on my part!

Barry, try some worchester indian red climbing butter beans, they bear great and taste wonderful. You can get seed from southern exposure seed exchange. Beautiful color, until cooked.

 

[summerthyme]

When I used my big enclosed garden I used to grow Rattlesnake beans. The vines would get as much as twelve to fifteen feet long, growing up and then over across the chicken wire "roof' of this enclosed garden. Longer vines = more beans!!! If I kept them waterered during the hottest part of summer when they seemed to be finished bearing, they would give me an excellent second crop of beans, although never quite as much as the first crop.

Rattlesnake beanS have purple streaks on green pods, and they also turn all green when they're cooked. I thought the ones I saved for seeds looked a lot like dried pinto beans.

Barry, if you grow only one kind of bean on your trellis, you can save the seeds for the following year.

Even if you grow several varieties, you can save seed. Beans don't cross pollinate readily, which is why you don't see hybrid varieties for sale.

I save seeds from corn, tomatoes, peppers, watermelons, peas and beans. As seed gets ever more expensive, I'll probably make the effort to hand pollinate some pumpkins and winter squash, marking the fruit so I know what's "pure"...

Summerthyme

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Amazing... I just fixed yet ANOTHER pot of freshly picked beans from those volunteer vines tonight for supper!

 

[AlaskaSue]

Fantastic! I hope to do close to as well as you, next season, tho I am far north of you!

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

And, BTW, I have an entire 2 gallon bucket of dried bean pods that I picked back in the summer. One day when I am not busy with something else, I will finally work off the dried bean pod material off, and that should provide me with plenty of beans to plant next year.

I am not worried about cross polination, because the only other bean I TRIED to raise this year was lima beans, but that was a dismal failure. I got loads of vines, but no bean pods.

 

[summerthyme]

Barry... cleaning bean seeds is a good winters evening activity... But if you're in a hurry, put the dry beans in a grain sack or pillowcase. Tie the open end firmly. Put it on the floor, turn 9n some music, and dance and stomp those beans!

The seed is heavier than the chaff, so you pull off as much as you can, and then window them clean either using a fan or outside in the breeze.

Summerthyme

 

[bartp40]

The Beans That Keep On Giving….

That is what wife complains about!

 

[Murt]

Rattlesnake are my favorite beans

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Rattlesnake are my favorite beans

I have seen those seeds in seed catalogs, but I have a small place here, so I cannot plant everything I might want to.

My wife and I kind of got hooked on the purple pod snap beans that I planted earlier this year - they grow really well in our microclimate - and for right now, I figure on sticking with them.

But if I ever get a bean patch far enough away from my existing patch to prevent cross- pollination, then maybe I’ll plant some rattlesnakes.

 

[summerthyme]

I have seen those seeds in seed catalogs, but I have a small place here, so I cannot plant everything I might want to.

My wife and I kind of got hooked on the purple pod snap beans that I planted earlier this year - they grow really well in our microclimate - and for right now, I figure on sticking with them.

But if I ever get a bean patch far enough away from my existing patch to prevent cross- pollination, then maybe I’ll plant some rattlesnakes.

Barry... you really don't need to worry about cross pollination with beans. They are most,y self pollinating, and very difficult to cross, which is why you don't see hybrid bean seeds. If you can space your varieties even 5 feet apart, they should remain pure. And with beans, even an accidental cross would be edible.

Summerthyme

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Barry... cleaning bean seeds is a good winters evening activity... But if you're in a hurry, put the dry beans in a grain sack or pillowcase. Tie the open end firmly. Put it on the floor, turn 9n some music, and dance and stomp those beans!

The seed is heavier than the chaff, so you pull off as much as you can, and then window them clean either using a fan or outside in the breeze.

Summerthyme

I am in no hurry. As long as I get the job done by planting season next year, I’m good as gold.

Thanks for the insights. I have always heard about separating the wheat from the chaff...

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Incredible... I just picked yet ANOTHER batch of purple pod snap beans!

The amount being harvested is shrinking with each successive picking, but there is still enouth to serve two generous portions of snap beans for supper.

 

[Murt]

If you have the space for a dozen Rattlesnake bean plants you can probably grow enough for several meals

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Barry... you really don't need to worry about cross pollination with beans. They are most,y self pollinating, and very difficult to cross, which is why you don't see hybrid bean seeds. If you can space your varieties even 5 feet apart, they should remain pure. And with beans, even an accidental cross would be edible.

Summerthyme

Hummmm... I can plant two different varieties that far apart...

 

[West]

The Beans That Keep On Giving….

That is what wife complains about!

I was going to sing...

Beans, beans, they're good for your heart
The more you eat, the more you fart
The more you fart, the happier/better you feel
So let's eat beans with every meal.