Don't know how to actually accomplish this, but I think we should declare these beans to be HBJBBs - Harry's Black Jungle Butter Beans. Anyway - I am sharing these with at least three other gardeners and will label them as such.

Congratulations Harry - you've done the world a good deed.

Wow Ted - that's fabulous! Indoctrinate the children early!

Cindy

She is a trip. She is very feminine around a camera or a crowd. Loves to pose for pictures. Cute can't begin to describe her.

When she hangs out with me she turns in to a tomboy. She wants to help grease the tractor, dig in the dirt, spread mulch, and plant stuff. Her Mom scolds me for letting her get so dirty!

C'mon Mom, let a kid have some fun!

We were able to get enough seed to plant a bunch next time and share with our dads - and to taste them as shellies, delicious! The vines are still going strong, so I expect to get more seed and more shellies to eat. Thanks Harry, HBJBB growing well in southern California. Watering them well is key.

I have had a few light frosts and the BJBB's are still producing! Unbelievable!

Ruthz, did you get your package?

No package yet.
Last time I checked my bean pods still felt flat.
Vines are still green thou.

Ruthz, I sent it Oct. 15th, first class USPS. E-mail me your address again in case it was wrong the first time and I will send again.

wertach, if frost holds off long enough I should have seeds. Ten day forecast looks good.
I have quite a few bean pods and I haven't picked any.
If I let them dry on the vine I should have some seeds.
And your seeds may still show up.

Frost got my vines this week so I had to pick the beans.
Too bad, the vines were still blooming away.
I ended up with 53 dried ones for seeds and enough to cook for dinner tonight.
wertach, did you ever get the seeds back that you sent?
If not, I hope they ended up with someone that will grow them out.

Nope they never came back, must have went to the wrong address. Check out your neighbors gardens next spring! LOL

I thought about that.
We live on Tyler and my seeds used to end up at the same house # as ours, except on Toplea. That's just one block over.
My daughter knew the lady that lived there and she would bring them over.

The beans came back yesterday Ruth! It has a sticker that say's $1.07 postage due. Then another sticker on top of that saying unclaimed, return to sender.

I don't understand why there was extra postage, I took it to the PO when I mailed it. They weighed it and put the postage on it.

Thank you for trying. The postage due or unclaimed makes no sense.
I would have have been happy to pay the $1.07, but I never got anything saying postage was due or that I had anything at the Post Office.
I've had a couple of seed trades with postage due and got a little card to go pick something up at the post office.
I was just in the Secret Santa seed swap. I mailed out 9 or 10 Christmas Cards at a time. I took all of them to the post office and got the same lady twice. She weighed them all and had me put .44 stamps on most of them.
The last time I got a different lady that has worked there longer and she had me put .64 on all of the cards.
If I go to the Euless post office when mailing seeds, they charge more than the airport post office.

Wertech do you have any spare Black Jungle Butter Bean seed?
I would like a few.
I have red & white Chinese Garlic that will be ready in June- August or I could trade cash.

joli, I e-mailed you did you get it?

Yes, I have been planting Live Oaks & am late posting or answering anyone.

Got my BJBB in the mail, now if the Spring will come on!
Thank you werach.

Wanted to say that I have a small supply of BJBBs to share with anyone looking to try them. I'm new to collecting seed, but followed instructions from folks on this group and hopefully did it right. :-) Email me cindy @ wickeddixie dot com

Cindy

Wish I could try these, they look & sound wonderful. But I've already got all the limas I can handle. One is a black-seeded bush butterbean... if I can grow it successfully for seed this year, I'll start a separate thread.

Hello!

I'm happy to say that I've shared the BJBBs now with 10 other people. And I am out of seed to share. I'm really excited that we got these seeds distributed to lots of different folks. Again - thank you Harry for getting us started! I hope to have more seed to share this fall.

Our weather has been completely bizarre this winter/spring. I planted some bush and pole beans last weekend since it appears that the warm is here to stay - it's been in the upper 80s and hit 90 a few times over the past two weeks. The beans were up in 4 days... The soil is very warm. All my salad crops are bolting. Still haven't planted the limas, but I expect those will go in extra early this year too.

Cindy

Hi Cindy. Keep up the good work shareing seed. I received a email from a man I sent seed to about the same time you got yours. He has a brother-in-law that lives in Colombia who visited him last summer and got to eat some of the BJBBs. He said they were the best bean he ever ate. He posted it on facebook and emailed his numerous relatives around the world and they requested seed. Sofar he has sent seed to Spain, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Egypt and Germany. He ran out of seed so I sent him a big batch of them and now my seed stock is very low.

That was me Harry! I shared all of the seed you sent me, but saved a few of the 4 per pod seed to experiment with. They all said to tell you a Very big Thanks!

The in-laws in Colombia planted theirs last month and they said that they are growing like weeds! I asked them for a picture and they said they would send me one. When I get it I'll post it here.

Growing BJBB's is going to be challenge here, I plan on trying a few in the greenhouse and maybe a few in the garden. It will all depend on what kind of a summer we have as to whether I'll be successful or not. You know that old saying "Nothing ventured nothing gained", we'll see.

Annette

Hi Harry, Wertach!

This is such good news. I'm loving that Harry's BJBBs have gone far and wide. This is another example that a few determined people can make a big change. :) Wertach - that is so cool - Columbia?!

I'm planning to grow more, particularly focusing on the 4 per pod seeds to see if I can improve on my yield this year.

Cindy

Thanks Harry!
A few of the seeds you sent to Wertach, he passed on to me.
I have gave 3 people a few seeds.
If my seeds make seeds, then I will pass them on to many gardeners in my network.
I like a little color in my dry beans.
Thank you too Wertech!

This is such a good example of "the people" doing seed saving! I still have viable seed. But this year I MUST grow out Calico Willow Leaf Pole Lima. I received seed for this bean in 1984, grew it until 1987, passed seed on to the Seed Savers Exchange and several of its members, left some seed with my father, and then went to live in Mexico, pretty much, for 14 years. I lost my own seed while in Mexico. Then, when I started trying to get it back, I discovered that no one in Seed Savers was offering it. In 1996 I visited my parents, who had since retired and quit vegetable gardening. While sitting in their living room I noticed a lamp, my dad had made. He had filled the base with beans from my old collection. They were now 10 years old. I asked permission, and then dug out six seed of Calico Willow Leaf Pole Lima and took them back to Mexico with me. There, I was able to revive my seed stock.

We now live in Oklahoma, and we have had two crop failures due to heat and drought. Three years ago, my Calico Willow Leaf seed failed to germinate. I've been trying to grow it since.

Last week I was organizing my seeds and ran across an unmarked bottle of Calico Willow Leaf seed. It looked really shabby (neither well formed nor shiny). But I did a germination test. 50% germinated! I was so excited that I didn't want to risk that this be a fluke, and that the rest of the seed in the bottle not grow. So, I'm growing it out in a large container, to be transplanted into the garden in a week. I am REALLY looking forward to getting this one back. Next year will be a Harry's Black Jungle Butter Bean year.

George
Tahlequah, OK

PS. I attached a link which contains a more complete story on Calico Willow Leaf Pole Limas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Beans for Oklahoma

"Wertach - that is so cool - Columbia?!"

No Cindy, That is Colombia, as in South America! LOL Just messing with you!

My wife was born in Colombia S.A., Her parents sent her to college at Georgia Tech, as an English major, so that she could help with the family's textile business. English is important with world trade, you know. But she loved the country and applied for citizenship many years ago, legal resident for many years now.

Her brother ate some of the BJBB's while visiting and loved them. I gave him seeds to take home and now, due to his bragging about how good they are, all of their relatives and friends want some!

They have relatives and friends scattered all over the world!

One of their cousins lives in Quebec, Canada. She wanted some and I told her they probably wouldn't grow there. She has a greenhouse and insisted, so I sent her some and wished her good luck. You never know!

I got an E-mail from her cousin in Egypt yesterday and he said that he started some of them in peat pots and they are up and healthy. The temps are in the 70's so he is going to set them out soon.

I gave them all a condition for getting the seed. They have to let me know how well they do, how they taste, pictures, and they have to share!

I love the international flavor of this! Maybe you can ask folks to share how they cook and serve the BJBBs. I'd guess that folks in Egypt aren't using a bit of bacon! Seriously - there's some adventure to gardening beyond the "just growing it for food" aspect. I love thinking about the meals I'll prepare and folks I can share my bounty with. Now I can add people in Columbia, Quebec, and Egypt to the devotees of Harry's BJBBs. Harry and all - you done good!

Best,
Cindy

No need to plant BJBB's this year! I just have to put my trellis back up! I plowed my garden and laid off the rows. Planted green beans, tomatoes, okra, squash, and corn. I was checking things out yesterday. Everything is up and looking good.

I walked over to the row that the BJBB's were on last year and the volunteers are growing like weeds! I'll have to thin them out! This early spring is weird, I was planning on waiting until late May, my normal time for butter beans, before planting the BJBB's.

I will be planting the 4 seed per pod that Harry sent me in my separate garden spot for isolation, to see if they produce 4 per pod. I hopefully will have more seeds to share with the rest of the world!

Hi Ted. You just told my secret. I have been growing BJBB since about 1994 and I have used volunteers every year since the original planting. This year will be the first time to plant BJBB seed and they will be my test with the 4 seed per pod BJBB that I sent to you and Cindy to test. I relocated my BJBB row and planted with volunteer plants that I dug up with a good ball of soil around the roots and moved to the new row. They look great and are growing fast in this warm spring weather.

This is funny! I found BJBBs growing in the aisles - but that's not a good place for them! I will planting the 4 seed HBJBBs next weekend I hope. I planted some rattlesnake beans, some of the Xmas Limas from Harry, and some romanos and they are all up. The Hilda romanos have passed the 6 foot mark in two weeks. There are the beginnings of flower buds!

I was lucky Cindy. I have an old 1950 Allis Chalmer 2 row tractor that I use for plowing and laying off rows.I just happened to hit that row just right. There are quiet a few strays between the rows, actually its about 4' wide, but I have plenty in the right place!

Harry, I didn't have any disease or pest problems from them last year. Do you think they will be OK growing pretty close to the same area 2 years in a row?

I am planning to add some nematodes to the soil this weekend, to hopefully help with my squash pest problems. So I'm thinking that may also help keep them healthy. The squash is about the only problem I have with pests and disease, except deer.

Funny thing about the deer, they didn't touch the BJBB's! But they ate my green beans, okra, and Hercules (southern) peas. Maybe I'll transplant some of the BJBB's to the squash, okra, green bean and pea rows for deer repellant! LOL

Ted,I don't think you would have trouble with them if you let them grow in the same place forever. The first year I grew them I had so many volunteers the following spring, I just thinned them, side dressed them and they did great. I always mulch them with pine straw and the seed that drop in the straw always winters good and I have a good stand every spring. I kept the same row going probably ten years without even tilling it.I think they were a wild bean when Fruit And Spice Park brought them into this country and you know that growing in the wild they did the same as they have done for me. The main problem is black aphids and some times I will have a worm get into a pod and eat one of the seed. I found the main requirment is plenty of water during the hot dry months.

I'm going to plant a few in the greenhouse next month, I don't think they'll make it out in the garden especially if this summer turns out like last year, if it looks decent I might even try a few outside.
Like the Bird Egg #3 I grew last year if you don't try you'll never know. I had a bumper crop of Bird Egg #3 from 6 plants, starting them early in the greenhouse gave them the extra time they needed to mature.

Now if we do get some heat like the summer of 2009 I just might get to taste those Black Jungle Butter Beans :).

Annette

Ted - lucky you! I know this is legumes, but tell me what pests nematodes would help with squash? I have had nothing but grief with curcubits for the past two years. Last year I hardly had any cucumbers due to pickleworms. And the cucumber beetles and squash vine borers did in most of the zucchini and summer squash. My winter squash did a little better, but even the butternut squash had pickleworms bore into them! (I'd even put pantyhose over the squash!) Anyway - would nematodes help? What kind?

We had a cool night last night - 40! But the Christmas limas are up and growing. This weekend - HBJBBs go in!
Cindy

This is my first try with nematodes, I'm just hoping they work. I've lost my squash too early 2 years in a row from squash vine borers. The website below say's that they will help.

I wasn't so lucky Wed. night. I planted my toms early, I knew better. I had a frost and lost 12 of my 16 plants. But I have plenty of good healthy replacements so it wasn't that bad!

The frost didn't hurt anything else.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nematodes

I can't believe how hard it is to grow squash! Interesting article on the nematodes - where did you get them? I'd be willing to give it a try if it's not too expensive.

We finally had a Pike Nurseries open near us - the first time I have ever seen lady bugs and the like for sale locally. Ow - on your tomatoes. I was worried about mine too, but we were lucky. Glad you had easy replacements!

I ordered them through Amazon. Kind of expensive $17.99.

Thank you Ted!

I planted a 25 ft long row of Black Jungle and another 25 ft long row of Mexican Black lima today 2012/04/21.

DarJones

Dar, I hope your weather is warmer than it is here in SE Texas or you may have trouble with the black beans germinating. last yearI saved seed from one of my BJBB vines that had larger pods with four seed per pod and I have planted them twice with little luck. Only five have germinated out tht two plantings. I have lots of volunteers that I have transplanted On another row that are not growing very fast. On the other hand I have two rows of German Red bush limas that are loaded with flowers and pods This cool weather dosen't bother them. Beside our weather being cooler than normal, we have had 33.3" of rain sofar this year compared to 3.69" for the first four months last year. I have a short row of Tennessee cut shorts that are doing fine sofar, also our old standby bush bluelake snaps are looking great.I'm going to wait another four or five weeks before I replant the four seed pod BJBBs again. They grow like weeds in hot weather. I don't plan on growing the Mexican Black Limas again because with our late frosts in the fall the late blooming MBLs don't have time to mature their pods.

Anybody have a handful of the black jungle beans they could share? I could trade for some tomato seeds or pinke eyes.

Send me an e-mail with your address Tracy.

I got an e-mail from the SC Crop Improvement Association at Clemson today. They want some BJBB's seeds to grow out and add to their heirloom collection!

I mentioned them when I ordered some other seed and asked if they were interested in growing some out. They are very interested in them.

They wanted to know my source and as much info that I could supply them. I told them that they came from Harry Flint from Texas and that Harry had been growing them for a long time.

Harry, any other info that you wish to contribute would be appreciated!

Ted The BJBB seed came from Fruit and Spice Park in Homestead Florida, prior to hurricane Andrew in 1995. The park is a tropical botanical garden that tests tropical plants from around the world and it was wiped out during Andrew. They lost all of their records and have no recollection of ever growing them. Being as they named them Black Jungle Butter Bean, I have to assume they are a wild bean from a tropical jungle somewere in central or south America. I know that they love hot weather, grow like weeds, produce all summer until the frost kills them and if dry pods are left on the vine too long they pop open and scatter the seed far and wide and that the seed over winter and provide lots of volunteer plants in the spring.( Mother natures way of keeping a species going in the wild from year to year). They are my favorite bean either fresh shelled or dry. I hope this little dab of info helps.

Thanks Harry! I will include your message in the packet when I send them tomorrow! I also told them that in the bean world you are like Johnny Appleseed!

Thank you so much for sharing! And if they grow out good for them and they distribute them, then your contribution will go even farther!

I have enjoyed reading the history of HBJBB. Does anyone still have any to share? Planning next summer's garden and I'd love to give them a try.

Gilroythorns, I have some HBJBB to share.
Send me your mailing address and you will get a Christmas present in the mail.

Luther

Thank you Luther! I have sent you an email.
Happy New Year!

I grew a few plants in my greenhouse this year, had enough for a couple of meals and enough seed to plant again. It took me awhile to figure out when they were ready to pick as shellies they were so darn flat, but think I have it down pat now. This time around I'll grow more plants, mostly in the greenhouse, maybe one or two sacrificial lambs in the garden. They were so tasty that for me they're worth the extra effort.

Annette

Hi Jen,

Got your e-mail and address. Will get the seed in the mail this next week. Don't know the climate in your area but they don't like cool soil nor cool weather.

Let everyone know how you make out in your area. Good luck to you.

Luther