Wow! How fun and how organized of you! I've only begun to toss around the idea of what to plant next year.

So far on my tentative list are:

Flor de Mayo - Half runner bean
Fagioli Rampicanti Marengo - pole bean
Rattlesnake - pole bean
Yardlongs or Chinese Green Noodle - pole beans
Hyacinth - pole bean
Purple Podded - pole bean
Dragon Tongue - bush bean
Royal Burgundy - bush bean
Purple Queen - bush bean
Kinghorn Wax - bush bean

Hmmm... I should fit Cherokee Trail of Tears in there too!

I need a green bush bean or two to plant too. I haven't figured out which ones. Derby? Burpee Stringless? Slenderette?

I haven't even thought about peas. I think I only have seeds for Laxtons Progress and Little Marvel for peas at the momment.

I've grown and had good luck with California Cowpeas, Kentucky Wonder Poles, Cherokee Wax.

I had bad luck with Chinese Red Noddle. However I've read nothing but good things about Chinese Red Noodle. I may need to give them a second chance.

I've also read good things about Fortex and Rattlesnake poles but haven't grown either of them yet.

Blauhilde was this year's best bean (for me). Tasty, productive, round snap, dark violet, easy to find in the foliage. It's still setting a few flowers... Tender even with large seeds.

Neckargold (round, yellow) was also a good bean. Nice big white seeds this time of year. Tender pods and tasty with bulging seeds.

Ky Wonder, last year's hit, produced poorly this year in a more shaded area. It was also later than Blauhilde and Neckargold. KY Wonder needs lots of direct sun.

All three are pole beans.

I've heard good things about a yellow, round, bush bean, Rocquencourt. Would grow it for the name alone.....

Insuk's Wang Kong (runner bean) has received great reviews. I'll be growing it next year....

Dean, that's one long, serious bean list you posted; do tell us, please, why you grow so many beans. Are they for your freezer? for cash flow? or???

Dean,

I expect an update of your planned list, sometime next week. :)

Gary

I'm torn between trying something new and sticking with my tried-and-true beans. That's about as far as I've gotten for my 2009 plans. :)

My big plan is to grow LOTS of runner beans, especially Insuk's Wang Kong but also Gigantes. I'm going to try them as windscreens. Might also see if I can get some of those great-sounding English varieties, like White Lady.

Other recurring faves: Favas of course, in huge quantities. Dragon's Tongue. Homer's, a local strain of bush green bean, which sets one big crop all at once - great for pickling! Probably Royal Burgundy, possibly Violet-Podded Stringless again, though I was somewhat disappointed with them this year. I think I'll trial Blauhilde next year and hope they outperform VPS.

Cascadia and Mega sugar-snap peas.

Still looking for a good Romano-type that will do well here. Had great hopes for Romano Purpiat, which produced well but it wasn't all that impressive in the flavor department. 'Gold of Bacau' yellow Romano pole bean started off well, producing delicious large flat pods - then for some reason produced only small curled pods, like annellinos, with no seeds and no flavor. :(

Wow, Dean, buddy! -- that's the SHORT list???

My 2009 plan is to pretty much forget about bush beans -- I've discovered pole beans are a lot more productive and a lot easier to pick.

Dennis
SE Michigan

I had to do some adjusting to my list because of a fellow member's gift. Thanks Gary!

Here is my revised and tentative list:

Bush Beans
Beurre de Rocquencourt
Cherokee Wax
Contender
Dragon Langerie - Wax Bush
Empress
Hutterite Soup
Vermont Cranberry
Pole Beans
Blue Coco
Cornfield
Emerite
Garrafal Oro
Greasy Grit Menifee County Kentucky
Hidatsa Shield Figure
Jeminez
Lazy Housewife
McCaslan
Meraviglia de Venezia
Rebosero - 2000
Romano
Supermarconi Cuneo
Tennessee Cutshort
True Red Cranberry
Bean - Runner Insuk's Wang Kong

Cowpeas
Bush - California Blackeye #5
Yardlong - Chinese Red Noodle

Peas
Snap - Alaska
Snow - Dwarf Grey
Snap - Oregon Sugar Pod
Snap - Laxton's Progress



PPod asked, "why you grow so many beans. Are they for your freezer? for cash flow? or???"

Actually they are for my family only, I freeze some and can some Dilly Beans, but the rest are eaten fresh by me, wife and kids, also my parents and brothers help themselves as well. Next year I plan on tripling the grow out, because I want to try many different snap and dried bean varieties along with trialing some cowpeas and peas. I plan on doubling my garden space next year to approximately 45' by 120' so I will have plenty of room, but now the problem is finding enough trellis for all of these beans.

Thanks,
Dean

Dean,

Is Alaska an edible podded pea?

Gary

P.S. Good thing I didn't mention my cowpea collection. :)

Gary,

Here is what I found about the Alaska Pea:
Victory Seeds
Ed Hume Seeds

Supposed to be earlier type, it doesn't appear the pods are edible.

Dean

Dean,

So, a shelling pea, rather than a snap. Just making sure we're on the same page.

Gary

"P.S. Good thing I didn't mention my cowpea collection. :)"

Yeah, we wouldn't want to give Rodger any ideas (lol).

Just kidding... Tormato, I hope you will list your cowpea collection. For my part, although much of my 2009 garden plan has yet to be determined, I am planning to grow several cowpeas:

"Green Dixie" - a long-vined variety with extremely large seeds. They are the size & shape of a large soybean, very rounded, light green with a black eye. This is one of the largest peas that I have seen, so I hope it does well.

"MN 13" - an early, Northern-adapted bush variety with small back & white seeds.

"Speckled Purple Hull" - vining, small tan seeds covered with brown speckles.

"Thailand Pole" - long vines, fairly long light green pods that may be good green, elongated dark gray seed.

Those were all obtained through SSE. I will also be re-growing the bush yardlong I trialed this year. After consultation with the source, I will name it after the Chinese place of origin, "Yancheng Bush".

Also, at least 2 other yardlongs, which I have yet to determine. Still have 2 new ones left to trial, but I really want to grow "Red Noodle" again. Time will tell.

More to follow as plans come together.

Zeedman,

We're too late on giving Rodger any ideas. I already sent him all of my cowpea varieties. He said his wife is very happy. And, the deer may be even happier, next year.

Gary

Of the cowpeas I've grown, arguably, the best are White Whipporwill and Piggott's Family Heirloom. I can make excellent arguments that nobody should grow california blackeye, bland, powdery, tasteless, etc.

DarJones

"I can make excellent arguments that nobody should grow california blackeye, bland, powdery, tasteless, etc."

No argument from me. Every pea that I have grown thus far, has tasted better.

I was planning on growing 'California Blackeye #5", but with the above comments I think I should change my plans.

What would be a good recommendation for a bush cowpea for my 4b/5a zone?

thanks,
Dean

Dean,

I have Piggott Family Heirloom, and some other bush types.

I'll send them with the Clear Pink Early tomato seeds.

Gary

Gary,

You are going to spoil me. I do appreciate the seeds though.

thanks,
Dean

Wow--so I am not the only one sitting around in November planning for next year! My husband thinks I am nuts, of course, and he's probably right, but for me half the fun in gardening is the planning.

So, here's my list for next year:
Pole:
Fortex or Emerite, have not made my mind up here, but have LOADS of Emerite seeds.
McCaslan
Kentucky wax
Blue Lake

Bush:
Might order some more Slenderette--they were very productive and very yummy. Might need 2-3 packets from Renee's, as I think they'd make awesoem dilly beans, but my family ate them up fast fresh (only planted a handful as a trial last year) so never got the chance to try a batch of dillys.

Runners:
Insuk wang kong (have both red which did very well last year, and the white variety this year to try--thanks, Jim!!!!!)

Peas:
Alderman and Amish snap. Alderman was a colossal failure last year, through no fault of it's own. My planta fell victim to a neighbor's string trimmer right before they flowered.

I'm very excited about this coming year! It will be the first year I've ever planted beans and peas. I'm really sure my ambition is much larger than my actual ability, but I'll give it a go anyway. Ignorance is bliss, right?

Pole List: Good Mother Stallard, Lazy Housewife, Mayflower, Rattlesnake, and True Red Cranberry

Bush List: Empress, Hutterite (or maybe Ireland Creek Annie), Trout and White Marrowfat

Peas: Amish Snap, Green Arrow or Alderman

There are quite a few varieties I'd love to try, but I think this is a good start. If anyone has any good info about taste/growing abilities for these selections, please share. I'd love to know more...

Ali
(just SE of Lk Michigan...waiting for the lake effect snow to end)

I'm excited to be able to try Birds Egg #3 next summer. Also some Mung beans and one or two other of the best shellie beans. Also have a few apios americana seeds to try.

Other than that, since the trees that were sucking the life out of my garden are now gone, I may plant large areas in cantaloupe and watermelon, and try a few non-sweet corn varieties. Also have potted horseradish starts.

Will be trying Chinese Red Noodle for the first time too.

At this point it looks as if I will follow through with the three sisters garden next summer. Things could change by spring, but the time I've spent researching and thinking about it has got me more or less hooked on the idea. I will grow one variety of corn. If I don't worry about saving seeds from the beans I will be able to grow as many as 10 or 12 different varieties. That would allow me a nice amount of trialing pole (or should I say corn field) beans. I already have a few varieties from members of this forum which I have not yet grown.

Ali, I think you have made good choices. Although I have grown none of the beans you list, I have been drawn to all of them based on catalog descriptions and expect to try several of them in the future.

Jim

The only Bean I have ever grown Is IWK. That will change next year thanks to George(macmex). He has sent me some of his Barksdale bean seeds. Went out and purchased 12 ea,8ft Bamboo Poles today.
Jim

Dean- I was noticing that you reported a list in 2008 and had both Insuk's Wang Kong runner and Polestar runner on both. Did you grow both in 2008 and how would you compare them for eating as a green snap bean?

Nancy

Nancy,

I did not get a chance to plant my polestar last year.

I did plant the Insuk's Wang Kong and they grow well. I tried once using them as a green bean, but they were a little tough for my taste and I had plenty of Kentucky Wonder and Rattlesnake beans to eat, so I did not try picking them any younger. I hear they are good as shellies.

I will be planting them again, but mainly to try as shellies and as ornamental plants.

Dean

Jim, if you want you can try Ma Williams too, as I just sent you some. It's also a pole bean.

Well, let's see. Every time I do a list, I forget something:

Pole Beans:
Tennessee Cutshort (mainstay)
Barksdale (mainstay)
Cherokee Striped Cornhill (mainstay)
Long Cut Olde Timey Greasy (mainstay)
Black Greasy (just for seed)
Potomac (white seeded)(just for seed)
Tarahuma Pink Green Bean
Insuk's Wang Kong (still trying for seed)
Jimenez
Ma Williams/Goose Bean
Mayflower (for seed only)

Those marked "mainstay" will be in quantity for canning and freezing.

Bush Beans:
Fowler (snap bean)
Mecatl Black (dry bean)

Cowpeas;
Penny Rile
Zongozotla Pintitos (native mix from Puebla, Mexico)

Yardlong:
Georgia Long

English Peas:
Sugaree Snap
Eclipse

Now I'm sure I'm forgetting something!

Tomatoes:
Baker Family Heirloom (mainstay)
Prudence Purple
Sioux
Roma
Unnamed yellow cherry
Polish Pastel
Tuxhorn's Yellow & Red
one old time Northern beefsteak out of my rotation: Perhaps Aunt Lil's, Mr. Brown or else Guker's Special

Sweet potatoes:
Red Wine Velvet
Brinkley White
Oklahoma Red
Nemagold

Well, that's all I can go into right now!

George
Tahlequah, OK

Jim was kind enough to send me a HUGE package of IWK last year, but they did not do well in the heat and humidity of the DC suburbs where I live. So here is MY 2009 list, all of which are pole beans, as I find they produce well from 4th of July to frost:

- Oregon Edible Pod Pea (trying this for the first time)
- Romano
- Spanish Musica (from renee's -- tastier and more tender than Romano last year, but a bit later to produce)
- unnamed purple-podded flat italian (seeds obtained at a 2007 local GardenWeb swap)
- Kentucky Wonder
- Renee's Pole Trio (Blue Lake, yellow wax, Purple Peacock)
- what we call Chiclet Beans -- a bean I brought back from a Navy stint in Sicily many years ago. When fresh, the beans are square and white, and look just like chiclets. They are looong vines, and produce heavily from late July to frost -- as edible pods or as shellies. They pickle beautifully, too. If anybody wants some, let me know and I can send some for you to try -- or identify.

LynnT

Here is my list as I have it right now.
For commercial seed production
Amish snap pea
An old English pea of mine
Ozark Razor back Southern pea
Colossus Southern Pea
Washday Southern Pea
Clemson Purple Hull Southern pea
Red striped Greasy bean
Greasy pod
Purple Hyacinth Bean
Tenn Red Valencia peanut
Charlie Hill Tenn White peanut
Georgia House Butter Bean

For Seed preservation/trials and for me
Insuks Wong Kong
Cherokee butter bean (Runner)

Old Joe Clark 1/2 runner
Striped Hull greasy
Etowah pole
John Harris Cornfield NC
Estill ky greasy grit
Riverbean ky
Pinktip Ashe Co. NC
Brown Bunch bean Yancy Co. NC
River pole Wise Co. Va
Greasy Cutshort Campbell Co Tn
Jeff Ingram Fall bean Knott Co Ky
Cherokee Turkey eye W. NC
Ohio Pole
Cherokee Pole
John Hovis Cornfield NC
Christmas Lima
The above will be only 8 plants each under cover for seed purity
I have a few field peas also But I havent decided yet and they will only be a 10ft row of each of them and only about 4 types again under cover.

I can't believe it but it's almost bean planting time here. I still haven't decided whether or not I want to try something new or want to stick to the proven producers. Part of it depends on whether or not I can find where I put my saved Jumbo seeds...

Hi Dean,

I know you are (or at least were) looking for a chili bean. How about Scarlet Beauty? I don't know much about it - saw it in the catalog but it looks interesting. I'm thinking about giving it a try. Just a thought.

Good Luck and Happy Growing.

Here is a link that might be useful: Scarlet Beauty

Why are greasy beans called greasy beans?

"greasy" describes a group of beans that do not have the micro-hairs that cover most pods. They are kinda shiny and look like they have been dipped in oil. In other words, sorta "greasy" looking.:^)

I just picked a bunch of Oregon Sugar Pod peas that I'd planted about 10 weeks ago. Mmm! Some of them had gotten a little too puffy so my dog and I shelled them and ate the peas right there in the garden. ;)

2009 Garden List

**Pole Beans
Insuk's Wang Kong (!!)
Purple Podded Pole
Sultan's Golden Crescent
Rattlesnake Snap
Cherokee Trail of Tears
Hidatsa Shield Figure

**Bush Beans
Ireland Creek Annie
Hutterite Soup
Painted Pony
Dutch Bullet
Dutch Brown
Fiskeby Soybean
Fagiolina Dolico di VentoCowpea
Garbanzo Kala Channa
Anasazi
Mothe, Urd, and Mung from Seeds of Change (only as a ground covers if needed)

**Peas
Amish Snap
Oregon Giant Snow

**Corn
Black Aztec Sweet Corn (traditional)
Hooker's Sweet Corn (heirloom)
Floriana Flint

Waltham Butternut Squash

Scarlet Nantes Carrots

Japanese Climbing Cucumbers

Australian Brown Onions

**Tomatoes
Opalka
Stupice
Amish Paste

**Peppers
Early Jalapeno
King of the North

**Eggplant
Rosa Bianca
Thai Green

**Greens
SSE Mixed Lettuce (SSE)
Green Curled Ruffec Endive (?)
MonnopaSpinach
Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch Kale
Rhubarb Swiss Chard
Green Glaze Collards
Southern Prize Folliage Turnips

Sweet Genovese Basil

Cilantro

**Flowers
Purple Cone Flower
English Lavendar
Arikara Sunflower
Calendula Mixture
Red Marietta Marigold
Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory

rdback

Thanks!

I have available to me (but not the space, unfortunately):

Fava/broad beans
Aguadulce (longpod)
Sutton (dwarf)

Climbing/Pole beans
Blue Lake
Cherokee Trail of Tears
Blauhilde

Dwarf/bush beans
Yugoslavian Black
Yugoslav II
(Both of these are heirloom from the heritage seed library of Garden Organic)

Pea
Meteor
Panther
Kelvedon Wonder

Soybean
Elena

Now my problem is to figure out whiich varieties I will have space for this year! Looking forward to it so much!

I've started planting! Here's what I finally decided on:

Jumbo - Tried & true
Goldmine - Tried & true
MN 157 - Tried & true
Fortex - Tried twice before, one good crop and one bad
Burpee's Tenderpod - New to me
Mellow Yellow - New to me

I might find some room to poke in a few Dragon Tongue seeds here and there, which I grew last year and liked. When the tomato and summer squash plants go kaput in June, I'll plant more cowpeas/asparagus beans.

I was planning on planting many of my pole beans this evening, but it appears I might be buying a different home, so I have put off the planting of most of my pole beans till next year.

I did get in all of my bush beans, and three types of cowpeas at a distant garden, and I will be able to plant a few types of pole beans there. I was really looking forward to trying many different types this year. Now it appears I will be planting grass seed.

One nice thing is the new house has tons of room for a garden(2 acre lot).

thanks,
Dean

Dean, good luck with the new home. Two acres will give you LOTS of room for beans! Better start planning what & where now! :)

I made room for more beans this year. DH rolls his eyes at me since I still have beans in the freezer from last year! Anyway here's the list

Pole Beans:
Cherokee Trail of Tears (my only repeat)
Rattlesnake Pole
Chinese Green Noodle
Emerite
Fagioli Rampicanti Marengo
Green Annelino
Purple Podded Pole

Half Runner:
Flor de Mayo

Bush Bean:
Dragon Tongue
Kinghorn Wax
Hurricane
Royalty Purple
Jade
Sequioa Purple
Derby
Anasazi

I'd still like to fit Slenderette Bush Beans and Pink Eye Purple Hull Cowpeas in the garden but I just don't know where they would fit!

The list will be a bit shorter this year. Yeah, I know that I said that I would mainly grow favorites from the past, but I just had to try a few new ones!

Bush Beans:
Bumblebee
Bert Goodwin (half runner)
Cannellini Bush
Clem and Sarahs Big Bean
European Soldier
Nugget
PI507984

Pole Beans:
Barksdale
Bianco di Spagna (This is still being treated as a runner.)
Borlotta Solista
Borlotta Stregonta
Britas Footlong
Canon City
Flagg
Fortex
Goose/Ma Williams
Kwintas
Portugal
Snowcap
Tarbais
Tennessee Cutshort
Tobacco Worm
Uncle Steves
Uzice Speckled Wax

We had the third coldest March since records have been kept and snow in early May. But Late May and early June have been very nice and beans are looking good.

The "Tarbais" seed came from Purcell and the germination was very good.

Well, it took a little longer than usual, but my plans finally came together. Like several others here, I am a collector & preservationist, so many of these varieties are not widely known:

Beans:
___"Atlas" - from GW swap; bush, medium-large seeds w/coloration very similar to "Cranberry". Dropped by the trade, so I hope to keep it in circulation.
___"Bosnian Pole" - from GW swap w/Remy, from... guess where? ;-) Only had 5 seeds to start with, and only one plant survived squirrel attack last year. Fortunately, that one plant produced lots of seed, so I hope to actually eat some this year, and have seed to swap. Very unusual seed, changes color as it ages... goes from black & buff, to black, buff, and pure white.
___"Brita's Foot Long" - white seeded pole variety, very good quality as a dry bean. Originally from Salt Spring Seeds (Canada), which no longer ships to U.S. Sent a lot of seed out for this, so need to replenish my stock.
___"Chester" - pole, from an SSE swap. Large flat black & white seeds, similar to small limas. Allegedly a good shell bean.
___"Chiclet" - pole, from GW swap with Lynnt earlier in this thread. Medium-large tan seeds that are squarish & white as shellies, hence the name. Originally from Sicily, probably a Romano-type snap.
___"Cornfield, Striped" - pole, from an SSE swap. Small, shiny, very fat red & tan seeds, uncertain as to usage.
___"Emerite" - high-quality pole snap, from Vermont Bean. My other main-crop snap, "Fortex", gets a year off for good behavior. ;-)
___"Jimenez" - pole snap, from GW swap, originally from Thompson & Morgan. 3 of 5 seeds germinated last year, and only one survived rabbit attack (they were really bad last year). Heard good reviews, hope to taste a few this year, and increase my seed enough to share with others.
___"Ma Williams" - pole, from SSE. Outstanding shelly. Like "Brita's", have shared a lot of seed for this, and need to replenish my stock. Main crop shelly.
___"Monterosa" - bush, from USDA. Large black & white seeds, trial as a shelly.
___"Porcelain" (a.k.a. "Snowcap") - pole, from SSE swap. Beautiful large seed, red stripes over buff, with a white "cap" on one end. Trial for use as a shelly.
___"Tetovac" - pole, GW swap, from Serbia. Very large flat white seed, probably Romano-type snap, trial for shelly.
___"Zlatac" - pole wax, from SSE swap. Bronze seed.

Cowpeas & yardlongs:

___"Chinese Red Noodle" - yardlong, purple podded, originally from Baker Creek.
___"Galante" - yardlong, green pods, from Philippines.
___"Green Dixie" *
___"MN 13" *
___"Speckled Purple hull" *
___"Stickless Wonder" - bush yardlong, trial for comparison w/ "Yancheng Bush".
___"Thailand Pole" *
(Those marked (*) were described earlier in this thread.)

Limas:
___"Blue & White Fence" - a.k.a. Old Time Fence, pole type, from SSE, small black & white seeds.
___"King of the Garden" - pole, from Vermont Bean. Large-seeded, my main crop butterbean.

Peas:
___"Dunn" - soup
___"Green Arrow" - shell pea
___"Gruno Rosyn" - soup
___"Purple Podded Parsley" - purple podded shell pea, with tiny leaflets in place of tendrils. After crop failures two years in a row due to bad weather, I was able to increase my stock a little last year, and hope to grow enough seed this year to share with others.
___"Plovdivski Podobren" - from Gatersleben, uncertain as to usage.
___"Sandy" - snow pea
___"Sugar Lace II" - snap pea. There's an exception to every rule, and this is the only PVP variety that I grow.

Runner beans:
___"Tucomares Chocolate" - pole, from SSE swap, brown-seeded, red & white flowers. This will be my 3rd year of roguing out a white-flowered cross present in the original seed, hopefully this year the seed will be all brown.
___"Sunset Runner" - pole, pink flowers.

Soybeans - still TBD, about 20 varieties. Most are the final remnants from the collection of the late Robert Lobitz.

Misc:
___Adzuki, "Buff" - good soup bean
___Chickpea, "Brown Popping"
___Garbanzo, "PI 359241"
___Winged bean

With our cooler than normal late May/early June, I started many of these in pots, where I would have otherwise direct seeded. Just waiting for a warm, dry day to put them out. Dean, that might work for you; it would give you time to dig up your new lawn. ;-)

Zeedman,
I'm glad you got one that survived and are growing it again! Mine didn't survive last year. A rabbit got in and ate them right after planting : ( So I'm happy you have some!

I'm growing this year:
Pole~
Jembo Polish
Jiminez
Blue Greasy Grit
Anasazi
a striped annelino(shrimp)

Runner~
Sun Bright

Yardlong~
Red Noodle

Pea~
Tall Telephone

I think that's all of them, lol.
Remy