Re: [gardeners] What is it with me and beans?

Annetta Green (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Fri, 7 Jul 2000 09:35:26 -0400 

I don't have the spotty germination problems with Kentucky Wonder or Blue
Lake bush beans.  If I plant them they come up.  I get wonderful healthy
bushes but they only grow a very short period.  To feed my family once a
week with fresh beans I plant 6 to 10 bushes every 3 to 4 weeks.  Even then
it is because 2 of the 5 of us refuse to eat green beans.
Anne in FL
zone 9b, sunset 26

I'd rather be gardening
----- Original Message -----
From: "George Shirley" <gshirley@lightwire.net>
To: <gardeners@globalgarden.com>
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2000 8:55 AM
Subject: Re: [gardeners] What is it with me and beans?


> Bob, I can grow just about any bean without problems with the plant. It's
> getting a decent harvest that often defeats me. It's getting that correct
> combination of sun, shade, fertilizer, and water that takes some doing.
>
> I started using Kentucky Wonder Bush beans several years ago and generally
get
> really good yields. This year I got poor yields but attribute that to rain
and
> sun at the wrong times. At least in a drought year I can control the
water.
>
> As to spotty germination, I've been growing beans since at least 1950.
Started
> at my Dad's side when a boy. Always, always have gotten spotty
germination.  Due
> to that I always overseed the row and then thin when 4 inches high. The
beans
> that grow in the Sonoran desert are bred for that weather though.
>
> George
>
>
> Bob Kirk wrote:
> >
> >   No, not that. Just plain trying to grow them.
> >
> > Forget the annual attempts to start a few Roma pole beans. All Burpee
seed:
> > no doubt there's better, but if it's this bad how could they keep
selling
> > it year after year without a peep of protest?
> >    Early Bush Italian, Roma Bush, French Filet beans. Six seeds each
sown
> > one per 3.5" pot of Stronglite bark based mix.  With careful attention
to
> > bringing the flat inside for cool weather or at least sticking it in the
> > truck cab overnight.
> >   Sprouted three each of Romano & French, no Early. Replanting gaps with
2
> > seeds/pot in home made peat:perlite:perlite mix brought the count up to
six
> > French, five Roma and three Early (two severely stunted, one of which
would
> > not survive).
> >
> >    All set out, now blooming. Extended the row by direct-seeding two
reps
> > of 3 seeds/hill of each of the 3 cvv. Of which two hills have sprouted
two
> > and three plants of Roma and Early respectively and two more showed
signs
> > of sprouting which disappeared despite hot sunny days, two good rains
and
> > enough watering to prevent the soil ever crusting. BTW, 5 for 18 is as
good
> > or better than I've ever done with direct-seeded Romano pole bean seed.
> >
> >    Plus a few nights even into the 40's, but that's (almost) typical of
> > Kansas in July. Anyway, fer catsake, beans grow in the Sonoran desert.
> > Lewis and Clark ate Sioux or Mandan-grown beans in Dakota. They can't be
> > this hard to grow, right?
> >    Or is that just what to expect from selected varieties - that they
> > should be about the most intractable large seeds (of maybe 100+) that
> > I've ever tried to grow?
>