Runner Beans

MRSMCAWBER

Me again-

yep -you can save peas -I did last year, just the ones that were tucked away so got missed when I was picking -so I let them dry and saved them

Rummer

Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly! What is the best way to dry them off?

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there

I just left them in their pods until the pod was papery and then just shelled and left in the kitchen in a pot ..
You could always just leave the last few pods on your plants at the end of the season and they will soon dry out

lets see if this works...
:T there you go cheerfulness -that is what your beans should be similar to;)

cheerfulness4

Ohh thanks for that picture MrsMc. Now I'm really excited - they should be great fun to grow, and I've got some yellow ones as well this year. Never tried those before. :j

MRSMCAWBER

You are welcome..

I have 2 sorts of yellow beans too :j -im also growing some peas that are purple podded -but still green inside -god I get excited over some simple things :rotfl:

cheerfulness4

I didn't realise that you could get purple peas - wow! Can we get them in the UK or is it a german thing?

My yellows are called kinghorn wax. Have no idea yet how they taste but I love the colour.

SEE

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

You are welcome..

I have 2 sorts of yellow beans too :j -im also growing some peas that are purple podded -but still green inside -god I get excited over some simple things :rotfl:

I'm growing Ne Plus Ultra this year after watching the Victorian Kitchen Garden. Harry Dodson was a wonderful man and I must have watched the DVD 30 times:o

A snippet for those who enjoy all things garden:D And you can actually go through all the seasons on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkqJP2H4_II

Lotus-eater

looby-loo wrote: »

I shall be sewing those I saved from last year. I have no idea what they are as my grandfather gave me them over 30 years ago.

He told me to always plant 6 plants at the end of the row, not to pick them, but to leave them for seed. I let about 6 beans grow on each plant then stop the rest. These then grow nice and big and I save them. Take them off when they are ripe an the end of the season in early October. By then the seed pod is paper thin. Keep the seeds in a jar in a dark place over winter.

That is such a good idea, I have struggled getting my french beans to produce big enough seeds after leaving a plant or two at the end of harvesting, I should be doing this. Many Thanks.

To the person that asked about peas, saving seed from them is really easy, just leave a few big pods to mature and when you get to the scrappy end of harvesting, leave the whole lot and you should have enough for some big rows next year. I'm talking about climbing maincrop peas here, shorter peas you'd obviously have to leave more on purpose.

To be on topic, I only grow french beans now as we prefer to eat them and the "trail of tears" I grew last year have been fantastic frozen, so I will stick to them and grow blue lake to eat fresh as well.

SEE I have a few seeds of Ne Plus Ultra as well this year, enough to get a small crop and save enough seed for next year if I like it. I am also growing a few Dutch purple podded peas given to me by a friendly person, also my normal Alderman maincrop as well.

looby-loo_2

Lotus-eater wrote: »

To the person that asked about peas, saving seed from them is really easy, just leave a few big pods to mature and when you get to the scrappy end of harvesting, leave the whole lot and you should have enough for some big rows next year.

This is the key to saving seeds. Always leave good quality, large pods for seed. Not the tiny ones that were left behind.

Good quality, well nourisheds parents will produce good quality offspring

MRSMCAWBER

Here you go cheerfulness
The peas are from fothergills

http://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/catalogue/product/1919-1/

I think they have some really reasonable priced seeds..most of mine have come from there, the organic seed company of from a garden centre here..

Yellow/blue beans don't really taste much different to the green ones but they look pretty

off the subject of beans/peas -this morning I have been in the spare room and my sweetcorn are through :j my first attempt -so fingers crossed, also most of the tomatoes and salad leaves are through, a couple of aubergine and the peppers/chilis are just starting to break the surface -ooooohhh and the sweetpotato slips I have grown and set are rooting -and I have more to take off the potato