Cabrita, I try most of my beans as shellies, regardless of their original purpose... and honestly, "Garafal Oro" was not very good. The beans were unusually hard as shellies, and did not really soften up when cooked. Sweet flavor, though. On a scale of 1-10 for shellies, I'd give them a "4".

Since I'd rate "Garafal Oro" a "9" for snaps (with a "10" for flavor), and since letting beans mature will stop snap production, you might want to try another bean as shellies. I know you posted a list of your beans, can't remember where I saw it.

The only way you can keep a pole bean producing is for snaps, if you keep them picked. Once you allow pods to ripen, flowering will stop.

However, you live in a zone which might allow you to break a few rules. If you harvest some beans as shellies, and pick every pod off the vine, some varieties may re-sprout. This might take awhile, given that the vines will have been half-dead at that point. Nitrogen stimulates beans to return to vegetative growth, so a light application of fertilizer might help the plants to bounce back.

Zeedman, thanks so much for the post. I just came back from harvesting 5 lbs of Garafal Oros after reading your post. I thought I had read that you use them as shellies, but now i understand that it is in the context of using any beans as shellies. You sent some soisson verts but I have not found a spot for them yet.

We had the chance to pickle a few and have not frozen any yet. We have not tasted the pickles yet (waiting the two weeks) so i will report when I do. We pickled 4 or 5 types of snaps to be able to compare. Do the Garafal Oros freeze well? As far as taste, it is very good but I prefer the texture of the kentucky wonders. They do get huge though! while the KW have to be harvested small.

I should give a report on them in my climate. Southern Cal, elevation about 1,400 feet, foot hills of the San Gabriels. I split what you sent in two parts and sent half to my dad in Tarragona (Spain). I think they are doing better for me though. Since they came from an northern gardener and I wanted to avoid mongrelization to save seed, I put them in their own bed in partial shade/sun. The bed is made of recycled lumber, it is almost a terrace-bed since we have a slight slope all over the property. I chose to put them (and the red scarlet runners on another bed) on the side (long lot) so they get more shade from the two houses. They get full sun but less hours, and some of the beans are shaded by the others. I built a trellis from branches that joins on top, it looks like how a kid would draw a boat. In the middle we use the bean foliage to extend growing season for carrots and potatoes. So it is the 'bean-carrot-potato boat'. Size is 5 feet by about 9 feet. The trellis is over 8 feet tall. I will try to post a pict. They are extremely productive and pretty healthy looking. Some yellow leaves at the bottom, which i feel is normal, some stink bug damage, something eating some holes in some leaves, but over all, pretty healthy (I use nothing at all and just water with soaker hose). Right now I have a bunch of baby carrots growing in the middle.

I had to get the 8 foot ladder to pick them this morning, which brought a seed saving question. I did leave some healthy looking pods for seed. Would there be any disadvantage to leaving the higher growing ones for seed? I am asking in terms of both genetics and to keep the plants producing. What about early and late arriving pods? Does it make a difference?

As far as the other beens I have right now (no longer peas or favas) for the common beans we have a few KW, purple peacock, Gold of Bacau. Not sure if any of them is good for shellies, we would only have enough of the Gold of Bacau though. I also have purple hull cow peas (still growing) and two kinds of limas, but we have long springs so they are just now starting to flower. I planted the limas and cow peas too soon, i should have planted more common beans, let them run their course and then put the limas and cow peas. Next year....

We also have Insuk Wang Kong (red scarlet runners) that have had a very productive spring after taking forever to get going. I noticed some pods were not filling out so i wanted to taste some as shellies and dried beans. I quit picking. I know this is going to stop the plant, but I can start it again in the cool side of fall. Also, I wanted to get a bunch of seed. Thanks for the tip on the nitrogen. I suppose I should prune perennial beans?

"Garafal Oro" did not freeze very well for me, the only reason I did not give it a perfect rating. However, it was a few years ago that I tried freezing them, so I may have to give them one more chance... as I am with "Emerite" this year, another great bean with one weakness (yield).

Pickling... I have yet to try that with beans, so I will be looking forward to your report. I've got a feeling that if I can master dilly beans, I may need to build another shelf in the basement. ;-)

"Soissons Vert" is the best bean I have ever tried as a shelly. The beans are only medium sized, but the color, flavor, & texture are all outstanding, truly gourmet quality.

I wonder if i still have time to plant Soissons vert or should i wait until spring. Or perhaps look for another shady spot? Right now we have normal early summer temperatures of 90s in the day and 70s at night. I have a shady spot left that is not the best soil, but I can add compost to it.

I will report on the pickles and provide the recipe if they turn out good. We pickled all we have growing now, including the scarlet runners.

I managed to place about 30 soissons verts in some good soil, two different spots. I should have done that two months ago.

I forgot earlier that I also have some of the soy beans Macmex sent growing. I also have some U of Illinois ones (garden soy 41) ....still need a spot for those.