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peterpotato

I'm searching for info on King's Banquet pole snap bean

peterpotato
14 years ago

A woman in the neighborhood has given us some beans and seed from a variety named King's Banquet or Kings Banquet. I wonder if anyone out there has any information about this variety. The bean is absolutely delicious and apparently quite rare, unless it is going by some other name. It has been passed down in her family for generations. I feel gifted to be the latest recipient!

Comments (6)

  • david52 Zone 6
    14 years ago

    Peterpotato, I see from your bio that you're in the 'hood. I got my seeds from a neighbor as well, the same passed-down story, and I've been growing it now for 10 years, its far and away my favorite bean. Seed Savers Exchange had someone offering seeds some years ago from Cortez. I've done my best to send seeds to other bean connoisseurs, and they all think highly of it. Why, just yesterday I got an email from some guy who was snarfing away at 'em! They also can well, and make great dilly beans.

    Re growing it, I plant seed in early June, and then again in early July, and the later catches up with the earlier. It's most important not to let the soil dry out - then they get tough in a hurry. If you can keep the soil moist, they stay tender until they're a foot long, seeds are formed, and the pod is starting to turn yellow - at least 2 weeks hanging there, pick-able and edible.

    They get hit with what I *think* is curly top virus, so plant plenty. Once they get hit, the plant doesn't do all that well.

    Selling at the market, you'll notice folks who know the bean will clean you out.

    Enjoy!

  • peterpotato
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    david52, I thank you kindly for your response. Are you selling at the Cortez Market? I will be there this coming Saturday morning making music. If I know you are there I'll stop in to see you! What is your farm called?

  • david52 Zone 6
    14 years ago

    Petro, Sat mornings are chock full of dealing with kids' activities, so I usually sell over in Dolores on Weds afternoons - but tomorrow I'm off to Farmington for something. The Cortez market is doing great, these years, after faltering around a bit. Dolores and Mancos are still a kinda slow....

  • peterpotato
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    David52: Safe travels. Thanks for the tips on the King's Banquet. I'm really looking forward to growing it. The woman who gave it to us grows 40 hills per year (she and her husband used to do 60). Her husband died a couple years ago, and before he did he he squirreled away seed for about 5 or 6 years. He was concerened his wife was going to give away all the seed and it would be lost.

    I may have met you this year up in Dolores. My wife and I showed up two weeks in a row as vendors and I got around to meet most of the other sellers. You were maybe set up next to "Barbara's Magic Garden?" We talked about potted eggplants? Anyway re: Mancos Market it is beginning to hit its stride. We had some very good weeks this year, tho' the past couple weeks it's fallen off the cliff. The Town has stepped up and thrown some strong support behind it. It's just about at the "critical mass" stage. Another year or two the way things are going it will be a market to watch. I hope...

  • david52 Zone 6
    14 years ago

    Yup, that was me - and we talking a bit about deer deterrents, and you'd mentioned you'd put up a fence, and I was seeing your eyes roll at all us pontificating gasbags as we discussed the issue, finally making an escape.... ;-).

    Egg plant and markets are frustrating, the best tasting ones, and the surest ones for harvesting, are the small, immature fruit. But try to sell them - only a few folks appreciate what you're trying to do, they all want some honking big, 3 lb fruit that is likely so bitter its inedible, and then they come back and say they don't like eggplant...

  • peterpotato
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I've met pontificating gasbags, and I don't believe you qualify. But hey, keep trying! At least you HAVE eggplants. Ours were still only flowering when the 25 degree weather laid them low - in a high tunnel and covered with frostcloth, no less. The flowers were pretty, at least...

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