[AT] OT - Favorite garden beans

Fri May 21 04:35:43 PDT 2010

Grant,
In my part of NC (almost the foothills just northwest of Winston-Salem) 
it is pretty common to have multiple plantings of bush beans or white 
half runner beans about 2 weeks apart until late August.  My experience 
is in a home garden setting but I would expect a similar routine in more 
commercial settings.  We are just a bit cooler than Charlie's area but 
it still gets quite hot and dry in the summer.  I grow the half runner 
beans as pole beans so I generally limit myself to two plantings spaced 
about a month apart.  I grow some Kentucky Wonder but the usually end up 
being a trap crop for Japanese Beetles.

David
NW NC

On 5/20/2010 9:22 PM, Grant Brians wrote:
> Charlie, in my researches for varieties I believe that in most parts of
> North Carolina there is a spring and a late summer time to plant snap beans.
> Is that the case where you live? Here we plant from about early April
> (sometimes too cold like this year - closer to May 1 this year) till about
> August 25 for the late bush beans. On the late crops sometimes they get
> frosted very early, but I have harvested as late as Christmas Day also. On
> the early crops, if the year is cool sometimes they literally produce almost
> nothing. All Beans except sometimes the winter Fava Beans (or Broad Beans if
> you are English or Horse Beans if you are an Azorean old-timer LOL) must be
> irrigated to produce a harvest.
>             Grant Brians
>             Hollister,California
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com]On Behalf Of charliehill
> Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 12:06 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] OT - Vavorite garden beans
>
>
> thanks Grant.   I had not intended to plant any beans this year and it's
> pretty late for it now but after all this talk I think I might plant a few
> hills and see what they do.  I have some seed.
>
> Charlie
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Grant Brians"<sales at heirloom-organic.com>
> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 1:58 PM
> Subject: Re: [AT] OT - Vavorite garden beans
>
>
>    
>> Charlie, I am very familiar with both Kentucky Wonder and Roma (a Romano
>> Bean variety.) Romano beans have a stronger flavor than any of the true
>> Kentucky Wonder beans do. It is a little more "rough" if you will. I have
>> noticed that some seed sellers are mis-identifying Kentucky Wonder....
>> Also,
>> there is a bush Kentucky Wonder that was developed in New Hampshire in the
>> 1950s that I grow all the time called Greencrop that is a tasty Kentucky
>> Wonder bean. You might try that too. The Kentucky Wonder beans were nearly
>> all that was commercially sold in grocery stores nationally until the Bush
>> Blue Lake varieties started being used for canning and freezing in the
>> 1950's and then the shift really took place in the 1960's. My grandfather
>> who grew up on the farm in Central Illinois is the person who got me
>> hooked
>> on Kentucky Wonder beans for the garden and I used to sell quite a few of
>> them to supermarkets back in the 1970s.
>>      I was looking at my 7 varieties of bush beans in the field last night
>> and salivating over the time when they will be ready in late June! YUM.
>> Raw
>> or cooked I love them. We are so late this year with all of the spring
>> rains
>> for Beans. I need to find a spot I can sneak some Scarlet Runners in for
>> farmers market too.....
>>             Grant
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
>> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com]On Behalf Of charliehill
>> Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 6:29 AM
>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
>> Subject: Re: [AT] OT - Vavorite garden beans
>>
>>
>> Mark the "Kentucky Wonders" beans I'm familiar with look a lot like the
>> Roma
>> you plant.  Funny thing, if you look up Kentucky Wonder on the Gurneys
>> site
>> the picture is not a flat bean.   I'm wondering if there are two different
>> beans that folks call Kentucky wonders or if maybe  the Kentucky Wonder
>> beans I like are kin to the Roma bean.
>>
>> Charlie
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Mark Greer"<markagreer at embarqmail.com>
>> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
>> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>> Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 9:10 AM
>> Subject: Re: [AT] OT - Vavorite garden beans
>>
>>
>>      
>>> Mike,
>>> As someone who has planted green beans in my garden for the last 17
>>> years,
>>> I
>>> like two varieties. We can about 50 quarts each year and eat lots more
>>> during garden season. Blue Lake is a good one, either in the bush or pole
>>> varieties. They produce well, have good flavor, cans well, and no
>>> strings.
>>> I
>>> also like one called Roma which has a flattened pod but you eat like any
>>> other green bean. Same characteristics as the Blue Lake as far as
>>> production, canning, taste, and no strings. Both varieties grow very well
>>> and I plant them in double rows about a foot apart. I do NOTHING else to
>>> them until it is time to pick except push a hand cultivator along each
>>> side
>>> every couple weeks to discourage weeds. They are probably the easiest
>>> plants
>>> in our garden as far as the time it takes to plant and maintain them.
>>> Blue Lake  http://gurneys.com/blue-lake-274-bush-beans/p/14137/
>>> http://gurneys.com/blue-lake-pole-beans-/p/14202/
>>> Roma  http://gurneys.com/product.asp?pn=14152&bhcd2=1274360419
>>> Mark
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From:<mpnc282 at juno.com>
>>> To:<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>> Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 12:19 AM
>>> Subject: [AT] OT - Vavorite garden beans
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>>>> Hi all, OT, but I was wondering what variety of green beans you favor.
>>>> As
>>>> a small garden grower, I am interested in a continuously  productive
>>>> plant, not like the big commercial growers that like all their beans to
>>>> come in at once. I know we have some vegetable farmers on the list, (HL)
>>>> and would appreciate some input. Thanks, Mike
>>>>          
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