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Post by hedgeapple on Jul 12, 2022 6:54:31 GMT -6
I'm already planning my garden for next summer and plan to incorporate beans into the mix. Have always loved fresh green beans and soup beans, but other than a short-lived experiment with pole beans in a garden I had to leave when we moved 6 years ago - I haven't done anything with beans.
What do I need to know about beans? I'm starting from zero knowledge here other than some generic internet articles. What would you tell or advise someone new to beans?
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Post by macmex on Jul 12, 2022 8:09:14 GMT -6
Oh my! That's an open ended question! I love beans! Only have a few minutes right now, but I'll start things off by saying that there are different ways to categorize beans: by species, growth habit, pod type, and by how they are used are some ways which come to mind.
Historically I believe pole beans have been most common and are closest to the most primitive form of bean. "Pole" in modern parlance, simply means that they require support and will climb. Pole beans tend to produce more per square foot of garden space than do bush (bush are shorter and require no support). Pole varieties tend to produce a bit longer than do bush varieties. Yet, as I write this I constantly think of Woods Mountain Crazy Bean, which pretty much beans most pole beans on every one of these counts. Pole beans can generally be grown on sticks, corn or other trellis' though there is great variation in vigor between different varieties. "Three Sisters" is a method of growing beans with corn and squash. Generally, in this method, the corn is used as support for the beans.
Not every snap bean (used for green beans) is good for dry (cooked like pintos or kidney beans). Not every dry bean can be used for snaps. Some dry bean varieties have pods which are tough and unpalatable from the get go. So it's good to know what you want to do with your beans before choosing a variety.
Tarahumara Purple Ojos is a Dry Bean: beautiful and delicious cooked like a soup bean but worthless for snaps.
Some snap beans are stringless, which actually means they distribute fiber throughout the pod, instead of concentrating it in the sutures. Most "stringless beans" actually get tough sooner than old fashioned "string beans," which concentrate the fiber in the sutures, which can then be removed before cooking. The majority of the old stringed bean varieties hale from the Appalachian region. They're my special favorites. Sustainable Mountain Agriculture carries an amazing selection of these varieties. Sandhill Preservation Center is another great source of bean varieties.
One thing to consider in our hot Oklahoma and Texas climates, is that some varieties of beans don't set pods very well in the heat. Those varieties will probably produce better as a fall crop than planted in the spring.
Okay. Looking forward to more input. This is a great topic!
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Post by woodeye on Jul 12, 2022 9:15:55 GMT -6
That is all good info, macmex. 
I've not grown a lot of different varieties of beans. However I have grown quite a bit of beans that I know I like. My #1 favorite bean for snap beans requires more work in processing because it has to be stringed. To me though, it is well worth the effort. Pinto beans for green beans is #1. Picked when the pods are still relatively flat and the beans have not matured to any extent. Cooked with hickory smoked pork neck bones, (which I smoked on my smoker) Lip smackin' good eats.
I like Contender bush beans. Heavy producer, especially when I till in chicken litter before planting. If I do that I need to be ready to can a lot of quart jars full. Last time I did that I canned 175 quarts. But always remember that the bunny rabbits love bush green beans, so be prepared for that.
I've grown a few pole beans, but I'm not experienced enough to help you with those. Of the few varieties I have grown, Rattlesnake did the best for me.
Oh, and if you have green beans, it is imperative that you also have some new potatoes to cook with them once in awhile. I never understood the magic that happens when green beans and new potatoes are cooked together, but I guess I really don't need to understand it, I just know that it happens.
Best of luck in your bean growing endeavors... 
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Post by hedgeapple on Jul 12, 2022 9:47:22 GMT -6
Thank you both for the great information. What I want are fresh green beans and snap beans for canning. My grandmother's cellar was always lined with green beans and new potatoes among other things and I've never found a combination to match hers. She had real know-how in the garden and was also the best fisherman in the family - sometimes to Grandpa's annoyance, lol.
So, it is a snap bean I am looking for. I like the idea of a bush bean for size manageability, but when I look online the array of options is bewildering. I also want something I can save seed from and keep going year-to-year myself. Any additional recommendations on varieties and cultivation would be appreciated.
Is there a decided advantage to pole beans I am overlooking?
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Post by hmoosek on Jul 12, 2022 10:59:11 GMT -6
Oh Boy, I love talking beans as George will tell you. I’ve talked his ears off many a time! George & Me along with several others used to just sit at our old computers talking only of beans. Personally I love Appalachian beans. Specifically, greasy type beans. I also really love Tennessee Cutshort and that’s what I’ve grown for the last two seasons. I can personally vouch for their taste as a green bean. If I were you, I would not walk down bean road! You will become a collector and beans will consume your time chasing them. Beans are like girls to a teenaged boy. You won’t be able to get them out of your head. You will hear of a new variety and off you’ll go in hot pursuit!
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Post by hedgeapple on Jul 12, 2022 13:26:17 GMT -6
Hedge,
Oh you got them going now! But it's the best place to ask, as you know. I'm not going to elaborate too much as I only just started growing beans a couple seasons.
You probably already realize this, but the retail beans are of a variety that fits the harvesters and grows well for them. So flavor is sacrificed. Moose is right, if you start down this road, you'll never be satisfied. lol
I can say that most heirloom beans that require stringing are hands down the better tasting variety.
I'm not certain how many so I'm going to say that "most" heirloom beans have a fuzz on the surface of the pods. Some folks don't like this. The beans that don't have a "fuzz" are called greasy beans or wax beans.
Pole beans are a pain to forge trellises compared to bush varieties, but the yield is superior. If you're serious about yields for canning and storage, go with pole bean varieties.
There is some verbiage online about soil inoculation for legumes. Basically, when you grow legumes in soil that is unfamiliar with legumes, your plants will struggle (allegedly). So, of course, the point is to buy the inoculation for your soil, blah blah. Don't do that. If your soil has not had any wild legumes growing in it before you plant, you can stuff some bush bean varieties in that bed for a fall crop and it will be instantly inoculated. OR you can skip the inoculation. You'll still get beans. I have noticed a lower yield on the first year, but they grow just fine. The verbiage about inoculation is legit, but you can still grow a patch of beans without. Well, my wife and I have been discussing this and she has already simplified the matter for me: She wants pole beans; therefore, we shall have pole beans, lol. (I may sneak in a few bush beans too). Now I just need to figure out which ones to grow. There are just so many options I don't even know where to start. |
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Post by hmoosek on Jul 12, 2022 13:28:14 GMT -6
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Post by macmex on Jul 12, 2022 13:51:07 GMT -6
Hedgeapple, I forget what neck of the woods you call home? That might make a difference in regard to what you decide to grow.
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Post by hedgeapple on Jul 12, 2022 14:04:07 GMT -6
Hedgeapple, I forget what neck of the woods you call home? That might make a difference in regard to what you decide to grow. Northern Virginia. |
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Post by woodeye on Jul 12, 2022 14:11:30 GMT -6
Hedgeapple, I forget what neck of the woods you call home? That might make a difference in regard to what you decide to grow. Northern Virginia.
Here, the deer like the pole beans best, and the bunnies like the bush beans best. |
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Post by hedgeapple on Jul 12, 2022 15:00:35 GMT -6
Pole beans don't grow as well for me here in central OK. I use the same fertilizer, same ground, same everything, they just don't produce as well. I have tried numerous times.
Here, the deer like the pole beans best, and the bunnies like the bush beans best. Well, we have a serious rabbit population here, so maybe pole beans are the way to go. |
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Post by hmoosek on Jul 12, 2022 15:30:22 GMT -6
If you decide on one, give us a shout. One of us may have it and would gladly share. It’s what we do. It would probably be easier for us to tell you what we don’t have rather than tell you what we do have. LAUGHING!
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Post by hmoosek on Jul 12, 2022 17:18:58 GMT -6
Overwhelming ain’t it? Well….You wanted to talk beans. Here’s beans and more beans. LAUGHING! Russ likes to talk bean too! I’ve talked his ears off about beans as well. www.abeancollectorswindow.com/ |
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Post by hedgeapple on Jul 12, 2022 20:41:52 GMT -6
Overwhelming ain’t it? Well….You wanted to talk beans. Here’s beans and more beans. LAUGHING! Russ likes to talk bean too! I’ve talked his ears off about beans as well. www.abeancollectorswindow.com/I've been pouring over all of these and am having trouble being objective. Several of those beans are pretty just to look at! |
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Post by hmoosek on Jul 12, 2022 20:56:51 GMT -6
Yes and to be honest, you can spend a great deal of time and money chasing the next best bean. I’d pick a couple and grow them and see how they grow/produce in your climate and more importantly, how they taste to you!
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